The only way for people to learn what they need to know is by applying it!

I think the issue that we have is that many people don’t really understand what it takes for a person to learn something. The assumption often is that if I tell somebody something they need to know, they will learn it, simply by being told that piece of knowledge once. This isn’t how learning actually works. When you tell somebody something, they might remember what you told them but that hasn’t actually started any learning processes in their head. One key thing (there are many) that a person needs to learn something is application.

If you can design a learning experience where people can apply the knowledge that you want them to learn, you will be much more successful in them being able to understand that knowledge. If people understand the knowledge then they have learned it and can see how that knowledge can be applied in different ways in your organisation.

I have worked in many different organisations where I have been taught the company values. However, the eLearning or sometimes face-to-face information session focuses on telling me everything that I need to know. Then sometimes checking, through a pop quiz, what I remember. Nothing ever challenges whether I understand those values and can apply them in my role going forward. The questions are often, “can you recall three of the five values that drive our company”. You get a multiple choice tick box answer with some of the values listed and one or two that aren’t values. That doesn’t test whether you can apply those values to your work and barely tests whether you are likely to remember them once you leave the session.

A better way would be to have scenario examples where people have choices to make. You have the values available to review and remind you, as you make the choices. Then each choice should have options that either do, or do not live up to the company values. The answers would consist of the outcomes of those choices and how they have impacted others to complete the learning. This would challenge each person to think about how those values are applied in workplace situations and how their decisions are impacting others. A follow up quiz could be replaced with a reflection on how you think you have demonstrated these values in a previous role or in your life and how this has impacted others. This would then further challenge people to apply these values in a meaningful way. This would be much more powerful in helping people learn what they need to know about company values.

This is where a quality change manager or learning professional can help. They can help you to design learning experiences where people in your organisation can apply the knowledge they need to know, to help your people really understand how changes impact them.