Designing Training That Sticks (Turn Learning Into Lasting Performance)

Don't just design training. Design behavior change that lasts.

Your training program got good evaluations, and learners left feeling satisfied. But within weeks you discover that none of their behavior changed, and managers are asking why. Your training seemed to work in the moment, but performance outcomes aren’t where you want them to be.

With a practical, ADDIE-inspired approach, Designing Training That Sticks tackles a persistent gap most facilitators and instructional designers face every day—the gap between training and real-world performance outcomes. Author Michael L. Dorsey guides instructional designers through his Afterburn Framework—aligning learning objectives, delivery methods, and reinforcement strategies to achieve real, measurable outcomes. Real-world case studies demonstrate how to make his innovative framework actionable.

Dorsey shows you how to:

• Use reinforcement tools such as job aids, indexed videos, and microlearning.
• Build accountability structures such as learning partners and manager check-ins.
• Choose intentional environmental design that actively supports key behaviors.
• Engage highly motivated supervisors who care about sustained behavior change.

Your organization isn’t necessarily failing at training. But it’s probably failing to design training with the future in mind. If you’re ready to do something about that, Designing Training That Sticks is the place to start.