Embed learning into everyday moments to shift how your teams work.
By Bianca Schimizzi
Director & Lead Instructional Designer | Hungry Minds
When it comes to changing a behaviour – like quitting sugar or limiting screentime – success doesn’t come from knowing more. It comes from having the right cues, support, and motivation to do something differently. At work, it’s no different.
In this guide, you’ll get the thinking, tools, and strategy you need to shift how people actually show up, make decisions, and perform at work. You’ll learn to diagnose the right problem, embed learning in the flow of work, and use strategy (not software) to drive real impact.
Get a clear-eyed look at what behaviour change really means, how to build learning that supports it, and why strategy – not software – is what actually moves the dial.
Here’s what’s on the menu:
- What behaviour change actually looks like at work
- Diagnosis before design: are you solving the right problem?
- Change management 101
- Behaviour change is a science: what the theory says
- The recipe for change: aligned, embedded, and actionable learning
- Design for the moments that matter
- You can’t out-design a bad culture
- Make it stick: relevance, timing, and real-world context
- Learning journey for behaviour change
- Keep it cooking: how to measure and maintain behaviour change
- Ready to shift behaviour? We can help
What actual behaviour change looks like at work
When it comes to strategy and culture discourse, ‘behaviour change’ is the new black. But very few people know what it actually means – or what it looks like in practice. At its core, behaviour change means someone does something differently. Consistently – in a way that helps the organisation run better.
That might look like a manager giving clearer feedback in weekly 1:1s – without waiting for a directive from HR. A frontline team following the right safety protocol under pressure. Or a project lead asking better questions so the team doesn’t get stumped by a half-baked brief.
Here’s the key: It’s observable. Behaviour change shows up in meetings, workflows, and decision making. It sounds slippery, but it’s not. It’s tangible and measurable – as long as you know what you’re looking for.
The thing is, most workplace learning doesn’t get this specific. It tracks completion and engagement (and sometimes even ‘knowledge retention’). But none of that guarantees your teams will do anything differently.
Want to know if learning’s working? Don’t ask if people liked the session. Ask what they did next.
Diagnosis before design: are you solving the right problem?
I’ve seen plenty of well-meaning learning teams build beautiful solutions to the wrong problem. Logically, we all know a course won’t fix a dodgy process. A video can’t rewire your workplace culture. And even the best onboarding modules will never make up for a lack of clear leadership. But that doesn’t stop us from throwing ‘solutions’ at the wall and hoping for a fix.
That’s why diagnosis comes first. Before you build anything, you need to know what you’re actually trying to change. What’s the real issue? Is it behavioural, structural, cultural or all of the above? You might find the team is underperforming because they don’t feel empowered – or it doesn’t feel safe. This isn’t about capability. It’s a cultural or structural problem inside the organisation.
In other words: if people already can do the thing but don’t, it’s probably not a learning gap. It might be about permission, leadership signals, or systemic blockers.
In our Learning Lab, we start with a few key questions:
- What’s happening now that shouldn’t be?
- What’s not happening that should?
- What will someone do differently if this works?
- And critically: Is learning the best way to address this?
The goal here isn’t a perfect answer – it’s a clear starting point. And clarity protects your budget, sharpens your focus, and keeps learning from becoming a bandaid.
Change management: set the table for learning
You can build the world’s best learning experience – but if the conditions around it don’t support change, it will flop. Learning is part of the system, not the whole solution.
Before you design for behaviour change, you need to make sure the essentials are in place.
Clarity of purpose
If people don’t know why the change matters, they’ll default to what they’re already doing. Skip the BS – tell them the plain, practical reason this shift is worth their effort.
Get leaders in sync
Nothing kills momentum like lukewarm leadership. Your leaders need to echo each other’s messages and back them up with action.
People first
Your teams operate in context – which comes with habits, reactions, stressors, and demands. Learning design should account for what it feels like to be the learner – what might motivate them, frustrate them, or get in their way.
Communicate with integrity
Good communication is the only way to build trust, invite feedback, and make space for uncertainty – especially when answers are a moveable feast.
Reinforce with systems
Want a new behaviour? Make it easier than the old one. That means tweaking tools, policies, incentives, and processes until they stop pulling people backwards.
Energy Australia eLearning program, created in Chameleon Creator.
The science of behaviour change
I’m a learning theory nerd from way back – and it’s the basis for all our work. Thanks to decades of research, we’ve got powerful, practical principles around which to scaffold good learning design.
