19 May 2025

If Learners Forget 90%, It’s Because You Taught the Wrong 90%

Let us talk about something L&D professionals hate to admit.

But it happens all the time.

We run a beautifully designed training.

Engaging slides, interactive activities, meaningful conversations.

Everyone nods, smiles, and says they “really enjoyed it.”

And yet—a month later, barely anything has changed.

When you check in with the managers or learners… they hardly remember what the session was about.

So what went wrong?

The Illusion of Coverage

Here is a hard truth: Teaching more does not mean learning more.

In fact, most of the time, it means learning less.

We think that by packing a session with “everything they might need,” we are doing them a favor.But in reality, we are just creating cognitive clutter.

And when the brain is overwhelmed, it does what it is designed to do—it forgets.

So if learners forget 90% of the content…maybe it is because we taught the wrong 90%.

Shift the Goal: From Coverage to Clarity

The job of a learning experience is not to cover everything.

It is to cut through the noise and deliver what matters most.

That means asking better questions before you start designing:

What do they need to do differently after this?
What situations will test their learning?
What decisions will they need to make on the job?

These questions are the compass.

Not your content outline.

Not your slide deck.

Not your SME’s 80-page document.

Here’s What to Do Instead

Let me give you three things you can start doing right away:

1️⃣ Prioritize Practicality Over Completeness

You are not writing a textbook. You are designing a performance tool.

That means you can leave things out.

Yes, really.

Focus only on the actions you want the learner to take.

Ask:

“If they forget everything else, what is the one thing I want them to remember and apply?”

Design around that.

2️⃣ Design for Decision Points, Not Just Knowledge

Most training dumps information.

But real learning happens when people have to make decisions.

What should I say to this client?
How do I handle this conflict?
What do I do if a process fails?

So instead of just sharing tips, build scenarios.

Let them wrestle with choices.

Let them apply judgment.

Let them feel the weight of consequences.

That is what sticks.

3️⃣ Use Repetition with Variation

Repetition is powerful. But boring repetition is useless.

What you need is repetition with variation.

Say the same thing in three different ways:

A story
A diagram
A reflective question

This helps the brain build connections—so the message goes deeper and stays longer.

The Result? Sticky Learning That Shows Up at Work

When you teach the right 10%, you do not need the rest.

Because that 10% drives action.

It shows up in conversations.It shapes decisions.It changes habits.

And that is what real learning looks like.

Final Thought

The best learning experiences are not remembered because they were complete.

They are remembered because they were clear.

So here is my challenge to you:

Before your next training session, ask yourself:

“What is the one behavior I want to see change?”

Then design only for that.

Forget the rest.

That is how you make learning stick.

Learning and Development Academy is a leading platform for Learning and Development, offering comprehensive resources, certifications, and personalized coaching for professionals seeking to enhance their skills and expertise in the field.

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zr@lndacademy.com