One of the most important questions in any learning needs assessment is: “What does success for this initiative look like?”

As a learning consultant and facilitator focused on onboarding, I often ask this question. Responses can vary widely — from blank stares from stakeholders, to references of levels one and two of the Kirkpatrick model, and in some cases, to specific metrics that clearly indicate training success. However, these responses rarely connect to the actual learner experience, and as a result, they often get overlooked by both stakeholders and learning practitioners.

While an organization at large will likely have more interest in understanding training’s impact on performance outcomes, learning functions must lean into maximizing their offerings in both experience and outcomes.

In his book, “Deep Work,” Cal Newport introduces the idea of “deep work” as the ability to perform professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive abilities to their limit. Deep work means to perform with purpose to achieve professional goals while having meaningful reflections about why these goals matter.

This type of work necessitates a distraction-free environment, where professionals can lean into the sense of deep focus necessary to get fulfillment from the work they do and the people they do it alongside, creating a win-win for individuals and organizations.

A Framework to Fostering Deep Work

With the framework of needs assessments and deep work top of mind, I decided to test how the principles of deep work could create more purposeful learning experiences that meet learner needs and organizational expectations.

In doing so, I’ve discovered five tips that have simplified the onboarding journey for learners, facilitators and stakeholders, yet enhanced the experience to be undoubtably successful.

1. Design with intention.

This tip comes well before any learner engages with the learning experience, as it is at the onset of crafting a learning solution, but it sets the stage for the other suggestions and approaches below.

Designing with intention means knowing what to (and what not to) include in each element of a training program.

A prime example can be found in content slide decks, where a balance must always be drawn between the content and the design elements used to enhance the content. This balance can be understood through the following examples:

• Is the graphic on the slide contributing to the intended takeaways or distracting from them?
• Is the design consistent enough to not be jarring when transitioning topics?
• Does the flow of content make sense with how a learner should be seeing it?
• Would this be too much information at once for the audience to perceive?

These are all essential questions that set the framework for a purposeful training program. While this article does not speak much about it, accessibility is another important consideration that must be made and intentionally included as part of this tip. Designing with thoughtfulness and intention above all else promotes a training session that has clear purpose for all involved.

2. Build in accurate practice.

Alongside the design of content, the opportunity to practice said content is critical to building best practices during the training program. However, if a scenario used as practice does not replicate an actual experience the learner might see, it can take away from the purpose of the entire program.

When designing practice, consider the following questions to ensure the purpose of the training is consistent and highlighted often:

• Are the right systems (e.g., a test platform) set up to mirror real-world interactions?
• Is this practice opportunity built out and easy to follow?
• What should the takeaway from this practice be, and how can I ensure learners see it? How does it tie back to the overarching learning objectives?
• Is this practice replicable with ease? Can any facilitator step in and understand the “why” behind this activity?

This ensures that all elements of design, from content construction to practice during sessions, have clear purposes and contribute meaningfully to the experience.

3. Give space to actually practice.

How often have you encountered a well-designed training experience that ultimately suffers because the timing was rushed to get through all of the expected content? This happens often and goes back to controllable or uncontrollable distractions, but the point of this tip is to remember what the experience is actually about: connection. Rushing through content or skipping engagement opportunities fails to meet learner and organizational needs, but sometimes it must be done.

To prevent this, consider the following:

• Recall from Tips 1 and 2: Is everything in the program intention and clearly aligned to the outcomes?
• Is the “flex time” built into the program to be adaptable to unforeseen timing issues?
• Can any content be distilled into a follow-up assignment or communication? If so, would it have the same intended impact with learners?
• Can practice be offered as independent work? If so, how will the learning practitioner track and record it (if necessary)?

While some timing issues remain out of control, being mindful of how much is expected versus how much time is allotted is key. This builds upon the theory of deep work by having dedicated time to genuinely focus on topics, free from distractions or timing stressors.

4. Set boundaries for controllable distractions.

Learning is not a black-and-white process and there will inevitably be distractions during any experience. These can be as small as someone knocking on the door of the training room or as large as a fire drill in the middle of a virtual call (both of which have happened to me numerous times in the past), yet all distractions take learners away from the experience and draw attention to other things. By understanding what distractions can be controlled and then establishing ground rules for them early into the experience, learning experiences can mirror deep work sessions by focusing only on the intended outcomes.

Some examples include:

• Limit learner phone usage to pre-determined break times (more on this in Step 5).
• Respectfully curb side conversations when facilitating.
• Be a good example by closing emails and instant messaging
• Post signage on training room doors to indicate a session is taking place.
• Define what positive active engagement during the session looks like and reward learners who exemplify this.
• A good reminder early in training is that learners only get out of training what they put into it and the facilitator cannot force them to learn.

While a learning practitioner cannot entirely stop all distractions during a learning experience (so please do not use this article as an excuse to tamper with any fire alarms!), they can be purposeful in setting boundaries early and encourage focus and participation often.

5. Offer time to independently reflect.

The final tip in this list is arguably the most important in fostering independent learners to connect with the learning program in question. Seeing learners as individuals, who each have unique needs and wants, is well understood in the theories of learning.

But how well is it put into practice? To ensure learners get the most out of the training program, learning facilitators must give them the time and space to reflect on what they are taking away from the session(s). This might include debriefs, guided notes with prompted questions, or just time to reflect on the learning itself.

Ultimately, this depends on the program and variety of learner needs, but having a relatively consistent time or style to draw learners inward to reflect is the goal.

Final Word

This creates a full-circle moment with all five tips, as independent reflection is possible with intentional design, targeted practice opportunities that actually occur, and effective distraction mitigation. By featuring each of these tips, learning practitioners can effectively mimic the value of Deep Work in training programs. In doing so, the question of “What does success look like?” evolves into “How would a learning program for (insert need here) serve the learners and organization in achieving success?”. This restructuring builds in the importance of a well thought out learning experience alongside the metrics or traditional evaluation tools that stakeholders use as justification for the learning program.