Key ingredients
Instructional design is the craft of creating educational programs that make learning efficient, effective and appealing. It’s a blend of art and science, where we analyse learners’ needs, design a structured learning path, and use strategies that enhance understanding and retention. Essentially, it’s the behind-the-scenes work that ensures the learning experience is impactful.
People repeat what gets them positive results. With this in mind, design actionable cues and give immediate feedback. It only takes a simple system to make the right behaviour feel like the easiest option.
If no one’s doing it, no one’s learning it. Make behaviours visible – through real examples, peer-led activities, group reflection, and learning circles. When teams see the shift in action, it’s easier to follow suit.
Learners need to build knowledge – not absorb it. Scenarios, reflection tools, and problem-based tasks help people make meaning. And that’s what makes learning feel real.
Put learning science to work
If theory’s your thing, here’s a handy primer. We know benefits are your thing, so we’ve included those as well.
| Type of learning | Link to learning science | What learners love | What organisations love |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experiential learning for real world practice | Kolb’s Learning Cycle; 70:20:10 Model | Hands-on learning improves retention and confidence; develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills | Job performance: Practical application boosts effectiveness; Innovation: Teams learn to experiment with new solutions; Culture change: Learning is embedded into daily tasks |
| Andragogy understands adult learners | Knowles Theory of Adult Learning | Relevant to their roles to keep engagement high; Keeps learners invested by valuing their autonomy; New skills put into practice right away | Efficient: Relevance to work makes learning effective; Culture change: develops life-long learners; Strategic alignment: Learning drives business forward |
| Cognitive science makes learning memorable | Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve; Merrill’s First Principles | Spaced repetition and reinforcement improves retention; Clear learning process eliminates frustration and friction | Efficient: learners retain more from sessions; Improves ROI: smart learning leads to better performance |
| Constructivism makes learning personal | Scaffolding; Problem-Based Learning | Real-life challenges hone problem solving skills; Active learning keeps them engaged; Learning adapts to individual needs and progress | Job performance: teams become proactive problem solvers; Efficient: Learning happens in the natural flow of work |
| Evaluation for lasting impact | Kirkpatrick Model | Learners understand their progress; Focuses on how knowledge translates into action | Measurable: identifies what to stop, start, and keep; Continuous improvement: a blueprint for ongoing growth |
When learning theory meets good design – that’s the sweet spot. And the benefits are clear. Practical learning based in learning science is the only way to shift behaviour, sharpen performance, and deliver the outcomes that matter most. Keep reading to find out the exact steps we take to bring the sweet spot to life.
The recipe for learning that sticks
If you want learning that changes behaviour, you need to make sure every part of it pulls people in the same direction. That means the most effective programs share three traits: they’re aligned to what matters, embedded in real work, and built for action.
Aligned
Learning should support what the business is already trying to achieve.
When every training initiative maps to a clear, strategic business shift, learning goes from ‘nice to have’ to mission-critical.
Tangible steps:
- Ask leaders: What are the top three shifts the organisation needs to make this year?
- Define the skills and behaviours that will make each shift happen
- Prioritise the learning that supports these shifts – and park the rest
For example: If the goal is to lead through uncertainty, don’t build a “resilience” module. Instead, design learning that helps people make decisions in grey areas, coach in real time, and show up with clarity.
Embedded
If learning only happens in training sessions, it won’t last. The best learning shows up in the moment – as people make decisions, lead teams, or solve problems.
Tangible steps:
- Find the natural points where learning could live: onboarding, team rituals, system use, performance convos
- Add just-in-time tools and prompts – things people actually use on the job
- Reinforce key behaviours with nudges, not new admin
For example: Want a better feedback culture? Bake reflective prompts into team meetings and manager 1:1s – and scrap the once-a-year workshop.
Actionable
Your teams don’t hate learning. They hate unhelpful learning. If you want buy-in (instead of blank stares,) it needs to be relevant and meaningful.
Tangible steps:
- Involve people early – ask what’s getting in their way, and what would actually help
- Swap generic content for real scenarios, language, and tools from your context
- Make it useful: If it doesn’t help them today, they won’t remember it tomorrow
For example: If your teams are short on time and under pressure, a one-pager they can use ‘just-in-time’ will beat a beautifully-produced module.
