Does training really fail?
In short, yes! There are differing reports of the frequency of which training fails, from 90% being forgotten after the first year (Wall Street Journal) down to 77% being forgotten (renowned Victorian psychologist, Hermann Ebbinghaus) - whether it's one or the other, or somewhere in between, there is no doubt that training programmes frequently disappoint.
And we don't necessarily need to read psychological research to know this - think back to any training programme you've attended longer than 6 months ago, and see how much you can actually remember. Businesses are throwing precious money down the drain with training that just doesn't stick. Fact.
Is it possible to address this problem?
The good news is that yes, it is possible - but it requires effort and planning on the part of the business purchasing the training to make sure this happens. The solution to this problem lies in three key groups of activities:
- Pre-course
- During the course
- Post-course