When most of us hear the phrase Training and Development, we can instantly recall some of our worst corporate training experiences. Whether it was a day-long workshop on strategies which were never implemented or a mandatory training on software which no one was invested in, we’ve all had our fair share of disappointing trainings.

Now that we’ve taken a not-so-happy trip down memory lane, think about some of the BEST training experiences you’ve had in your career. What made those experiences stick out from the rest? Odds are it had to with the Development portion of Training and Development.

While Training is what ultimately teaches us new skills and knowledge, Development is long-term and ensures we hold on to our learned information. Where Training is focused on satisfying an immediate or present job task, Development is focused on growth and future performance. In other words – Training is nothing without Development.

In order to create worthwhile training initiatives, the learning can’t end when individuals leave the room or walk away from the computer. One way to ensure that a training is useful is to check in with participants at a later point in time to see if their learning has stuck. Make sure you’re training on relevant topics which will be used constantly in your work environment. This will allow for continuous development of skills outside of the classroom or away from the computer. Another way to make a training more beneficial is simply to engage your participants. While this may seem like common sense, many trainings eventually devolve into a lecture, and we all remember how much (or how little) we learned in boring classes. Finally, make sure you touch on the big questions: What are we training on? How do we implement/use it? And why should we care? You’d be surprised how often these questions are overlooked!

Ultimately, it is up to participants in a training to utilize the information provided to them, but a trainer has the control to convey that information in a way that facilitates individual development. Next time you provide training, or are trained yourself, think about whether you are giving, or have been given, an opportunity to improve after the session is over. Engineer your training and your learning so as not to neglect your development.