Is Your Organisational Training BS? It should be!
Training is BS—and by that, we mean Behavioural Science! In this series, we've been exploring how understanding human behaviour can revolutionise your training programs.
Today, we’re diving deep into why training should be all about behavioural science, and how it can lead to more impactful sessions and better outcomes for both individuals and organisations.
Why Behavioural Science Matters in Training
At its core, behavioural science is the study of how people think, feel, and act. It’s about understanding the underlying motivations, triggers, and barriers that influence human behaviour. When applied to training, these insights can mean the difference between a program that simply ticks boxes and one that truly transforms!
Understanding Learner Motivation
Not all learners are motivated by the same thing. Some are driven by personal growth, others by career advancement, and some of your learners might simply want to get through a training session as quickly as possible. When you take these considerations into account and tailor your training content and delivery methods to meet the diverse needs of your audience, you make the experience much more engaging and effective.
Designing for Behaviour Change
The ultimate goal of most training programs is to change behaviour for the better, whether it’s enhancing customer service, boosting productivity, or improving safety practices. Behavioural science gives you tools to design elevated training that does more than just impart knowledge, it encourages real, lasting change. Techniques like reinforcement, habit formation, and behavioural nudges all help learners internalise and apply new skills.
Reducing Cognitive Load
One of the biggest challenges in training is enabling learners to absorb and retain information. Behavioural science offers strategies to reduce cognitive load, such as breaking content into manageable chunks, using visual aids, and incorporating spaced repetition. By easing the mental effort required to learn, you can help your trainees retain more information and apply it more effectively in their work.
Enhancing Engagement Through Storytelling
People love stories. We’re more likely to remember and engage with information when it’s presented in a narrative format. Behavioural science shows us that incorporating storytelling into training, through case studies, simulations, or real-world examples, can make content more relatable and memorable, increasing the likelihood that learners will stay engaged and retain the material.
Need Ideas for Practical Applications of Behavioural Science in Training?
Here are some of our favourites!
● Instead of diving straight into the content, conduct a pre-training assessment to gauge your learners’ current knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. You’ll then be able to tailor the training to address specific gaps and challenges and make sure the content is relevant and targeted.
● Use behavioural science insights to create personalised learning paths that cater to individual learner needs. For example, if learners are motivated by social interaction, include group discussions into the program. If learners prefers hands-on experience, provide interactive simulations or real-world tasks that allow them to practice and apply what they’ve learned directly.
● Incorporate regular feedback into your training programs, allowing learners to reflect on their progress and adjust their approach as needed. You can then use the feedback you receive to improve the training itself and make it more effective.
● Post-training reinforcement makes a big difference in your results. Follow up sessions, reminders, and peer coaching can help solidify new behaviours and prevent learners from reverting to old habits. Implementing a post-training strategy keeps the momentum going and supports ongoing behaviour change.
Ready to create training sessions that are more engaging, effective, and impactful? Whether you’re looking to improve individual performance, drive organisational change, or simply make your training more memorable, understanding human behaviour is the key to unlocking better outcomes.
It’s not just what you teach, it’s how you teach it!
Need more?
If you’d like a hand taking your organisational training from good to great, Get in touch!
About the author
Tricia Martin is an FYA Young Social Pioneer and an Australian Women Leading Tech Finalist. She also coached an Under 9’s netball team in her local community, which she thinks is just as impressive. She continually looks for ways to use technology, behavioural science and digital experiences to meet people’s needs and find people-centred solutions to messy problems. She spends her free time reading sci-fi books, scouring thrift stores and watching Buffy for the fifteenth time.
