Transfer and maintenance of learned skills is a particular challenge in social and emotional learning. When learners return to their natural environments, there are likely to be many cues and reinforces that support the old neural pathways that training was designed to weaken. Further, there may be significant barriers to the use of some of the new social and emotional competencies that still have a fragile neural foundation.
Well-designed training programs cannot be effective if the larger organizational system in which they are rooted is not supportive of the training goals. Recent research has pointed to several aspects of the organizational environment that seem to be helpful in facilitating transfer of social and emotional learning.
1. Encourage Use of Skills on the Job - There are many different ways that supervisors, peers, subordinates, and others in the work environment can encourage learners to apply what they have learned. The best methods involve either reminding people to use the skills or reinforcing them when they do so.
Reinforcement is a particularly good way to encourage trainees to apply their new skills on the job and to continue doing so. Supervisors can reinforce the use of new skills on the job in less drastic ways.
In addition to modeling and reinforcement, reflection can help learners transfer and maintain what they have learned. It can be particularly helpful for supervisors to set aside some time periodically to help learners reflect on what they have done to apply the skills, and to consider what have been the barriers and facilitating factors. Because self-awareness is a cornerstone of social and emotional competence, reflection can be especially valuable during the transfer and maintenance phase.
2. Provide an Organizational Culture that Supports Learning - Transfer and maintenance of specific skills seems to be affected by the extent to which the organization values learning and development in general. Challenging jobs, social support, reward and development systems, and an emphasis on innovation and competition influence these perceptions and expectations. The climate of the work environment is particularly important for transfer of social and emotional learning to the job.
Well-designed training programs cannot be effective if the larger organizational system in which they are rooted is not supportive of the training goals. Recent research has pointed to several aspects of the organizational environment that seem to be helpful in facilitating transfer of social and emotional learning.
1. Encourage Use of Skills on the Job - There are many different ways that supervisors, peers, subordinates, and others in the work environment can encourage learners to apply what they have learned. The best methods involve either reminding people to use the skills or reinforcing them when they do so.
Reinforcement is a particularly good way to encourage trainees to apply their new skills on the job and to continue doing so. Supervisors can reinforce the use of new skills on the job in less drastic ways.
In addition to modeling and reinforcement, reflection can help learners transfer and maintain what they have learned. It can be particularly helpful for supervisors to set aside some time periodically to help learners reflect on what they have done to apply the skills, and to consider what have been the barriers and facilitating factors. Because self-awareness is a cornerstone of social and emotional competence, reflection can be especially valuable during the transfer and maintenance phase.
2. Provide an Organizational Culture that Supports Learning - Transfer and maintenance of specific skills seems to be affected by the extent to which the organization values learning and development in general. Challenging jobs, social support, reward and development systems, and an emphasis on innovation and competition influence these perceptions and expectations. The climate of the work environment is particularly important for transfer of social and emotional learning to the job.