Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2019 - 29

* Making programs memorable through
marketing and branding tactics both
before and during the training event

1. Embed Motivational
Strategies in Training Through
Goal-Setting
Locke's goal-setting theory is grounded
in the impact of goal commitments,
which have been shown to improve
individual task performance. When
applying this idea to training, one best
practice is to ensure learners set goals
within and beyond the classroom. By
doing so, learners are more likely to
commit their time to goal completion
and create a learning plan, which can
ultimately lead to better performance.

INCORPORATE BASIC
PSYCHOLOGY PRINCIPLES
THAT TAP INTO HUMAN
EMOTION AND MAKE
TRAINING STICK.

For goal commitment, consider the
following tactics:
* Aligning the individual's goals with
the company's goals and vision
* Asking learners to individually set and
clearly write down goals that will help
them succeed in their current and
future roles
* Ensuring learners' goals are SMART
- specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic and timely
* Encouraging the learner to openly
share his or her goal commitment -
for example, with a partner or team

member during or immediately after
the training
* Incorporating opportunities that build
a learner's self-confidence in training
programs, especially when tasks feel
"too challenging," including practice
application opportunities such a as
role-plays, video recordings, behavior
change
reinforcement
through
feedback and/or real-life practice with
a coach
All these strategies work to ensure
the learning program's objectives are
both meaningful and timely - and
can increase a learner's motivation
to achieve specific goals. By raising a
learner's level of self-efficacy, he or she
will likely put more effort into tackling
challenging tasks; this increased selfefficacy may also lead to long-term
retention and knowledge transfer.

2. Leverage Influence
Strategies to Engage and
Persuade Learners
Persuasion and influence aren't just for
sales professionals and senior leaders.
In fact, many L&D professionals must
leverage their own influence strategies
to keep their learners' attention. One
notable author and researcher on
this topic, over several decades, is
Robert Cialdini. Through his work,
including "Influence: The Psychology
of Persuasion," Cialdini presents a
clear breakdown of the tactics used to
influence others, including consensus
or "social proof," liking, authority,
reciprocity, consistency and scarcity.
Below is a brief overview of these tactics
and examples to apply in training:
* Consensus or social proof: People
are more likely to do something if
others are doing it as well. Sharing
specific examples of good behavior
already seen in a company is impactful.
Reference actions from well-respected
leaders and leverage best practices

from organizational top performers.
This strategy will increase awareness
of best practices in the industry and
will inspire learners to follow suit.
* Liking: People are more open to
opinions from those they like. People
learn and seek guidance from those
that they're similar to and that they
personally like. Try to find examples
that are localized to your office or
market to truly have a message
resonate in learners. For instance,
consider embedding memorable
speakers or other internal stakeholders
who have a likeability trait to ensure
course participation.
* Authority: People tend to follow
people of authority. Quite simply,
encourage senior leader involvement
in training and/or ask them to help
reinforce commitment and goalsetting strategies that ensure people
follow those in authoritative positions.
Ask trainees to share their goals with
senior colleagues who can provide
feedback and hold them accountable.
* Reciprocity: People feel a strong
pressure to give to those who gave
to them along the way. One way to
bring this idea to life through training
is to include a mentorship model
that involves contributing back to
the learning program over time. This
might look like a coaching session or
paired matching approach to invest in
practice opportunities or drive more
self-efficacy after the training.
* Consistency: People will make
sacrifices to appear consistent in
their actions. If a person agrees to
do something, most will do anything
to ensure they honor that agreement
consistently over time. By writing goals
that can be completed alongside daily
habits and sharing commitments with
others, learners will be encouraged to
embed consistent practices as part of
their daily routine.

T RAIN IN G I N DU STR Y M AGAZ INE - UNDERSTANDING YOUR LEARNERS 20 1 9 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2019

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