From Inspiration to Integration: Why Workshops aren’t enough for lasting Behaviour Change

The Illusion of Learning Retention

Cognitive psychology tells us that people forget new information quickly. As early as 1885, Hermann Ebbinghaus demonstrated the forgetting curve, showing that without reinforcement, learners can forget up to 90% of newly acquired knowledge within a week (Ebbinghaus, 1885).

Modern research reinforces this. According to a study by Murre and Dros (2015), unless new knowledge is used or reviewed regularly, the steep decline in retention begins within hours of the learning event.

This isn’t a failure of the individual – but what it means to be human.

Certainty vs Competence

Consider this: many of us passed our driving test at 17. We demonstrated just enough competence to meet the standard on the day.

But then what?

In the decades that follow, most drivers are never formally reassessed. Some develop excellent roadcraft over time. Others build habits that range from poor driving etiquette to categorically dangerous.

Passing the test once gave us permission, not perpetual proficiency.

It’s a powerful reminder: certification signals capability in a moment, not consistent performance over time.

The same principle applies in organisational life. Completing a workshop or earning a certificate may demonstrate participation and short-term understanding - but it does not guarantee habit formation, behaviour change, or long-term competence.

Practice Doesn’t Always Make Perfect

The old adage "practice makes perfect" oversimplifies how expertise is developed. As psychologist K. Anders Ericsson (2007) highlighted, it is deliberate practice, not repetition, that leads to mastery. This kind of practice involves goals, feedback, and continuous adjustment.

Without guidance or feedback, people tend to revert to what feels comfortable. They may "practise" their old habits, reinforcing the very behaviours we aimed to shift.

This is why even the most powerful workshop can falter in the absence of a broader learning architecture.

Coaching: The Bridge Between Knowing and Doing

To turn insight into sustainable habit, organisations must invest beyond the workshop. This is where coaching proves indispensable.

Coaching provides a structured, reflective space where individuals can:

• Embed learning through application to real contexts.
• Receive feedback that reinforces or recalibrates their approach.
• Explore resistance, build self-awareness, and strengthen accountability.
• Practise behaviours until they become part of their operating rhythm.

Multiple studies support coaching’s role in sustaining learning. A meta-analysis by Theeboom, Beersma & van Vianen (2014) found coaching significantly improves performance, well-being, goal-directed self-regulation, and attitude toward work. In leadership development specifically, coaching has been shown to increase behavioural change far more effectively than workshops alone (Jones, Woods & Guillaume, 2016).

In essence, coaching makes learning stick.

Designing for Impact: The FidesOak® Approach

At FidesOak®, we deliberately design leadership and culture programmes to bridge the gap between learning, doing and integration.

Workshops are crafted to spark energy and insight, but we embed using coaching, peer dialogue, and real-world application to ensure those insights take root. Our approach recognises that behaviour change isn’t a one-off event - it’s a process of continuous development, supported over time so that good habits are formed.

This is how we help clients shift from momentary awareness to sustained capability - so that change becomes not just possible, but habitual.

Final Thoughts

Workshops are a powerful catalyst. They introduce new thinking, galvanise attention, and lay the foundation for change.

But change doesn’t become real until it shows up in behaviour - consistently, reliably, and over time.

If we want to see long-term impact from learning investments, we must think beyond the event. Coaching is not a ‘nice to have’; it’s a critical component in converting learning moments into lasting capability.

Because passing the test is only the beginning. It’s what we practise, and how we’re supported, that determines whether we become truly skilful.

References

• Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology.
• Murre, J.M.J., & Dros, J. (2015). Replication and analysis of Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve. PLOS ONE, 10(7).
• Ericsson, K. A. (2007). Deliberate practice and the acquisition of expert performance. The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance.
• Theeboom, T., Beersma, B., & van Vianen, A. E. M. (2014). Does coaching work? A meta-analysis on the effects of coaching on individual level outcomes in an organizational context. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(1), 1–18.
• Jones, R. J., Woods, S. A., & Guillaume, Y. R. (2016). The effectiveness of workplace coaching: A meta-analysis of learning and performance outcomes from coaching. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89(2), 249–277.