Transfer of Learning: Strategies for Workplace Application

Introduction to Transfer of Learning

Transfer of learning has been defined in various ways, but all definitions revolve around a similar core concept. Some psychologists define it as the broad, productive, and supported use of acquired skills, knowledge, and motivation within new contexts and learning tasks — that is, the extent to which a behavior learned in one situation will be repeated in a new one. Transfer of learning tends to be foundational to understanding how people develop important competencies.

For an organization to successfully adopt change — especially in terms of transfer of learning — it must find ways of putting learning into practice, as this process can be fraught with difficulties. To avoid those difficulties, there are four key ways to make learning transfer easier: automate the learning transfer process, focus on tactics rather than strategy, engage managers to do just what is necessary, and use both a "push" and a "pull" approach.

Automating the Learning Transfer Process

Sometimes learning transfer involves managing a complex agenda with multiple participants, multiple modes of delivery, and multiple training locations (Cormier & Hagman, 1987). Some of the challenges faced by training professionals include finding enough resources and time to achieve learning transfer in a timely and efficient way. To improve and streamline learning transfer — limiting stress while increasing effectiveness — organizations can leverage current technology to set up a system of messages and activities that are automatically delivered to specific individuals and groups in the workplace (Cree & Macaulay, 2000). This approach simplifies complexity and eliminates the time-consuming effort of manually creating all the communications and resources needed to complete a learning transfer initiative.

One illustrative example involves a globally operating manufacturing company that needed to implement sales training over a one-year period for 1,000 sales staff located in different parts of the world. Most of these employees were situated in remote rural areas, and the 100 sales managers were also located far from their field teams. Success was achieved by ensuring that the right message reached the right people at the right time. Rather than specifying dates for every message and activity, everything was keyed off a single "core" learning event. The only variable that needed to be managed was each salesperson's participation date in that core event. Through the automated system, every message could be adjusted from a central point. This greatly simplified administrative requirements and ensured that reminders, quizzes, follow-up activities, and key tools reached each learner and each manager at exactly the right time.

Focusing on Tactics Rather Than Strategy

To ensure training has real impact, focus should be concentrated on facilitating specific learning transfer to the job rather than on creating a broad "transfer culture." For example, if a given group has completed a sales course, it is important to involve them in timely reinforcement, feedback, follow-up, and coaching to improve performance — and in so doing, to help transfer learning to the work situation (Spring, 2012). Strategies that wait for longer-term cultural change to take hold often result in learning becoming diluted — or lost entirely.

In practice, this approach works by initiating activities aimed at learner readiness close to the time of the learning session, followed immediately by structured follow-up. Messages are conveyed with a clear connection to the stated learning objectives, keeping those objectives the central priority throughout the process.

Conclusion

It is essential that learning takes place within the work environment and even outside it. This learning can be facilitated through seminars, training programs, and exchange programs. However, it is even more essential that the skills acquired through these experiences are transferred to the work environment and actively utilized in the running of the organization. The four strategies outlined above — automation, tactical focus, appropriate manager engagement, and push-pull delivery — provide a practical framework for ensuring that investment in training yields lasting, measurable results.

References

Cree, V. E., & Macaulay, C. (2000). Transfer of learning in professional and vocational education. Psychology Press.

Schein, E. H. (1990). Organizational culture. American Psychologist.

Spring. (2012). Enhancing the transfer of learning. The Ashridge Journal. Retrieved from www.ashridge.org.uk

Cormier, S. M., & Hagman, J. D. (1987). Transfer of learning: Contemporary research and applications. Academic Press.