The brain forgets fast. Very fast.
Up to 90% of what we learn can be forgotten — and fast. The question isn’t just why we forget, but also: how do we ensure learning sticks?
After many conversations with HR leaders, training managers, and learners, one truth stood out: traditional training models are no longer enough for today’s fast-paced, distracted workplace.
This is especially true in a world where AI assists us daily and demands new skills, faster and more fluidly than ever.
The well-known Ebbinghaus forgetting curve (1885), still supported by modern research, shows that we can forget:
- 50% of information within 24 hours,
- 70% within 48 hours,
- up to 90% within a week, if no reinforcement is in place.
In other words: a one-shot training session of 1 or 2 days, with no follow-up or anchoring mechanisms, leads to what we call the soufflé effect — rising fast, collapsing just as fast.
These findings vary depending on the learner’s motivation, role, and context — but the risk of forgetting is real, and measurable.
Our proposal: train Managers for the long haul
What we really retain: what we understand, experience, and apply
Human memory holds on to what it deems useful, lived, and applicable. As the Harvard Business Review explains, we forget most of what we read or learn — unless we revisit it.
How to make learning stick?
- Spaced repetition: trigger learning at the right moments
- Microlearning: short, targeted sequences
- Real-world practice: action anchors memory
- Regular coaching & feedback: reinforce in context
- Individualized follow-up: support awareness and progress
A 2015 study from the University of Waterloo shows that only 10 to 20% of training content is retained after a few weeks — unless reinforced through repetition and/or application.
The Solution: From one-shot training to lasting transformation
At Kintsugi Consulting, we build long-lasting learning programs that include:
- A tailored diagnostic to define context and goals
- A blended learning journey (videos, workshops, in-person sessions, individual or team coaching)
- A behavioral and intercultural approach (PCM, DISC)
- A 3 to 6-month follow-up with measurable outcomes
🎯 Our goal: turn knowledge into competence, and training into transformation. Together with you, we address this essential question: why is training so quickly forgotten?
👉 Visit our page: https://kintsugiconsulting.fr/formation/
Why Invest in Durable Learning?
- Avoid wasting your training budget
- Ensure your managers develop real skills
- Build a shared leadership culture
- Retain talents by helping them grow
In Summary:
📉 Training over 1 or 2 days isn’t enough.
🔁 Embed, experience, apply — that’s how lasting change happens.
💬 At Kintsugi Consulting, we train with you, over time, for real.
👉 Book your free diagnostic session and explore how to build high-impact learning journeys in your company. Discover our programs
External links:
- Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve – Wikipedia
- Harvard Business Review – Why We Forget Most of What We Read
- Kintsugi Consulting on LinkedIn
Internal links:
Hashtags for SEO:
#professionaltraining #learningretention #activelearning #coachingforimpact #KintsugiConsulting #sustainablelearning #PCM #managertraining #trainingtransformation