How To Sustain Change: Keeping The Momentum Going After The Training Ends
Mastering Post-Training Sustainability: Strategies to Maintain Organizational Change
By Nash Consulting
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Successfully planning and implementing robust training in an organization isn’t a small feat. The conclusion of the training can feel like a major victory lap. But when the excitement of a successful training program fades and people get back into the daily routine, it can begin to overshadow the new skills and insights we've acquired. The true challenge of any training or development initiative lies in keeping the momentum going. So, how do we ensure the new behaviors, skills, and processes don’t just fade into the background, becoming the workplace equivalent of an unused gym membership? The answer lies in turning fleeting motivation into long-term adaptation.
The Post-Training Conundrum
“Change is not an event, it’s a process.”
It's a familiar scene in many organizations: a dynamic and inspiring training program ends, leaving participants buoyant with new ideas and a renewed sense of purpose. Fast forward a few months or weeks, and the demands of day-to-day tasks have all but washed away the resolve to implement new strategies. This scenario is not just disappointing; it's costly, and not that uncommon. It not only reflects a significant loss in ROI from training investments but creates a “flavor of the year” culture, where people learn to hold their breath and wait for the new change to eventually and inevitably go away. And we become a culture of resistance. This has serious implications on morale, engagement, innovation, and adaptability – all core elements of sustaining high-performing organizations. The key to preventing this is a robust plan for sustainability that begins not after, but alongside your training efforts.
Here are some ideas on how savvy leaders can keep the change alive long after the initial excitement wanes.
Clarify and Communicate the Vision
“You really ought to wanna.” – Bob Mager
People don’t welcome change just because we think they should. We have to facilitate acceptance of the change by managing with mind and heart. This all starts with a clear vision. If people don’t know where they’re heading and what’s in it for them, the road will take them anywhere. According to John Kotter, a top thought leader on leadership and change, a whopping 70% of change initiatives fail due to inadequate buy-in and insufficient communication. It’s crucial that leaders continually articulate not just the what and the how, but the compelling why. Everyone needs to see the big picture. Through compelling storytelling, paint an image of a positive future that this change aligns with. Consider these questions:
Why is this change happening?
How does this training connect to the overall change?
How is it connected to the larger vision or mission?
How does it align with our values?
Where are we going with this?
Why does this matter and why should I care? (What’s in it for me?)
From Idea to Action: Distill your vision for change into a succinct, powerful statement. Share this at every opportunity—make it a staple in your emails, meetings, and informal chats. It’s your organizational north star; keep it visible and vibrant. It’s been said that people need to hear a message at least 8 times before they fully internalize it. We think it’s probably more.
Modeling: Walk the Walk
Nothing undermines change more than leaders who don’t embody the new direction. Employee buy-in increases significantly when leaders model the behaviors they advocate.
This isn’t exclusive to the most senior leader or the senior leadership team, although it absolutely needs to start with them. If the senior leadership team is not aligned around the change and the vision, the organizational clarity needed to navigate a change successfully will be greatly diminished. Ensure you have a united front before proceeding, or time and effort will likely be wasted.
This buy-in and modeling will trickle down to other leaders in the organization. When people are navigating the change, they tend to look to two primary sources for confirmation that the change is real: the top-level leader and their direct supervisor.
Walk the walk, and they’ll walk with you.
From Idea to Action: Identify key behaviors that exemplify the change. Maybe it’s more open communication, proactive problem-solving, or having regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with employees. Whatever it is, make a list, get leaders on the same page with them, and then commit to these behaviors openly and ask for regular feedback. This isn’t just about showing you’re committed—it’s about being accountable.
Integrate Change into Every System
True change is more than skin deep—it seeps into every system and process. Whether it’s how you evaluate performance, reward effort, or promote talent, every system should reinforce the change. This alignment turns isolated initiatives into a consistent fabric of your organization.
From Idea to Action: Rethink your performance metrics to reflect new priorities. If customer centricity is the goal, your performance measures should not just celebrate sales but also applaud customer satisfaction and engagement. If providing team members with more constructive feedback is a new priority, include this in performance reviews, screen for job applicants who are willing and able to do this, and find ways to promote or reward those who exemplify the behaviors.
Ongoing Education and Reinforcement
Change is not a one-time event but a continuous journey. According to McKinsey, effective adult learning requires repetition and reinforcement. Organize regular refresher courses, create communities of learning that review and discuss the applicable topics and skills, and provide resources that help employees stay engaged with learning. If the initial training is the “download,” then all the follow up learning activities are the "updates" that ensure the software not only remains functional but improves and adapts over time. This approach keeps the learning fresh and relevant, helping to solidify the new behaviors and practices as part of the organization’s daily operations.
