Every year, businesses invest significant time and money into training their people. Workshops, seminars, online courses, away days… all with the promise of building skills, boosting performance, and unlocking potential.
And yet, if we’re honest, training on its own doesn’t create lasting change.
The uncomfortable truth? Training is only valuable if what’s learned gets applied.
Without application, knowledge remains theory. Without action, the impact is lost. We’ve all seen it happen. The training manual sits unopened on the desk, the enthusiasm from the day fades, and old habits quietly and quickly reappear.
So, what makes the difference between training that sticks and training that slips?
The Mindset Factor
The first ingredient is mindset… more specifically, a growth mindset.
People with a growth mindset believe they can improve through effort, feedback, and persistence. They see mistakes as opportunities to learn rather than as failures. This mindset is the foundation for applying new skills because it drives people to try, test, and refine what they’ve learned, even when it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar.
Without this mindset, training risks becoming just another box ticked.
The Application Gap
The second ingredient is support. Knowledge doesn’t automatically translate into behaviour change… there’s a gap between “knowing” and “doing.”
That’s where application coaching comes in. Coaching helps individuals take insights from training and anchor them into their day-to-day work. It provides space for reflection, accountability, and the encouragement needed to turn theory into practice.
In other words, coaching is the bridge between learning something new and living it out.
Why This Matters for Businesses
Businesses that understand this, shift their focus from “delivering training” to creating conditions for change. They don’t just ask, “What do we want people to learn?” They ask, “How will we help them apply it?”
When training is paired with a growth mindset culture and application coaching, results compound:
- Skills are embedded rather than forgotten.
- Confidence grows through practice.
- Teams evolve faster, with greater resilience.
- ROI on training spend becomes visible and measurable.
The Brilliant Takeaway
Training is never the end point. It’s the starting line.
To make it matter, businesses must invest just as much in application as in acquisition. When people are equipped with the right mindset and supported through coaching, training doesn’t just inform, it transforms.
If you’d like to explore how coaching could generate brilliance in your business, we’d be glad to start that conversation.
