A couple of years ago, I spent two hours walking around Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour. I had an audio headset on, listening to historical facts about the old industrial sites and convict precincts as I strolled along the paths.
It was interesting at the time. I looked at the massive machinery, took in the views, and absorbed the narrative.
But a few days later, I realised I barely remembered any of it.
Many corporate training programs operate exactly like that audio tour. We gather employees in a room or on their screens and broadcast information. The content might be well-researched, high-quality, or even engaging in the moment.
Yet, when employees return to their desks, the knowledge vanishes.
Why? Because when information lacks operational application, the human brain treats it like a holiday. It stores the experience as a "memory of an event" rather than "something applicable to my work".
If people don’t see how learning applies directly to their workday, that knowledge becomes corporate trivia. And unlike holiday trivia, which is driven by personal curiosity, corporate trivia is forgotten almost immediately because employees often lacked the interest in the first place.
When I look back at the photos I took on Cockatoo Island, my memory sparks. The photo provides context. It anchors the facts to a specific moment of interest. Without that context to anchor it, the knowledge fades away.
So if you want your learning events to be more than a holiday "audio tour", we need to shift our approach:
Find the Interest: Even if the topic is dry, find the angle that sparks curiosity to open the mind.
Create the "Photo" Moment: Provide context. Use scenarios that mimic the actual workday.
Support the Application: Knowledge is only valuable if it is applied. If it doesn't help someone do their job differently tomorrow, it will eventually fade away.
When you look back at your last training session, have you applied what you learned or has it faded like a lovely walk around a holiday island?
If you want to start designing great learning experiences, experience one first to compare with in the Free Changing with Confidence Mini Course.
If you want to learn more about creating learning experiences, then grab Changing with Confidence or book a call with Adrian.
