Why Making Learning Stick Matters (And How To Do It)

It's a no-brainer — making learning stick is what turns training into results.

Making learning stick is important because it ensures that the knowledge and skills acquired during learning experiences are retained and can be applied effectively in real-world situations.

Over time, individuals tend to forget what they have learned, and the investment made in learning and development may not provide a return on investment (ROI).

In the context of leadership development and executive coaching, ensuring that learning sticks is particularly important because it can lead to incremental improvements in decision-making, problem-solving, and performance — leading to an overall snowballing effect for effectiveness as well as satisfaction for all stakeholders involved with the organization.

Through our experience of helping hundreds of clients execute L&D interventions across seniority levels, we've noticed a pattern of impact maximization in those cases where there was:

Self-motivation

Bite-sized, self-paced modules

Learning + practical implementation

Org, peer & team support for recursive practice

Org-level support & recognition

When we create systems for making learning stick, it can contribute to a culture of continuous learning and improvement, where individuals are motivated to seek out new knowledge and skills to enhance their personal and professional growth. Ultimately, learning that sticks can lead to more effective and successful leadership, as well as improved organizational outcomes.

Understanding How Learning Happens

To make learning stick, it's crucial to understand how the brain processes and retains information. Let us explore the science of learning and memory, including key concepts like encoding, storage, and retrieval. We will also debunk common myths and misconceptions about learning.

The human brain is an amazing organ capable of processing and retaining vast amounts of information. The process of learning involves three critical steps:

Encoding

Converting information into a form the brain can store, involving attention, perception, and understanding. Information is transformed into a kind of “neural code” the brain can hold onto.

Storage

Retaining information over time via consolidation into long-term memory — across sensory, short-term, and long-term stores. Much of this consolidation is believed to happen during sleep.

Retrieval

Accessing information that has been stored in memory, through activation of the neural circuits associated with it.

Myth-busting: one common myth is that individuals have a fixed amount of intelligence and cannot improve their cognitive abilities — and thus cannot improve their ability to make learning stick. In reality, research has shown that the brain is capable of learning and adapting throughout life. By scientifically understanding the biological processes of learning and memory, individuals and organizations can design more effective learning experiences that lead to long-term retention and application of knowledge and skills.

Strategies for Making Learning Stick

The most important thing to keep in mind is “relevance” — aligning learning objectives with real-world problems the learner faces, using experiential methods, and connecting learning to personal and organizational goals.

Relevance

When we at Meeraq work with clients to develop employee professional skills, the first thing we focus on in a session is what we call ‘creating hunger’ — our way of motivating learners by helping them identify the relevance of the session for them.

Our learning sessions are a vibrant conversation where learners bring their experiences to the forum and build a unique ‘relevance’ for themselves and the cohort they participate in.

Active Engagement

Facilitating discussions, debates, and brainstorming sessions, encouraging learners to ask questions and provide feedback, and incorporating collaborative and cooperative learning activities.

At Meeraq, we come from a rich legacy of coaching, and our facilitators leverage that skill to create a curious and safe space for learners to engage in and learn.

Practice

Besides active engagement, a lot of memory depends on frequency or repetition. Practising means providing opportunities to apply what's been learned, giving feedback and coaching to reinforce it, and using deliberate practice and spaced repetition to strengthen the associated neural circuits.

To reduce friction, we close each session with a segment on planning actions for the coming days — identifying situations for practice and success measures. Where learners hit internal or external blocks, we support them with individualized laser coaching — a huge hit with our learners.

Culture

Fostering a learning culture means creating an environment that values continuous learning and improvement, encouraging experimentation, risk-taking, and innovation, and recognizing and rewarding learning achievements.

Overcoming Common Barriers to Learning

Even with the best intentions, there are common barriers to learning that can hinder retention.

Besides supporting learners to overcome personal barriers through coaching, we partner with clients to explore what they can do to maximize the outcome of the learning intervention.

Carving out dedicated time for learning
Gaining access to resources and support
Addressing fears of failure or change
Fostering a culture of openness and curiosity

Learning That Sticks, at Scale

While L&D practitioners are always concerned about the RoI of the interventions they have deployed, and whether the learning actually sticks or not, we at Meeraq believe — through the transformation journeys we have been fortunate to witness — that making learning stick is possible, even at scale. What one needs is scientifically backed, well-designed programs, the right set of support mechanisms, and the good intention to nurture and support learning.