Knowledge transfer can be face-to-face or virtual; it could be delivered live by an instructor or consumed on demand. Either approach will work if you have somewhere to apply your newly acquired knowledge AND someone to coach you through the application.
To use the analogy of climbing Mount Everest, you need an experienced climber in your party who is able to coach you through the climb itself.
Often the organisations asking us for training want it because they lack the in-house capabilities. If they have the capabilities, the in-house resources lack the capacity to supervise and coach individuals through the application of their learning. To go back to our analogy: there is no point having the experienced member of your climbing party if they don’t have the time to coach everyone through the climb!
Our aim here is not to underplay the value of knowledge transfer. Assata Shaku rightly observed that “Theory without practice is just as incomplete as practice without theory.” We view knowledge transfer as a critical part of the skills transfer process. But it’s just that – a part of the skills transfer process.
Successful skills transfer moves through four stages and needs to be underpinned by reflective practice.