When learning is aligned to what matters, embedded in the flow of work, and genuinely useful, it becomes a strategic asset. Do that – and you’ll find the sweet spot. Where training fuels business outcomes, culture shifts, and confident action.
Ready to go deeper? Step inside the Learning Lab
If your learning feels scattered, slow, or stuck in the “one-and-done” cycle, it’s probably not a content issue – it’s a strategy one. That’s where Learning Labs comes in.
We’re here to help you build the kind of learning culture that fuels performance, innovation, and growth. Check out the Learning Lab or book a call with Michael to discuss.
Design for moments
Designing for the moments that matter means finding the points in your people’s day, week, or workflow where the right nudge can drive the right shift. It’s where decisions get made, habits form, and culture takes shape.
Here’s where to focus:
Instructional design is the craft of creating educational programs that make learning efficient, effective and appealing. It’s a blend of art and science, where we analyse learners’ needs, design a structured learning path, and use strategies that enhance understanding and retention. Essentially, it’s the behind-the-scenes work that ensures the learning experience is impactful.
These are high-stakes moments where there’s no room to wing it. Like incident response, customer service issues, or compliance sign-offs.
For-the-moment design
A quick-reference checklist on the dashboard or a 90-second how-to video in the CRM can help people act fast – and get it right.
Benefits
Fewer errors, stronger decision making, and better performance under pressure.
When someone steps into a new role, picks up a new tool, or faces a first-of-its-kind task, their attention is wide open. Take advantage of this to help learning stick.
For-the-moment design
A day-one playbook, a short scenario pack, or a coach-on-call model for new managers.
Benefits
Confidence goes up, ramp-up time goes down. People do the right thing before bad habits take hold.
Business-as-usual reinforcement is a light-touch way to nudge people in the right direction.
For-the-moment design
Add a skills spotlight, quick prompt, or ‘what worked this week?’ to weekly WIPs and team huddles.
Benefits
Culture shifts quietly when learning becomes part of how you work – as opposed to an interruption.
A suite of agile, useful tools like cheat sheets, scripts, digital guides, or short videos.
For-the-moment design
A “how to give tough feedback” doc, linked straight from a calendar invite. A visual explainer embedded in the workflow.
Benefits
These tools (and the permission to use them) reduce hesitation, support action, and reinforce key behaviours in real time.
We know from Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve that spaced repetition and reinforcement help learners retain more from training sessions. Not only that, smart tools help learners connect training to their real jobs. Done right, it makes the learning process clear, reduces friction for workers, and leads to better performance.
You can’t out-design a bad culture
You can have all the right ingredients – great content, slick delivery, and smart design – but if your culture isn’t primed for learning, behaviour change won’t stick. Think of culture as the container. It shapes what people pay attention to, how safe it feels to try something new, and what actually gets rewarded.
A strong learning culture doesn’t mean everyone loves every workshop. It means learning is part of how things get done. It’s valued, visible, and embedded in the day-to-day.
Good culture looks like:
- Leaders who learn out loud
Leading is more than approving the budget. They need to show up, share what they’re working on, and make learning a team norm. - Mistakes are okay
People should feel safe testing a new skill, asking for feedback, or trying a different approach – without worrying about being punished. Mistakes are part of the process. - Learning baked in
People learn by doing, reflecting, and adjusting in the flow. Let go of the idea that learning only happens on training day – make it part of every step of the process. - Progress is visible
When people try something new and it works – celebrate! When it doesn’t? Offer support, ask for feedback, and reassess.
The culture of your organisation is essential to learning. Because it’s the culture that signals to people whether their work is worthwhile. This looks like: teams supporting each other, reflecting, and working towards common goals. Team members get curious, speak up, and share what they’ve learned. That’s what takes behaviour change from the drafting table to the real world.
What happens after training
You’ve designed the learning. People showed up. Maybe they even liked it. Now what?
If you want learning to last, design what comes next – because without reinforcement, even the best learning fades fast. Here’s how to keep the dream alive:
Revisit often
Use spaced repetition, micro-tasks, and reflection cues that build fluency without the overload.
Build habits
Create small, repeatable actions that lead to real change. Rinse and repeat.
Get social
Use peer challenges, team check-ins, or shared wins to shift the goal from compliance to community.
Track shifts
Look for signs that the behaviour is becoming the default: fewer errors, better questions, faster decisions.
When training sticks, you’ll see it: habits forming, teams reinforcing each other, and real shifts showing up in everyday work. Wondering what a well-designed, well-timed, well-supported learning journey looks like?
