Even great training fails when employees ignore or reject parts of it. While Learning and Development (L&D) teams focus on design and delivery, the real challenge is what happens next: whether employees apply what they’ve learned. Too often, they don’t—and not because of defiance but because of motivated rejection.
A frontline manager once told me, “I didn’t bother using the new coaching model—it felt too corporate.” In a soft skills workshop, participants dismissed active listening techniques as “unnatural.” In a call center program, agents adopted the escalation protocol but rejected scripted empathy statements as robotic. Learners weren’t ignoring the training; they made deliberate choices about what to transfer.
I propose reframing learner rejection as a motivational breakdown—not laziness—and prefer to look at how to strengthen motivation to transfer before, during, and after training. This approach draws on Baldwin & Ford’s Transfer of Training Model (1988), which highlights three factors driving transfer:
- Trainee characteristics (ability, motivation, personality)
- Training design (relevance, practice, goal setting)
- Work environment (support, feedback, and opportunity to apply)
Within this model, motivation to transfer—the learner’s intention and willingness to apply training—is the crucial bridge between classroom and performance.
BEFORE TRAINING: BUILD MOTIVATION AND PREVENT REJECTION
Training success starts long before a module launches. The goal is to build clarity, relevance, and readiness.
- Clarify purpose and relevance. Learners commit when they see how training connects to their challenges. Replace generic explanations with real scenarios from their roles.
- Involve learners in goal setting. Invite employees to set personal learning goals or reflect on what success would look like in their job. This fosters autonomy and ownership.
- Assess readiness. Use pre-training surveys or manager check-ins: “What are you hoping this training helps you improve?” or “What might not apply to your work?” Early insights surface friction points before they harden into rejection.
By strengthening expectancy (“I can do this”) and value (“This matters to me”), organizations boost motivation at the outset.
DURING TRAINING: REINFORCE AUTONOMY AND RELEVANCE
Whether in the classroom or learning management system (LMS), learners need to see themselves in the content and feel empowered to use it.
- Design for autonomy. Give choices in navigation, pacing, or case examples. Interactive branching scenarios allow learners to experiment with decisions.
- Build confidence. Scenario-based learning, demonstrations, and low-stakes practice help learners believe, “I can do this.”
- Make transfer visible. Ask learners to identify how each concept applies to their role. Action plans or peer discussions deepen intent.
When learners push back—for example, “That won’t work here”—invite adaptation: “How would you adjust it?” Rejection becomes co-creation. This aligns with Edward Deci and Richard Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, which emphasizes autonomy, competence, and relatedness as drivers of motivation.
AFTER TRAINING: SUSTAIN MOTIVATION AND ENABLE APPLICATION
The training event ends, but the transfer journey begins. Without reinforcement, even engaged learners drift back to old habits.
- Activate manager and peer support. Structure check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days to keep momentum alive. Managers should ask: “What have you tried? What’s working? What’s getting in the way?” Peer coaching adds accountability.
- Recognize and reward. Celebrate behavior change, not just course completion. Shout-outs, digital badges, or performance feedback signal that applying skills matters.
- Ensure the opportunity to apply. Modify workflows or assign stretch tasks so learners can practice. If employees can’t use the skills, transfer dies.
- Diagnose rejection. Ask directly, “What are you resisting, and why?” Insights can inform coaching or content refinements.
CULTURE AND SYSTEMS ECOSYSTEM
Beyond individual programs, transfer thrives—or fails—within organizational culture.
- Align rewards with training. If collaboration is taught but only individual performance is rewarded, rejection is inevitable.
- Model at the top. Executives and supervisors must practice the same skills the training promotes.
- Track impact. Share key performance indicators (KPIs) and success stories showing how training improved customer satisfaction, efficiency, or safety, for example. When learners see results, motivation strengthens.
- Create space for reflection. Hold 90-day learning circles to revisit key concepts and allow “rejection recovery.” Learners often embrace content later once its value is clearer.
MANAGER CONVERSATION STARTERS
- “What part of this training feels most useful to you?”
- “What’s one piece you’re unsure about applying?”
- “What support would help you put this into action next week?”
- “Have you seen anyone else model this well?” These questions normalize open discussion and treat learners as collaborators.
TREAT LEARNERS AS PARTNERS
Motivation to transfer training can be built, sustained, and even recovered. By treating learner rejection as valuable feedback and designing systems that respond to it, organizations can turn resistance into results.
Only when learners are treated as partners in the process can training achieve its ultimate goal: lasting behavior change on the job.