Everything you have ever learned is saved somewhere deep in your brain and you can always get back to it. This is one of the most common myths about learning. The human brain is not a recording device, able to record everything. Every day we are exposed to huge amounts of information and so the brain must decide what should be stored in long-term memory.
Scientists have not yet found any completely successful way to remember something in the long term. There are, however, some techniques that significantly increase the likelihood of that happening. These include learning in a social context, experiential learning, linking new information to prior knowledge and repetition.
And what common myths prevail in the field of employee training? Clomedia.com warns us about the following.
Frustration predicts failure
The fact that an employee feels frustrated when learning something new does not hurt in fact. The great effort he will initially have to invest will help him to better save the new knowledge in his long-term memory. Trainers should encourage staff to face the unknown and learn to overcome obstacles on their own.
Trainers should not teach bad behavior
The opposite is true. The effort employees have to use to find out what is right or wrong increases the likelihood of remembering good practices. Trainers should therefore prepare specific examples of bad practices with regard to the individual needs of employees and demonstrate what needs to be changed.
Mental preparation is not as important as physical preparation
Athletes temporarily unable to train prepare for their competitions mentally. However, they don't underestimate mental preparation even when they can train because they know it helps. The same process also works in learning and it is much more effective than we think. Mental preparation prior to the performance of a particular task can improve final results. Trainers should therefore encourage employees to prepare for their tasks mentally as well.
Details don't matter
Research shows that people learn better when you give them a certain flexibility. That is why you should let employees decide when and where a training session will take place. Allow them to speak using their own words in role playing and bring their own equipment. The more flexibility trainers offer, the greater the improvement in employee performance can be expected.
Evaluation only evaluates
Of course, assessment tools serve to evaluate employee performance. However, their role does not end here. Trainers should provide employees with assessments of their success in learning. If you give them the opportunity to see what they need to improve, you will increase their motivation to get rid of these shortcomings. Evaluation should therefore be taken as a motivational tool too.
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