The programme ends, feedback is positive, and the group photo is ready. Then Monday arrives: a crowded inbox, back-to-back meetings, and the old way of working. The missing piece is not always better course content. It may be a plan for what happens after the course. Training transfer needs an opportunity to act and someone to support that action.
The following is a practical planning approach proposed by Jozzour, not a scientifically fixed timeline for mastering every skill. Adjust it to the work cycle, complexity, and risk of the task. Its purpose is to make application visible and responsibilities clear.
Before the programme ends: choose one behaviour
“Apply everything you learned” is too broad to guide a busy employee. Choose one behaviour and one upcoming situation. After a feedback workshop, an employee might commit to describing a specific behaviour and its impact, then asking for the colleague’s perspective before suggesting a solution.
The manager and employee agree where that attempt can happen and what support is needed. If the task is sensitive or high-risk, start with a simulation or supervised practice. A live customer situation is not automatically the right place for a first attempt.
Days 1–7: make the first attempt small and scheduled
Put the attempt in the calendar. Record just two things afterwards: what you tried and what happened. A suitable work sample with sensitive details removed, or a short observation from a manager, can be more useful than a long reflection about motivation.
The manager’s job is to remove a concrete barrier: protect time, provide access to a tool, or clarify a decision right. Asking “Why haven’t you used it?” is not enough if the employee has not had a suitable opportunity or the workflow blocks the new approach.
Days 8–14: review the attempt, not the person’s character
Use a short conversation to examine an actual example. What worked? Where did the attempt become difficult? What should change next time? Keep the feedback close to the behaviour: the clarity of a question, the order of the steps, or the completeness of a summary.
A weak attempt does not automatically mean the learner forgot the material. The employee may need another demonstration, a more relevant example, or a process change. Identify the obstacle before choosing the response. Avoid vague conclusions such as “be more confident” when you can identify something specific to practise.
Days 15–21: try it in a different situation
Repeat the behaviour with another task or a slightly more demanding case. Add a short reminder card if needed, then reduce support as performance becomes more independent. A peer can review an attempt too, provided the role is clear and information is handled appropriately.
Days 22–30: look for evidence rather than enthusiasm
Compare suitable work samples before and after the programme using the same criteria. For feedback skills, look for a specific behaviour, an invitation to respond, and an agreed next step. Counting how often a template was used tells you something about adoption, but not necessarily about conversation quality.
Record other workplace changes as well. A new policy, system, or manager may influence the result. Do not claim that training caused every improvement or promise a financial return without appropriate evidence. “We observed better performance on this behaviour and will check whether it continues” can be a useful, honest finding.
A follow-up card you can use
- The behaviour and the situation where I will use it.
- The first attempt date and the support I need.
- The evidence I will bring to the review.
- The barrier my manager needs to address.
- The adjustment I will make after feedback.
CDC’s Quality Training Standards include post-training support. The monthly schedule above is one proposed way to organise that support, not a guarantee of a particular outcome.
Explore Jozzour’s learning services or talk with us about designing the journey beyond the workshop.
