I know that a learner’s manager has a big impact on whether training produces results. But it is hard to get them engaged! What can I do to get managers more involved so I can boost learning transfer?

You are right. The research is clear: a learner’s manager can make or break the success of any training program. So it is absolutely vital to get them engaged and supportive.

The first step is to be sure that they know how important their role is. Many managers don’t fully appreciate the extent to which they impact the return on the training investment for their department. Have you shared the data with them about how important their support is? If not, do so. Be sure your communication answers the WIIFM question (What’s In It for Me?) by showing them how a modest incremental investment of their time and attention can pay big rewards for their department and reputation.

Second, be sure they know what they are supposed to do. It doesn’t do any good to just exhort managers to “Do more pre- and post-course coaching!” if they do not know what it is they are supposed to do. Our clients have discovered that one of the big impediments to getting managers more involved is that no one has ever been explicit about exactly what they are supposed to do. They discovered that when they provided managers with an easy-to-use process and practical tools, many more of them became successfully engaged with good results.

Click here to read more from the latest Fort Hill Company Learning Alert  to find out how to get your Managers more involved in learning transfer.  Also we would love to hear from you so please let us know your take on the subject below!

Wrapping up his guest spot on the Human Capital Institute Blog, Fort Hill CEO brings an insightful summary on driving learning transfer, and making the most out of your training events. Check it out here.

Check out the first of a 2 part series that Fort Hill’s own Andrew Jefferson is presenting on the Human Capital Institute Blog. Learn how to treat learning as a process, not an event, by clicking here.

The Fort Hill Company Newsletter is back with an all new issue where we answer YOUR questions on L&Ds best practices. Check it out here! Don’t forget to let us know the kinds of questions you’d like to see in the comments section.

Here is the second article from Michael Papay and David Timby that was published by Australia’s Get Me Learning Resources.

They focus on the best practices of getting people to create and complete their development goals by incorporating three key principles:

Employ Accountability and Support.
Set-up Automatic Reminders.
Reward Quick Wins.

Read the full article at: http://www.getmelearningresources.com/article-the-science-of-creating-and-completing-development-goals-part2#at

Thanks to Karen over at Australia’s Get Me Learning Resources for making Michael Papay and Fort Hill Company a Fave Find in their fantastic newsletter. Below, find an excerpt, and a link to the full article.

Fave Find
Our Fave Find this week is not a thing, it’s a person! We met Michael Papay of the Fort Hill Company when he presented at the AIPF Conference on the Gold Coast in July. Michael delivered an information packed, thought provoking session on “Getting Your Money’s Worth from Training & Development”. Of course, as soon as I read this in the program my interested was sparked as it’s one of the biggest challenges we face in the industry – how to demonstrate ROI and knowledge transfer from training. What impressed me most though, was the research that has gone into developing Fort Hill’s product, Follow Through Tools®. This product has been used by more than 90,000 learners in 48 countries to drive learning transfer and deliver business results, making Fort Hill Company a global leader in this field. So after talking with Michael, we decided to focus this newsletter on “The Science of Creating & Completing Development Goals”. Michael has very kindly written us two articles on this subject. The first is included below and the second will be published in the next edition of our newsletter. We have also featured a couple of Fort Hill publications from our webstore which are great practical guides for getting the most out of your training budget. Thanks to Michael for his contribution and we hope you enjoy the read!

Read The Full Entry Here

This year learning leaders have asked three questions. 1. How do we predictably turn learning and development into improved business results? 2. Leaders in large enterprises have asked how to break down the silos of separate learning organizations within the same company. As one leader said, “We have multiple learning tribes operating each with their own models and language.” 3. How can we get our people trained without needing to have them travel?

To answer these questions on Tuesday September 15th, 22nd, and 29th, I will be leading a Virtual Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning Workshop to answer that exact question.

Great companies like Deloitte, Kaiser Permanente, and Agilent Technologies use the Six Disciplines to maximize the value of the learning they deliver. The Six Disciplines gives their instructional designers a consistent language and methodology that requires that all elements of the learning process consider and work towards the delivery of increased business results. Developing and executing learning initiatives that support business outcomes are a requirement in this economy.

This workshop will be highly interactive and engaging. Participants will bring a specific program they are responsible for and by the end of the third session they will document the improvements that have made.

When I did a similar workshop in January, the evaluations where higher than any instructor led Workshop I have ever done. I was positively stunned by the improvements participants made in the programs they brought. In fact because it was learning spaced over time rather than just in one or two days, I think they may have made more progress than what we see after an on site workshop.

Attend this virtual version of the Six Disciplines Workshop to learn how to:

* Work directly with the author of the best-selling Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning.
* No need or cost to travel.
* Learn with and from other workplace learning professionals.
* Apply the Six Disciplines to priority learning initiatives.
* Visibly increase the results your programs deliver.

Each interactive workshop includes three 90-minute sessions taught by me, Cal Wick, founder of Fort Hill Company and co-author of the best-selling Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning and Getting Your Money’s Worth from Training and Development.

All sessions are delivered from 11:00 AM to 12:30 EDT. The three workshop sessions, workbook, coaching and 6Ds toolkits are included for just $495.

Click here to find out how you can increase the business impact of your training and development efforts.

These days, when discussing training and development strategies, people often talk about Return on Investment, and what that means, and how it can be improved. Fort Hill Company is dedicated to helping businesses improve their ROI through innovative learning transfer applications, and management theories. Our most recent focus is how to engage managers in the learning process so that they provide the best environment for learning transfer and application.

Take a look at this glowing review of our newest book and soon to be e-learning transfer program, Getting Your Money’s Worth from Training & Development: A Guide to Breakthrough Learning for Managers and Participants from the Managing Director at HRD Central, Rowena Beresford. An expert in her field, Beresford shows how optimizing the maximum impact of learning transfer doesn’t end with the talent being trained. With follow through from management, as well as L & D professionals, the effects of training are guaranteed to continue to improve results long after the training team has gone home.

The July issue of T&D features an article titled The New Finish Line of Learning authored by Fort Hill. Click here to read it.

The article begins, “Training’s job isn’t done, and training won’t be rewarded with continued investment unless learning is transferred and applied in a way that improves performance. Anything that falls short of the new goal line is at risk. Fortunately, we now know what it takes to turn great learning into great results.”

The article details what it takes to reach the new finish line, including treating training as a process, driving follow-through and application, and engaging both managers and participants.

A stunning chart of responses collected at ASTD ICE 2008 in San Diego makes clear the size of the opportunity for improvement. The chart shows that 80% of learning leaders polled said that less than 20% of participants transfer what they learn in a way that improves performance. Imagine what that means for leadership development, change management, coaching, process improvement, strategic initiatives or any training that is meant to develop your people. The vast majority of what they’re learning is rarely being applied in the workplace.

The article is one more step in Fort Hill Company’s long term commitment to increase the value that Learning and Development delivers to those we serve. We have been pleased to partner with ASTD to increase the visibility that Learning Transfer is receiving at its major conferences.

We hope this article will be a great resource for you to pass on to your line managers and colleagues. It will help them imagine the contribution learning can make to your business, when improved performance because of well-applied training becomes the norm rather than the exception.