Author: April Ogden, Founder and CEO, It’s Your Outcome

Insights from It’s Your Outcome Career Coaching

Are you investing in training programs but not seeing lasting results in employee performance or team connection? As leaders refine their 2025 strategies, it’s time to ask a critical question: Did 2024’s training program actually make an impact, or did it fade quickly after the session ended?

Here’s the truth: training has the potential to transform your team—if it’s done right. But too often, training becomes a checkbox or a cost rather than a meaningful strategy for team unity. In 2025, let’s make training a sustainable and growth-focused tool.

Did Your Training Make a Difference?

Many organizations invest in high-cost training packages or rely on their Learning and Development (L&D) teams to bring results. But did it work? Did it lead to lasting change in team dynamics? If you’re not seeing results in employee engagement or performance, it’s time to reassess:

Real-World Application: Did the training lead to noticeable improvements in teamwork and problem-solving? Are your people using what they learned to overcome everyday challenges?

Sustainable Impact: Did employees feel supported long after the training session? Sustainable training is more than a one-day event; it needs to be reinforced and revisited over time.

Why One-Time Training Programs Fail and How to Build Sustainable Learning

One-time training events rarely make a lasting impact. For training to resonate, it has to be an integral part of your company culture. Here’s how to make sure training is consistent and effective:

1. Build a Training Rhythm: Keep training alive with quarterly refreshers to reinforce applications. When learning is a regular part of work, it creates a culture of growth.

2. Create a Resource Hub: A central library of training resources, guides, toolkits, and recorded sessions ensures employees can access what they need, when they need it. They’re not going to remember everything from a single day. Give them tools that grow with them.

Understanding Different Employee Training Mindsets

Every team has varied reactions to training. Recognizing these perspectives helps you create an inclusive, relevant training program for everyone.

• The Eager Learners: They’re ready to grow. Keep them engaged with advanced topics and leadership opportunities.

• The Overwhelmed: These employees may feel unsure or need support. Offer follow-ups, actionable steps, and small-group discussions to help them integrate skills at their own pace.

• The Skeptics: Some employees feel training doesn’t apply to them. Show how training ties to the bigger picture and ask for their input to keep training relevant and valuable.

Align Your Training Strategy with Organizational Goals

Effective training doesn’t just improve skills—it drives the organization toward its mission and long-term objectives. Leaders should ensure each training program supports the organization’s goals.

• Purpose-Driven Content: Choose training topics that align with core values. For example, if adaptability is a priority, focus on programs that build resilience and problem-solving.

• Future-Aligned Training Goals: If growth is the focus for 2025, align training to prepare the team to take on new challenges.

Select Trainers Who Deliver Long-Term Impact

The most effective trainers go beyond theory to provide insights, examples, and follow-up that resonate with your team. Find trainers committed to creating long-term impact, with reinforcement beyond a single day.

Create a Learning Culture for Lasting Success

Training that matters feels like an opportunity, not a requirement. When leaders engage in training, share what they’ve learned, and encourage feedback, it becomes a core part of the culture. Leaders who model continuous learning inspire the same value in their teams.

Measure Success, Celebrate Wins, and Maintain Momentum

Set clear goals for each training program, track progress, and celebrate employees who use what they’ve learned to benefit the workplace. Recognizing growth keeps training relevant and highlights its impact on team cohesion.

Conclusion

As you plan for 2025, ask yourself: Are we creating a culture of growth and development? Sustainable training isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a foundation for growth, team connection, and progress.

Now, a Challenge for You: Think about one meaningful shift you could make to your training approach in 2025. What would it be? Make training more than a line item—it’s time to turn it into a powerful tool for transformation.