When it comes to a strategy or learning day, we’re used to the practice of “going off-site” to a venue away from the usual workplace. Our intention is to get away from the distractions of the office so that quality, uninterrupted time is spent on the subjects at hand—all very sensible, and the quality of the day we have usually seems to justify the decision.
Except…
There is an issue to be aware of, and that is all learning is state-dependent.
What does that mean?
It means that we only really assimilate learning when we are in the “state” to which it applies, or if you will, in the situation to which it relates. That’s why feedback needs to be delivered within a few minutes of an occurrence if it is to have any effect.
So the trouble with off-site learning is that it arrives when we are in a specially controlled, in fact artificial state away from the normal workplace. And so we and everyone else have trouble applying the learning when we go back. The off-site approach isn’t as effective as we think.
For a successful outcome, we need to promote learning in the live environment or specifically pull through anything that happens off-site.
That’s my experience.
What about you? How do you transfer learning from an off-site day?