Many organisations invest significantly in training programs, only to find that completion rates do not translate to actual behaviour change. The gap between knowing and doing is real, and closing it requires more than just better training content.
The problem
- Training completion rates look good on paper, but actual tool usage remains low.
- Teams revert to old ways of working within weeks of training.
- Managers cannot see whether training investments are paying off.
- The same training questions keep coming up, suggesting knowledge is not sticking.
The framework: The Adoption Triangle
Sustainable adoption requires three elements working together: capability (can they do it), motivation (do they want to do it), and environment (does the system support it).
- 1Capability: Training builds knowledge and skills, but practice builds competence.
- 2Motivation: People need to understand why the change matters to them personally.
- 3Environment: Systems, processes, and management behaviours must reinforce the new way.
Practical steps
- Start with the workflow, not the tool. Train people on how to do their job better, with the tool as an enabler.
- Build in practice time. Spaced repetition and hands-on exercises beat passive learning.
- Create job aids. Quick reference guides and templates reduce cognitive load in the moment.
- Train managers first. They set expectations and model the behaviours you want to see.
- Measure behaviour, not just completion. Track whether people are actually using what they learned.
Common mistakes
- Treating training as a one-time event rather than an ongoing process.
- Focusing on features rather than workflows and outcomes.
- Not involving managers in reinforcing new behaviours.
- Measuring training completion instead of adoption outcomes.
- Launching training without supporting materials and job aids.
Conclusion
Training is necessary but not sufficient for adoption. The organisations that see real behaviour change invest in the full adoption journey: building capability through training, sustaining motivation through clear communication, and shaping the environment to support new ways of working. This is what separates training programs that get completed from enablement programs that drive results.