There is a gap between leaving the classroom with new knowledge and nascent skills, and becoming proficient in using them in a work context.
What must happen in that gap, so people move from knowing about something to using it well?
One way to find out is to ask people who have crossed that gap successfully.
Here are some questions:
1. What are you doing now that you couldn’t do before the training?
2. To do it, what new things did you need to learn after the training?
3. How did you learn to do it? What actions did you take after the training?
4. What’s in it for you to do it the new way?
5. What advice do you have for someone following in your footsteps?
6. What would you have needed to learn it earlier, quicker, or more easily?
Notice that the last question is designed to help you find a way to reduce the time it takes people to cross the gap. The quicker they make the transition from training to proficiency, the higher the return on the training investment.
