Sustainability in Learning - The Tortoise and the Hare

Fast start + Sustainable = Winning. Let me explain.

Do you remember the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare? I was just reading a blog post on the Experiential Learning Blog about how that fable is still as meaningful today as it was in Easop's time ("Leadership Consistency - The Story Of The Hare And The Tortoise")

I am not so sure these days. Sure the hare falls asleep and lets the sluggish turtle win the race, and the message is clear: "Slow but sure wins the race." And in the forementioned blog, the theme is "consistency" is valued. Sure sure sure, that is all good, but in the real world the turtle is a bit too slow and the rabbit is just plain lazy.

I am starting to think more about what we call "sustainability" in learning... asking myself if what I am doing is just the "program of the month" or if it has sustainability. Are the things that we are doing in learning leading to long term results, and long term sustained learning. Am I building in some follow up? Am I building a multi-year approach? Is there an advanced level of this learning so people feel continually challenged?

The hare did not lose the race because he was slow. He lost the race because his excellent start to the race did not have sustainability! (Fast start + Sustainable = Winning).

I can think of a lot of training we have done (some of it I delivered) that were really exciting at the time but looking back didn't really get any follow up.

What are some ways to ensure training sustainability? Your thoughts?