Most organizations don’t struggle with a lack of knowledge – they struggle with making that knowledge stick.

We’ve all seen it: a training program full of great content, employees nodding along, maybe even scoring well on the end-of-session quiz—and yet, weeks later, daily routines haven’t changed. The information is there, but the behavior is the same.

Why? Because knowledge alone isn’t enough – learning sticks when it results in new behaviors 

At Think Up, we believe the real purpose of learning is not to deliver information but to create lasting shifts in the way people show up, interact, and perform. And that shift requires designing programs that move people beyond what they know into what they consistently do.

The Missing Link

The difference between knowing and doing comes down to behavior change—the beliefs, habits, and expectations that drive consistent action. When employees feel safe to experiment, are motivated by a clear purpose, and have the right cues in their workflow, behaviors start to shift. Research supports this: lasting behavior change depends on more than knowledge alone. 

The COM-B Model (Michie, 2011) offers a research-based framework for designing learning that truly sticks. It shows that training only leads to sustained behavior change when three components align: 

• Capability (C) – The learner’s psychological and physical ability to perform the behavior, including knowledge, skills, and competencies. 

• Opportunity (O) – The external environment that enables or supports the behavior, such as tools, resources, and social support. 

• Motivation (M) – The internal drive to enact the behavior, encompassing both conscious planning and unconscious impulses. 

By considering all three components, learning programs can move beyond delivering information to creating conditions where desired behaviors actually occur. When even one of these is missing, new behaviors fade quickly. 

This means learning can’t be an isolated event – it has to be part of a system that reinforces behavior in the real world. 

From Slide Decks to Shifts in Action

So, how do we design learning programs that create real behavior change? Whether it’s a live workshop, a virtual training, or a self-paced eLearning course, a few design principles make all the difference: 

• Define the behaviors you want to see. 
  Instead of starting with content (“What do we want to teach?”), start with behavior (“What do we want people to do differently tomorrow?”). This simple shift ensures the learning is anchored to action, not just information. 
• Design experiences, not just presentations. 
  People don’t change by listening—they change by doing. Build in practice, simulations, and role-plays for live training. For self-paced courses, use interactions, branching scenarios, and decision points where learners can try, fail safely, and learn from mistakes. 
• Create prompts in the workflow. 
  New behaviors are more likely to stick when they’re reinforced in the moment. Think checklists, quick-reference cards, digital nudges, or leader follow-ups right where the behavior happens. 
• Foster psychological safety. 
  Employees will only experiment with new ways of working if they feel safe to try and fail. Leaders play a critical role in encouraging reflection, sharing what they’ve learned, and celebrating progress—not perfection. 
• Measure what matters. 
  Instead of stopping at “Did people like the training?” or “Did they pass the quiz?”, ask: “Are we seeing the behavior on the job?” That’s the real indicator of success. 

A Real-World Snapshot

One of our clients wanted to strengthen their managers’ “strategic thinking.” The original program shared great concepts—but after six months, little had changed. 

When we redesigned it, we homed in on the desired behavior change: for managers to see themselves as decision-makers empowered to experiment. We built real-world scenarios where they practiced small, relevant behaviors, added simple prompts to weekly meeting agendas, and coached leaders to ask, “What did we learn?” 

The result? Managers not only talked about strategic thinking—they started doing it. Decisions moved faster, experiments multiplied, and leaders could see the behaviors in action. 

Why This Matters for Leaders

Executives don’t invest in learning just to check a box. You invest because you want outcomes: guest loyalty, higher safety standards, more consistent service, better collaboration, stronger retention. Those outcomes depend on whether people consistently act differently. 

Learning programs that result in behavior change: 

• Deliver a higher return on investment by turning training into behavior change. 

• Create consistency across teams and locations. 

• Empower employees to adapt, experiment, and grow. 

• Reinforce the culture and values that make your brand unique. 

In hospitality, a two-minute behavior at check-in can turn a single stay into lifelong loyalty. In senior living, a single interaction can transform family trust. In manufacturing, a shift-start ritual can reduce defects across a line. None of that happens because of a great PowerPoint—it happens because people believe in, practice, and repeat the right behaviors. 

Bringing It Back to You

So, as you think about your next training initiative—whether it’s onboarding, leadership development, or service excellence—ask yourself: 

• What specific behaviors do we want to see more of? 

• How will we create safe spaces to practice them? 

• Where can we build reminders and reinforcements into the daily workflow? 

• How will we know if the behavior is showing up on the job? 

Shifting from knowledge to behavior isn’t about more content—it’s about creating learning environments that make new behaviors possible, expected, and rewarding. 

Final Thought

Learning isn’t about filling heads—it’s about shaping actions. When we shift our focus from information to behavior change, we unlock the kind of learning experience that transforms organizations: employees who don’t just know what to do, but who confidently do it—day after day, interaction after interaction. 

At Think Up, that’s the kind of learning we’re passionate about designing: programs that bridge the gap between knowledge and behavior, and that deliver lasting impact for both people and organizations.