Last time, we talked about the holy grail of training -- that is, transfer, or whether content and skills learned in training can be implemented back on the job. We discussed some strategies for designing training upfront in order to increase the likelihood of transfer.

But there's more to it than what the trainer does, or what happens in the training classroom.  You may be familiar with the research conducted by Newstrom & Broad.  They wanted to determine which factors influence training effectiveness.  Is it the trainer, the trainee, or even the trainee's manager?  Is it only what happens during training that matters, or can we influence transfer before and after the training event as well?  

These researchers concluded that the #1 factor in whether training "sticks" and is transferred to the job is . . . what the participant's manager does before training.  The second most important factor is, not surprisingly, what the trainer does beforehand.  And the #3 factor is what the manager does after training.  

Wait a minute! Can that be right?  Managers of trainees -- people not even in your workshop -- are extremely influential in whether training sticks!  Knowing this, you can engage them in helping you to make training more effective.  A few suggestions:

• be sure you have support for training all the way up the corporate ladder
• preview content for managers so they know what will be covered
• suggest that managers meet with participants before class to help set goals and expectations for what they will learn
• ask members of the management team to kick off significant programs, or simply to join the class for lunch, as a show of support
• require participants to meet with their managers after training to share their action plans