Tools & Methodology
Skills Have to Stick
The success of our training and your business strategy depends on it.
But experts estimate that just 20% of learning is ever applied on the job.
Training that doesn’t result in the transfer of needed skills or encourage participants to make a habit of them is simply a waste of time and money.
Mandel Approach Promotes Skill Transfer and Retention
Every aspect of our instructional approach, from pre-program prep to reinforcement is designed to promote the transfer and retention of:
- New skills that strengthen and grow in value through active use over time.
- New skills that become habit.
New skills should deliver a sustainable competitive advantage.
Newly acquired communication skills should serve your organization well, especially in high-stakes situations, for many years to come.
Learn-by-Doing Skill Development
During all Mandel workshops, participants experience numerous learn-by-doing simulations.
They apply elegantly simple job aids to real-world high stakes communication situations, and then practice their newly acquired skills extensively with their peers and with Mandel trainers and coaches.
Research shows adults are more likely to internalize and apply new skills if they’ve played some part in shaping their own learning. Mandel asks participants to actively contribute to pre-course planning by:
- Selecting an upcoming presentation or conversation to focus on during the workshop itself.
- Playing a direct role in putting into action a plan for using new skills on the job.
In the Classrom
In-classroom tools and exercises have been proven to promote the transfer and retention of new skills:
- Analogies and tools (e.g., The Mandel BLUEPRINT®, SCIPAB®) make content easy to plan and remember, and make complicated on-the-job scenarios more manageable.
- Structured learn-by-doing practice simulations help participants retain skills better than if they’d only read or heard about them.
- Expert, individualized, in-the-moment coaching helps participants reflect on their performance and improve it.
- Video-recorded playback allows participants to see themselves as others see them — and then develop their own personal strategies for improvement.
- Peer feedback is critical to interpersonal skills transfer and is an essential classroom tool.
Post-Program Reinforcement
Newly acquired skills are most fragile once the training has ended. Reinforcement encourages participants to keep using new skills and, eventually, make them a habit.
Mandel provides a variety of post-training reinforcement and support to nurture the continued development and application of new skills and behaviors.
Make Learning Stick For Your Organization
To learn more about Mandel's reinforcement tools or to discuss the best approach to making learning stick for your organization, contact us.