From course to workplace: turning an idea into a practice

The next day matters too

At the end of a course, it is easy to collect concepts that seem useful. The difficulty comes when people return to full calendars, existing tools and ongoing commitments. We suggest designing a small application from the start of the learning process. There is no need to transform an entire organisation: choose a specific situation, try a practice and observe what happens before extending it.

Choose a recognisable situation

Before selecting a tool, ask participants to describe a difficulty in their work. It could be a meeting that ends without decisions, an unclear responsibility or a change that arrives without context. The more specific the situation, the easier it is to connect with the learning. In a university setting, a team project can provide opportunities to make decisions and review their consequences.

Turn the concept into an action

An idea such as “improve communication” is too broad for a first trial. Translate it into an observable action: end a meeting with decisions, owners and dates recorded in a shared place. The practice should be easy to explain and possible within the available time. Simplicity makes it easier to try, but does not remove the need to check its usefulness for participants.

Agree on space to experiment

Application does not depend on motivation alone. It may require access to information, permission to change a meeting or cooperation from other people. Identify these conditions before the course ends. In a company, speaking with the team lead can help find a real opportunity. At university, a lecturer can define an exercise and suitable review criteria.

Collect evidence without complicating the process

For an initial application, agree what you will observe and when you will review it. Can people identify the next step more clearly? Have responsibilities become clearer? Record difficulties and unintended effects too. The aim is not to prove that a tool always works, but to understand the conditions in which it adds value and what needs adapting.

Close the learning loop

A follow-up conversation allows participants to compare expectations with events. They can explain what they tried, what they encountered and what they would change. Sharing these experiences helps distinguish understanding a concept from applying it in context. If a trial does not achieve the intended outcome, revising the approach can still provide useful learning; every attempt does not need to be presented as a success.

Make a small, specific commitment

Before closing the next course, invite each person to complete this sentence: “Over the next two weeks, I will try this practice in this situation and review it with this person.” It provides a starting point for continuing the learning process and connecting it with real decisions.