“Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough, we must do.”

– Goethe

This is a favorite quotation and fits nicely within the context of workplace training environment. As an instructor or training project manager, you can provide the knowledge case studies, simulations, best practices and workplace scenarios to illustrate the desired training concepts. You can use your honed training techniques to redirect a user’s learning to the desired concepts and reinforce knowledge gained.

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”

English proverb

However, if the course participant – the recipient of knowledge – completes the training course, returns to the current work environment but has limited opportunity to utilize the newly refined skills, has there been a learning benefit to the user, as well as the company?

Will the skills be retained without doing?

(Updated 12/23/15; 2/13/2020)