How to Make Training More Sustainable – From Knowledge to Action
Key points at a glance
- Only a fraction of what is learnt is actually applied in day-to-day working life – estimates from transfer research suggest a figure of around 10 to 15%.
- The ‘21-day myth’ has been scientifically debunked: on average, it takes 66 days to form a new habit, with a range of 18 to 254 days.
- A written plan that addresses the key questions increases the likelihood that what has been learnt will actually be put into practice.
- Social support – an ‘ally’ – acts as an anchor when motivation wanes.
- The transfer of learning does not happen automatically; it must be actively facilitated – both by the manager and by the participants themselves.
Why most of what we learn is lost in everyday life
You’ve just come back from a training course and have been given a whole range of new tools and methods – a new product management tool, a framework for better team meetings, a technique for handling difficult customer conversations. The participants are enthusiastic. And yet, in day-to-day working life, often nothing changes.
This is not an isolated case, but rather, according to estimates from transfer research, the norm: only around 10 to 15% of what is learnt in training is actually transferred into professional practice. The vast majority of seminars and training courses fail when it comes to so-called ‘learning transfer’ – not because the content is wrong, but because there is too little structure in place between the training room and day-to-day work to facilitate implementation.
The problem rarely lies with the quality of the training. It stems from the fact that learning and acting are two different things – and that nobody acts in isolation: your actions influence your environment, your peer group, your team and your family.
In systemic coaching, even a single changed reaction can trigger a lasting chain reaction. How your environment reacts to this can never be entirely predicted.
The 21-day myth – and what studies actually show
There is one saying that has become firmly entrenched in the world of training: it ‘usually takes 21 days’ for a new habit to become ingrained. However, the origin of this figure lies not in behavioural research, but in a non-fiction book, Psycho-Cybernetics, written in 1960 by the cosmetic surgeon Maxwell Maltz – he observed that his patients had become accustomed to their changed appearance after about three weeks. Over the decades, this observation regarding external adaptation has become a supposed rule for any kind of behavioural change.
In 2010, psychologist Phillippa Lally and her team at University College London investigated how long it actually takes to form new habits. Ninety-six participants were asked to establish a new daily habit over a twelve-week period – such as drinking a glass of water at breakfast or going for a short run before dinner. The result: on average, it took 66 days for a behaviour to become automatic – with a huge range of 18 to 254 days, depending on the individual and the complexity of the habit.
“The myth of the 21 days sets people up for failure. Anyone who realises that real change takes months rather than weeks won’t give up straight away after the first setback.”
Serpil, trainer, coach and consultant
For training programmes, this means that anyone who leads their participants to believe that the process will be ‘complete’ after three weeks raises expectations that are rarely met – and risks causing frustration at precisely the moment when perseverance is most needed. The good news from the same study is that missing a single day does not significantly set back the formation of a habit. Sustainability isn’t achieved through a flawless run, but through persistence over weeks and months.
The Written Plan: the four W questions
It may sound like a truism, but it is crucial when it comes to putting newly learnt skills into practice: plan your next steps in concrete terms. The more precisely you describe each individual action, the easier it will be later to check whether they have actually taken place. A written plan should, at the very least, answer the following W-questions:
- What needs to be done?
- Why do I need to do this?
- When does it need to be done by?
- Who needs to support me in carrying this out?
A concrete plan like this helps to turn a good intention into specific next steps. In behavioural research, concepts such as ‘implementation intentions’ demonstrate just how helpful concrete action plans can be in achieving goals.
Why You Need an Ally
Do you know anyone who is planning to do the same as you? An ‘ally’, so to speak? This could be a capable manager, a colleague who has attended the same training course, or a sparring partner from your own course. This kind of support provides the necessary boost of motivation when you feel overwhelmed or at a loss from time to time. Such ‘social supports’ are a rock in the storm when you reach your limits – precisely because, as research shows, putting things into practice tends to take months rather than weeks.
Learning from past decisions
Everything you are today is the result of your past decisions. A helpful step for reflection: How have you reacted to distractions in the past? What actions have led you astray from your path? And what would you do differently next time?
It helps to put these thoughts down on paper. Reflections recorded in writing become more firmly embedded in your consciousness than a mere mental resolution – a simple but effective building block for sustainable learning transfer.
| Feature/th | Widespread myth/th | What the research shows/th |
|---|---|---|
| Timeframe | 21 days | 66 days on average (range: 18–254 days) |
| Origin | Observation of cosmetic surgery patients (Maltz, 1960) | Controlled behavioural study (Lally et al., UCL, 2010) |
| Setbacks | Are regarded as a failure of the endeavour | A single day missed has little effect on habit formation |
| Implications for training | Unrealistic expectations, rapid frustration | Realistic support over weeks and months is necessary |
5 steps to sustainable learning transfer
Step 1: Set out your plan in writing
Answer the four W questions: What, Why, When, Who will support me?
Step 2: Involve allies
Actively ask managers, colleagues or sparring partners from the course for support.
Step 3: Allow for setbacks
Missing a day isn’t a failure – perseverance counts for more than consistency.
Step 4: Reflect on your progress
Brief written reflection: What worked, and what distracted you?
Step 5: Stick with it over several weeks
Plan realistically over several weeks or months – rather than relying on a fixed 21-day rule.
Conclusion: The impact is felt after the seminar
Effective training is a prerequisite for change – not the change itself. Sustainable transfer of learning takes time, concrete next steps and support in day-to-day working life. Those who approach implementation with a written plan, suitable sparring partners and realistic expectations create better conditions for actually turning new knowledge into new behaviour.
FAQS
How long does it really take for a new behaviour to become a habit?
According to the UCL study by Lally et al. (2010), the average is 66 days, ranging from 18 to 254 days depending on the individual and the complexity of the behaviour – not the often-cited 21 days.
Why do so many training programmes fail to translate into everyday life?
Because there is usually a lack of structure between the seminar and day-to-day work: no written plan, no support from line managers or colleagues, and no realistic expectations regarding the time required.
What can managers do to support the transfer of learning?
Above all: be there as ‘allies’, ask specific questions after training, and don’t view setbacks as failures, but as a normal part of the process.
What is an ‘ally’ in the context of learning transfer?
Someone from your own circle – a manager, a colleague or a sparring partner from the same course – who supports you in putting what you have learnt into practice and motivates you when your initial enthusiasm wanes.
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Serpil Uensal
Trainer, Coach & Consultant in Product Management
Serpil is a specialist trainer, coach and consultant with over 20 years’ experience in product management, product marketing and strategy. She helps companies and product teams to systematically develop their product expertise and drive growth – with particular expertise in tech, medtech and regulated markets.
Last reviewed on 8 September 2026 • Graduate in Business Administration (FH) • International Executive MBA • Certified Trainer (dvct e.V.) • Certified Coach (dvct e.V.)
Serpil Uensal
Trainer, Coach & Consultant in Product Management
Published: 14 November 2016
Last updated: 8 September 2026
Reading time: 5 mins
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