Strategies for Learning Integration
Where real learning takes root.
On the Green Path to change and lasting skill development, there are two key phases: momentum and integration.
Momentum is when energy is high—ideas and emotions are building quickly, and learning is happening fast. Integration, on the other hand, is a slower, deeper phase where practice settles into the body and becomes second nature.
Most traditional workshops and training programs focus on the momentum phase. When done well, they can create a strong foundation for skill development. But when it’s time to move into integration, learners are often left without the support they need to truly embed what they've learned.
Last week, we talked about one of the best ways to keep momentum going: creating a clear, simple recipe to help lock in a new microbehavior.
Think of it as a short set of instructions for completing a small, common task—something simple enough to:
✅ Teach the steps of a tiny skill
✅ Keep explanations and justifications to a minimum
✅ Be safe to try (and easy to undo if it doesn't work)
✅ Produce clear, observable results
Now that we’re moving into the integration phase, the environment is different. Learners are returning to the workplace and facing new situations without your constant support. While you will offer check-ins, they’ll need more resources to stay on track.
Crafting a Integration Plan - Making Strong Roots
Now we put away the workshops and training materials and focus on support artifacts and reliable engagement. This shows up differently between internal change programs or transformation and external training. However, two factors are essential in either setting: active engagement + artifacts.
Integration through Engagement
Emotionally, engagement is key—it helps people feel supported and helps the brain connect positive feelings to the new behavior more quickly. So let’s start there!
Ask Me Anything
A casual webinar where participants can ask you anything is a great tool for trainers and coaches to use. It keeps you connected without taking up too much of your time. These can be open to the public or just for people who’ve attended your workshops.
Lean Coffee
This is a great tool for internal teams during transitions. People choose the topics they want to discuss, and each topic gets a set amount of time. It gives everyone a voice and reveals common pain points or interests. Just make sure to follow the structure—otherwise, it turns into just another unproductive meeting.
Check-Ins
Regular check-ins—whether you're internal or external to the workplace—help learners stay on track. The workplace can throw things off quickly, and this is often the most fragile time for someone trying to turn a new behavior into a habit.
Integration through Artifacts
Artifacts and resources are important because they help learning stick and support people when the trainer or coach isn't around.
Recipe Books
The recipe artifact is excellent for anything with technical detail. For example, recipes are used often in programming because it turns behavior change into something repeatable, simple, and easy to practice.
By extending the single recipe to multiple recipes that handle variations, you remove guesswork, break down complexity, build consistency, and encourage safe practice.
Workflows
Similarly, workflows are helpful when learning a new behavior. They guide people through the process step by step, making it easier to learn, repeat, and build confidence. The difference here is that the steps are more flexible and can handle the less technical forms learning. Workflows are also often cyclical and guide the learner with questions.
By creating reliable workflows, you provide structure, reduce executive function, support consistency, and build autonomy.
The moral of this story is that integration is where real learning takes root.
Momentum gets things started—ideas spark, excitement builds, and new behaviors begin to form. But integration is what turns those early wins into lasting change by connecting learning in their own day to day practice and strengthening their exposure to the skill.
Want practical examples? Watch my video below to see a completed recipe book and workflow, and how they got built.