From Idea to Action: Set up a quarterly training calendar that includes workshops, webinars, and team discussions focused on core change themes. Bring in external experts to reinvigorate the topics and provide fresh perspectives.
Additionally, consider creating communities of practice related to the change. These are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. Establishing such communities within your organization around new changes can provide ongoing support and development - and often innovation! Create thematic groups around key areas of change. For example, if the change involves facilitating more effective meetings, establish a group dedicated to exploring and mastering the practice of meeting facilitation. Schedule regular meetings where members can share tips, discuss challenges, and develop best practices. Then, encourage them to share these best practices with their peers. (By the way, you should download our free e-book on having effective meetings.)
Create Accountability
“You don’t bring change about from talking. You bring it about by listening.” – Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajam
Everyone plays a role in sustaining change. Set clear expectations and then track progress. Celebrating wins and (respectfully) addressing lapses in commitment should become part of your regular team rhythm.
See our blog post on how to give feedback with clarity while staying relationally connected. Also, check out this post that discussed the role of accountability in creating psychological safety.
From Idea to Action:
Start team meetings with a quick update on change-related goals. Incorporate a simple “what’s working” and “what’s challenging” feedback session. This could be related to the overall change, or component parts or behaviors related to the change.
Ask for feedback regarding the change in one-on-one meetings (and make sure to receive it nondefensively).
Recognize and reward those who contribute significantly to sustaining change.
Find ways to help, support, and guide those who are struggling to adapt.
Foster Deep Employee Involvement
“Change is disturbing when it is done to us, exhilarating when it is done by us.” – Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Engagement is the secret sauce of successful change. The more people are involved in the change process, the more invested and engaged they are in seeing it succeed. It’s human nature. When employees feel they are co-architects of the change, their commitment to ensuring its success multiplies.
From Idea to Action: Creating a Change Ambassador program is a powerful way to institutionalize change across different levels and departments within your organization. A Change Ambassador program can dramatically enhance the flow of communication both ways. When done well, it provides management with a clear, unfiltered view of how the change is being received on the ground. For employees, it ensures that their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed, which is critical for the change to be accepted and embraced.
Here's how to make the most of this initiative:
Selection of Ambassadors: Choose representatives who are respected by their peers, have a positive attitude towards change, and possess good communication skills. Diversity in representation ensures all parts of the organization feel involved and represented. This selection process itself should be transparent and can even include nominations from team members, fostering an inclusive approach.
Training and Empowerment: Equip your Change Ambassadors with the necessary tools and knowledge to succeed. This might include training sessions on the specifics of the change, conflict resolution, communication skills, and ways to encourage feedback. Empowering them with information and authority will enable them to act confidently and support their teams effectively.
Role Clarity: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the Change Ambassadors. This might include disseminating information, gathering feedback, identifying challenges, and celebrating small wins. They should act as a bridge between the workforce and the management, providing both sides with timely updates and insights.
Feedback Mechanisms: Implement structured feedback mechanisms that allow Change Ambassadors to report back to the change management team. This could be through regular meetings, written reports, or digital platforms where they can input information. Feedback should be actionable, and Ambassadors should see that their input leads to real outcomes to maintain their engagement and trust in the process.
Recognition and Rewards: Recognize and reward the efforts of your Change Ambassadors. Public acknowledgment, tokens of appreciation, or even formal awards can significantly boost morale and motivate not just the Ambassadors but also their peers. This recognition should highlight their role in driving successful change, reinforcing the value of active participation.
By integrating these elements into your Change Ambassador program, you ensure that change is not something that is done to employees but something done with them. This inclusive approach not only mitigates resistance but also leverages the collective energy and intelligence of your workforce, making the implementation of change a more unified and positive experience.
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Keeping change alive requires deliberate actions, consistent leadership, and an engaged workforce. It’s about turning new practices into the norm, not just a passing phase. Remember, if you’re serious about this change, the goal is to weave these changes into the very DNA of your organization. With these steps, you can ensure that your change initiative is not just successful but sustainable.
(Interested in the Managing with Mind and Heart workshop, but don’t have enough people and/or budget to justify hosting the workshop in-house? No problem; check out the Online Experience, offered every Spring and Fall.)
Check out some of our other resources on managing change:
Change is Hard [Podcast]