Could you benefit from 'learning by stealth'?

A common criticism of face-to-face training is that it gives people a moment of epiphany…but then it’s back to work and, all too often, back to business as usual.  It is well documented that any new skill requires repeated hours of practice to master – yet, we don’t always structure our own personal development in a way that facilitates repeated practice.  So why is that?

The reality is that people are in a hurry.  Development is often viewed as one more thing on the ‘to do’ list and thus the entire process is managed as an event.  As if we don’t learn when not in the ‘training event’!

But learning opportunities are constantly around us.  What if our developmental programs were so well-integrated into daily life that you didn't even know you were being trained?


‘Learning by stealth’ isn't as far-fetched as it might sound.  It’s simply a case of providing a learning experience that is more naturally orchestrated within the day-to-day rhythm of the business. Just think of the advantages:

• The learning is directly related to your own personal circumstances and work objectives
• Learning can be reinforced many times over, ensuring a sustained advantage
• Learning budgets potentially go much further
• Higher participation rates (how many people don’t think they need or have time for training versus how many people would miss a scheduled ‘meeting’)

But learning by stealth still takes a concerted planning effort to pull off – it can’t be left to chance.  Only the most experienced trainers/facilitators can provide the right combination of challenge and support that’s required to bring out the best in each individual, and to ensure that the primary goal of the intervention really is rooted in learning -- otherwise it will just be a meeting!  

And all of these learning opportunities should still be managed in a cohesive way…a stealth architecture perhaps!

The key advantage of this type of approach is that it can be much more impactful than traditional theory and practice style training.  And for many, who in today’s fast-paced and highly entertained world would resent anything akin to boilerplate development, stealth training can achieve breakthrough results.

So next time you’re offered an opportunity for a ‘day of training’ – why not consider how you would structure that development in a way that embeds and sustains your development right in the context of your day.  Perhaps the day of training, is 8 stealth opportunities that just ‘naturally appear’ in the course of your day.  I think you’ll find this approach ensures greater connectivity and relevance, and thus assures you more natural points to practice and develop new skills.