Leadership Training Follow Up Strategy: 30-Day Action Plan
The Moment of Truth (The Forgetting Curve)
You invested the time. You showed up, participated in the simulations, and learned the skills,whether it was Level 2 Listening or the RAP Method. You made the commitment.
Now comes the hardest part: maximizing the Return on Investment (ROI) for that development.
Executive leaders and managers spend significant time and money on these programs. But training is only worth as much as its concepts are used.
Why do skills disappear so quickly?
It comes down to a fundamental psychological hurdle. German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus found that humans forget around 50% of new information an hour after learning it and 70% within 24 hours. Without structured leadership training follow up strategies, this retention loss is inevitable.
The workshop was the preparation. Effective leadership training follow up during the 30 days following your workshop is the real test,the time required to transition learning from insight into permanent habit.
This guide provides actionable, structured strategies to turn newly acquired skills into habits, ensuring you protect and maximize your training investment. Keep practicing the right way, and you will see real change.
The Implementation Test – Setting Goals and Focusing Practice
To succeed in the 30-Day Challenge, you must execute a critical shift: moving from theoretical knowledge, which is easily forgotten, to deliberate, daily practice.
Establishing the Blueprint: Defining Success
Start by defining what success looks like for you this month. If your goal is vague ("Be a better leader"), it will fail.
You need a clear blueprint. Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to stay focused and accountable post-training. Setting these boundaries is key to maintaining focus during this critical time.
Mastering the One or Two Behaviors
Don't try to change everything at once. Consistent repetition of small behaviors adds up to meaningful strides and drives real change.
Identify the single most impactful skill you learned in the workshop (e.g., the RAP Method or Level 2 Listening). Focus intently on practicing that one or two concepts until they become instinctual.
Keep practicing the skill you know will unlock the greatest impact this week.
Daily Practice Tip: Level 2 Listening
We know that Level 2 Listening,or Active Listening,is the foundation of trust.
Make note of this daily practice tip:
Frame Level 2 Listening as a behavior to practice daily. This means tuning into both the content and the emotion behind the words.
-
Practice soliciting feedback. An effort to seek input from your team is immediately perceived as caring and genuinely improves your leadership capability.
-
When someone speaks, try acknowledging the emotion first, before jumping to the content or the solution.
The Accountability Framework
A goal without an actionable plan is merely a wish.
Your commitment to transformation must be supported by an action plan outlining a sequence of steps,a change strategy. Write down the specific situations where you will deploy your new skill (e.g., "I will use the RAP Method during my one-on-one with Sarah on Tuesday to address the budget issue").
The Digital Safety Net – Follow-Up Campaigns and Online Resources
Behavior change is incredibly difficult because we naturally revert to our comfort zones. You can leave the workshop feeling energized, but the moment you hit your inbox on Monday morning, old habits try to pull you back.
This is where your digital safety net comes in.
Technology and clear communication are crucial for continuous reinforcement and reducing the sense of isolation often felt during personal transformation. We need a structure that gives you a gentle "nudge" toward practice.
The Power of "Nudges" (Email Follow-up Campaign)
Follow-up does not need to be overbearing. It needs to be simple and scalable to reinforce learning. Make note of these two easy, yet highly effective, strategies:
-
Sending Key Takeaways: Collect and share brief summaries of the two most important points learned from the training. Send this compiled list back to yourself or your team via email two weeks later as a crucial second touchpoint.
-
The Follow-Up Quiz: Several weeks after the initial training, send a follow-up quiz to review key concepts. This serves as a lighthearted, low-stakes way to encourage long-term retention.
Utilizing Technology for Reinforcement
You must actively use communication channels (like WhatsApp, or internal tools) to send prompts to practice and strategic exercises.
These reminders are critical to ensure that practice occurs and that hard-earned skills don't fade into the background noise of daily operations. Keep practicing that small reminder,it creates big results.
Resource Hubs and Community
No leader’s journey is traveled alone. Provide supplementary materials and clear communication channels for ongoing support.
Encourage yourself and your peers to use forums, groups, or designated "learning buddies" to share experiences, discuss challenges, and seek feedback. This peer-to-peer connection strengthens your commitment and maintains the safe space for transformation.
Mike's Weekly Check-ins – Structured Coaching and Accountability
The structure of your post-training meeting is the final, non-negotiable step to ensuring the transformation is sustained. Effective leaders rely on follow-up to provide feedback, monitor progress, and coach team members.
Remember this: The leader's involvement is the primary predictor of a leadership development program’s success. If you aren't involved, the skills will fade.
The Manager as Coach
Your job now shifts to being a genuine coach. These check-ins are designed to ensure the implementation plan is evaluated, success is recognized, and accountability is maintained. This system helps you check in before failure occurs.
We call them "Success Checks," and they must be short. More short discussions are far better than fewer long ones.
Structure of Mike’s Coaching Check-ins
In these checks, we rely on the Q&A Model. To build trust and connection, you should spend approximately 20% of the meeting talking (asking questions) and 80% actively listening. This allows your team members the safe space to share their struggles and successes.
Keep these four key questions in mind during your check-in:
-
How was the program / What did you learn?
-
How are you applying the learning in your day-to-day operations?
-
What technique did you try (like the RAP Method or Level 2 Listening), and what specific challenges did you face?
-
How can I support you in implementing the changes?
Make note of what you hear, not just the words, but the emotional tone.
Managing Outcomes
These structured check-ins result in three potential, manageable outcomes:
-
Positive Recognition: If the plan is successful, celebrate the small win. This recognition fuels motivation.
-
Positive Recognition Plus Tweaking: If the implementation plan needs minor adjustments, recognize the effort, but tweak the action plan for the next week.
-
Accountability: If the plan is not being implemented, you must address the block honestly and gently hold them accountable for their commitment.
Keep practicing these weekly discussions this month. They are the engine that drives real change.
Conclusion: Sustaining Transformation Beyond the 30 Days
We have arrived at the end of the 30-Day Challenge. You have learned that the biggest mistake leaders make is simply failing to follow up. Without the structure we've discussed, the effort you put into the workshop will fade, thanks to the forgetting curve.
Remember this core concept: Leadership development is a process, not an event.
Continuous Commitment
You must commit to being a self-directed learner who reflects on experiences. Leadership is a lifelong process, and you should always strive to expand your skills.
Make note: The commitment to growth doesn't end after the first month. Utilize peer support and seek continuous learning opportunities,whether that means further courses or mentorship. You're on your way to mastery.
Maximizing Your Investment
By diligently executing your SMART action plan, leveraging those digital reinforcement "nudges", and utilizing structured coaching check-ins, you ensure that the insights gained from the workshop are cemented into the daily disciplines that define effective leadership.
This is the only way to facilitate real change and protect your investment.
Keep practicing the shift toward intentional connection every single day. You will notice your team opening up more, conflicts diffusing faster, and engagement rising.
Don't let your investment fade. Review your SMART goals, schedule your first Success Check-in, and commit to the ongoing practice needed to turn insight into instinct.
To your continued growth,
Mike Williams Senior Partner,
