Traditional corporate training often fails because it doesn’t align with how our brains are naturally wired. Understanding how the brain processes, stores, and retrieves information is crucial for creating effective training programs. Let’s break down the core challenges and possible solutions using concepts like the science of forgetting, habit formation, and innovative learning approaches like Nanolearning.
Why Do Traditional Training Programs Fail?
One of the key goals of corporate training is to boost employee productivity by teaching new skills and knowledge that can be applied in the workplace. However, despite the investment in training, companies frequently find that these programs fall short of expectations. The reasons often lie in two major factors:
1. The Science of Forgetting
– The human brain is inherently wired to forget. Hermann Ebbinghaus’s “Forgetting Curve,” discovered in 1885, revealed that people forget up to 50% of newly learned information within a day and as much as 90% within a week. Modern neuroscience continues to confirm this phenomenon, making it clear that much of the knowledge from training sessions quickly fades away without reinforcement.
– This rapid decline in retention is a fundamental challenge for corporate training because if employees cannot recall what they learned, they cannot apply it to their work. Training that doesn’t include strategies to counteract forgetting is unlikely to produce long-term results.
2. Habit Over Knowledge
The brain has a natural preference for habits. Habits are automatic, ingrained behaviors that provide a sense of familiarity and comfort. Since habits are tied to neural pathways that have already been established, they are much easier for the brain to follow than new knowledge or behaviors.
– This tendency makes it difficult for employees to implement new skills from training because they naturally revert to old habits that feel more comfortable and require less cognitive effort. Without intentional effort to practice new skills, traditional training often fails to drive behavioral change.
How to Make Learning Stick: Overcoming These Challenges
Given the hurdles of forgetting and ingrained habits, how can we make learning more effective? The answer lies in addressing these issues directly with strategies that align with how the brain works:
1. Storing Knowledge in Long-Term Memory
– Repetition: Information must be reinforced repeatedly to move from short-term to long-term memory. Regular exposure to the material helps deepen understanding and creates stronger neural connections.
2. Turning Learning into a Habit
– Consistency is Key: To transform new skills into habits, they must be practiced consistently until they become automatic. This process helps embed the new behaviors into the brain’s habitual patterns.
– Small, Incremental Steps: Breaking down learning into small, manageable chunks makes it easier to incorporate into everyday routines, ensuring steady and sustainable progress.
– Contextual Triggers: These cues prompt the recall of information at the right moments, making it more likely that the learned behavior will be used. By incorporating triggers into daily tasks, knowledge becomes more accessible and applicable.
Nano2grow’s Approach: Nano Learning
At Nano2grow, the key to effective learning is turning it into a habit. Our solution is based on the concept of Nano Learning, which focuses on transforming learning into daily growth. This approach involves integrating small, digestible knowledge into employees’ daily routines, using repetition and strategic triggers to transfer knowledge into long-term memory.
Why Nano Learning Works:
– Daily Supplements for Productivity: By delivering small, targeted lessons daily, Nano Learning keeps the material fresh in the learner’s mind, reducing the impact of the forgetting curve.
– Built-in Triggers: We use carefully designed cues to encourage employees to apply what they’ve learned in real-life situations, reinforcing new habits and skills.
– Transforming Learning into Habits: Our focus on habit-building helps individuals acquire new knowledge and seamlessly integrate it into their daily workflow, making learning a continuous, engaging process.
The failure of traditional corporate training often stems from its disconnect with how our brains naturally function. Training must address both the science of forgetting and the challenge of habit formation to make learning effective. Organizations can ensure that their training programs boost employee productivity and foster long-term growth by adopting methods like Nano Learning, which emphasizes repetition, triggers, and creating productive habits.