Why knowledge transfer is not enough
Organisations worldwide dedicate substantial time and financial resources to employee learning and development (L&D). However, many fail to obtain the expected proportional performance gains. The core issue stems from treating learning as a singular event rather than a continuous, reinforced process. Training alone rarely creates lasting behavioural change because newly acquired knowledge tends to fade over time, without reinforcement.
The limitations of stand-alone training are clearly evidenced by the knowledge decay curve. Studies indicate that without strategic reinforcement, a large portion of the training investment is wasted, with up to 90% of newly acquired skills potentially forgotten within a year. This severe drop-off occurs because learning must be treated as a continuous developmental process, as opposed to a singular, discrete event.
Empirical research strongly supports the failure of isolated training. Training delivered without integrated post-program support yields a 15–20% improvement in job performance, which highlights that skills taught in general sessions are often not successfully translated into personalised, sustained action.
Coaching bridges the gap between knowing and doing
In many organisations, the terms "coaching" and "training" are incorrectly understood as synonyms. To integrate these two modalities, let’s clarify the distinct objectives:
- The goal of training is explicit knowledge transfer. It is typically provided to groups, aims to increase skills, and focuses predominantly on achieving organisational goals. The experience is standardised for all participants, regardless of their individual situation.
- The goal of coaching in organisations is measurable behaviour change. It is typically conducted 1-to-1, is unique for each participant, and focuses on personalised professional goals. Coaching is designed to increase self-awareness regarding the individual’s attitude, behaviours, choices, and development needs. It is most impactful for employees who already possess the requisite knowledge and skills but are encountering issues that prevent them from utilising those resources to their full potential.
To maximise the effectiveness and ROI of training, formal instruction must be integrated with personalised guidance.
Coaching serves as the missing link between knowledge acquisition (the product of training) and effective implementation (real-world application). While employees may leave a training session feeling motivated and empowered, the critical challenge remains the shift from conceptual understanding within a controlled environment to effective application in daily work.
The theoretical environment of training often differs significantly from the complex reality of the job, making application often difficult. Rather than merely instructing, coaching involves listening, suggesting, and collaborating with the individual to create a personalised plan. This process provides the essential individualised and ongoing reinforcement necessary to achieve sustainable, positive behaviour change, a defining characteristic of successful learning, something that formal performance reviews cannot match (and when they do, it might be late).
Without consistent, ongoing support, the intended impact of training gradually diminishes as old habits inevitably resurface. A primary driver of this decay is the lack of support provided by management. Manager support and coaching are crucial for the sustained use of new skills in the workplace. When managers lack the competency or mandate to reinforce new learning, they inadvertently allow the knowledge decay curve to proceed unrestricted. L&D must prioritise training managers to understand and effectively incorporate coaching techniques in their interaction with their teams.
When coaching is thoughtfully incorporated into the overall learning strategy, organisations consistently observe stronger performance improvements, greater knowledge retention, and a superior return on their overall training investment.
Furthermore, the shift from theory to consistent practice requires more than just instruction; it requires belief in a wide sense:
- Self-believe. Effective coaching focuses heavily on addressing the learner's personal belief in their capacity to learn the skills and improve his performance. The statistical evidence supporting this psychological benefit is compelling. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) found that a significant 80% of employees who received coaching reported an increase in self-confidence. This increased self-confidence translates directly into practical results, empowering employees to apply their learning with greater comfort and proficiency in authentic, real-life scenarios.
- By providing structured guidance, coaching can help to incorporate, adapt, apply and provide a sense of ownership of the newly learnt set of skills, leading to measurable improvements in work performance, professional relationships, and communication skills.
Measuring training ROI vs. training & coaching ROI
Training offered in isolation results in 15% - 20% performance improvement. Introducing manager coaching into the process immediately elevates this outcome, increasing performance by an average of 23% over and above the results achieved by training alone.
However, the maximum performance benefit is realised only when managers are fully prepared. When managers are trained in both core coaching skills and the specific content delivered in the formal training program, the performance improvement can range from 32% to 55%, as coaching effectiveness is deeply amplified by content familiarity.
The financial return on investment (ROI) for integrated development programs is remarkable. A Metrix Global study found that executive coaching programs delivered an outstanding 788% ROI. This high financial return is driven by a complex mix of factors, including increases in productivity, improved employee retention, and enhanced leadership effectiveness. The true value of coaching often lies in addressing systemic friction and psychological barriers, such as improving employee engagement, job satisfaction, and overall alignment with strategic goals, which ultimately stabilises the workforce and drives profitability.
Training must precede coaching, which then helps refining the skills after the initial knowledge transfer is complete, and becomes a crucial post-training follow-up strategy, providing individualised reinforcement, accountability, and a personalised plan based on specific objectives identified during the initial coaching assessment.
Furthermore, maximising learning transfer requires explicitly linking new skills to the employee's long-term aspirations. The more a learner perceives that the acquired skills are valuable to their ultimate work and career progression, the more likely they are to utilise those skills.
Shifting from directive to developmental leadership
Managers that are coached and learn coaching techniques can really help develop their teams. This transition requires managers to shift their approach, from directive leadership to a supportive model focused on development through guidance and inquiry. Effective coaching training for managers must focus on core competencies, including active listening, powerful questioning, constructive feedback delivery, and high emotional intelligence.
A significant challenge in adopting this role is the manager’s natural tendency to provide the answer directly, thus perpetuating a cycle of dependence among employees. Managers should proactively instruct their team members to bring potential solutions, not just problems, to every conversation. Providing managers with opportunities to practice coaching several times, helps them understand if they are talking too much or providing answers too quickly. This approach fosters employee empowerment, initiative, and a stronger sense of ownership.
The L&D strategy must also acknowledge that learning transfer is a multi-level process. While manager support is critical for skill sustainability, research indicates that the support of learner peers may be equally (or even more) important.
Coaching culture and change management
The pairing of training and coaching transcends simple professional development; it is a catalyst for cultural transformation. In the modern business environment, agility is a vital requirement. Organisations striving for adaptability are increasingly turning to methodologies that require continuous learning, and here, the synergy of training (building foundational knowledge) and coaching (facilitating practical, iterative application) is essential for unlocking true organisational agility.
By investing in leadership coaching, organisations transform their leaders from process managers into enablers of human potential. When employees feel genuinely supported, listened to, and coached through organisational transitions, they are far more likely to engage with the change process, take ownership, and contribute creatively to solutions. This shift mitigates common resistance, leading to increased engagement, alignment, and overall success in change initiatives.
This culture of integrated support yields significant financial results. For example, Intel reported that their robust internal coaching program contributes $1 billion USD to operating revenue, a figure directly tied to measurable behaviour changes across teams, including new revenue generation and reduced attrition costs.
Conclusion
The evidence conclusively demonstrates that conventional, stand-alone training programs fail to deliver sustainable performance gains due to the rapid decay of unreinforced knowledge. The strategic imperative for corporate L&D leaders is to abandon the siloed view of these two disciplines and adopt a blended, integrated approach.
Coaching acts as the performance multiplier, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and sustained behavioural application. By strategically deploying coaching as the post-training reinforcement strategy, organisations can exponentially increase the return on their L&D investment. This integrated approach ensures superior knowledge retention, accelerates skill mastery, improves employee confidence, and ultimately allows employees and the organisation to achieve their fullest potential. Prioritising coaching-backed training creates a thriving culture of continuous learning and provides a critical competitive advantage for the business.