I thought you’d never ask.
Learning journey for behaviour change
We know by now, behaviour change is a slow burn. But it’s sequential. Start with clarity, build momentum with positive wins, and end with reinforcement. Here’s how to build a learning journey that actually delivers.
Instructional design is the craft of creating educational programs that make learning efficient, effective and appealing. It’s a blend of art and science, where we analyse learners’ needs, design a structured learning path, and use strategies that enhance understanding and retention. Essentially, it’s the behind-the-scenes work that ensures the learning experience is impactful.
People simply won’t buy-in if they don’t know why it matters. It’s on leadership to set the tone with relevance and purpose.
What to do:
- Frame the shift: What needs to change? Why now?
- Define success: What should people do differently – and what does success look like?
Think multimodal. Spread the experience across different moments and formats so the ideas have room to settle and resurface.
What to do:
- Mix it up: Follow a self-paced module with a team session or live task
- Build: Start with the basics – let people try, reflect, and reset before moving on
- Room to breathe: Create gaps between touchpoints so people can practise, fail safely, and try again
Change is hard. But the right scaffolding builds confidence – and keeps momentum up.
What to do:
- Make it social: Get people to pair up, run peer challenges, or hold short huddles
- From the top: Coach leaders to notice effort, give feedback, and model the shift
Remember – the best learning plans for what happens next. That’s where the habits form (and where the real culture shifts happen).
What to do:
- Regular visits: at 30, 60, and 90 days
- Reflect and refine: Share wins, ask what’s sticking, and course-correct early
When the organisational culture’s strong, this stuff doesn’t feel risky – it feels normal. People lean in, try things, and back each other without needing a formal invite.
So what does it all add up to? Let’s look at how to measure (and maintain) the shift.
Watch me cook: how to measure and maintain change
After this almighty effort, you deserve a reward. And if you’ve done all the right things, you’ll get it. But behaviour change brews quietly. It shows up in decisions made faster, feedback offered more freely, and initiative taken. Here’s how to measure your progress and keep the momentum going.
When a shift has happened, you’ll be able to tell. You’ll hear it in the language people use and how they approach problems. You’ll see clearer communication and leaders listening more. There will be less resistance – because people understand how they fit into the bigger picture.
Look for signs that something fundamental has shifted. Maybe the pace is sharper or the teams are more focused. Are blocks clearing faster? Are the right people making confident decisions?
That’s the data that matters.
Now’s the time to shine a light on the good stuff. Capture, communicate, and celebrate quick wins and progress. The more people see the shift, the more they’ll reinforce it.
The real work of behaviour change happens after the training itself. And it’s up to you to keep the momentum going. That’s how change sticks – when strategy meets learning science, culture does the heavy lifting. That’s how you give your teams the tools, permission, and confidence to do things differently.
Drive real change with learning
Your teams deserve more than spray-and-pray training. Let’s build learning that changes behaviour – on purpose, and for good.
Book a call with Michael for a no-obligation chat. If phone calls terrify you, fill out our contact form and we’ll get straight back to you.
FAQS
An instructional design coach is a mentor, sounding board, and strategic guide. They help you sharpen your thinking, stress-test your work, and bridge the gap between theory and practice. Whether you’re building a portfolio, navigating feedback, or levelling up your process, a coach helps you design smarter – and with more confidence.
Learning changes behaviour when it’s more than just information – it needs to stick, spark action, and feel relevant. Learning should be: practical, meaningful, active, social, and repeatable.
We build learning experiences that help people see things differently – and do things differently. Because when learning lands, behaviour follows.
Learning theory helps us design with intent. This means we’re focused on shifting how learners think and act each day. It reminds us to keep things relevant, self-directed, and connected to real experiences – because that’s how adults learn best. And it reminds us that behaviour change is about more than knowledge. It’s about motivation, mindset, environment, and habits.
Want to dig deeper? Check out our blog to learn more about what makes learning stick.
Hungry for more?
Related blog articles:
- Needs analysis: the part of learning strategy everyone skips
- Why most workplace training doesn’t stick (and what to do about it)
- Ebbinghous’ Forgetting Curve
- Andragogy: Adult Learning Theory
- How to apply Merrill’s instructional design principles
- Show, Don’t Tell: Experiential Learning in Digital Spaces
- Embedding Activities in Learning Design: Why Leaders Matter
- Learning Transfer