Sustainable Learning Practice: Experiences > Behavior Change > Habits
We often think of learning as acquiring a new skill. We take a course, we read a book, we learn a new piece of software, and we check the box. We've "learned" it. But how often does that new knowledge actually change the way we work, think, or lead? How often does it just sit on a mental shelf, unused, while we revert to our old, comfortable ways of doing things?
This is the critical difference between simple skill acquisition and true transformation. The TESTs methodology was built on this very distinction. It’s not just about learning a new skill. It’s about fostering genuine behavior change through carefully designed experiences, which in turn build habits that stick, ultimately creating a sustainable “practice.”
Let’s break down that journey.
1. It Starts with Experiences, Not Lectures
Traditional training often relies on passive information transfer. You are told how to do something. The TESTs methodology is fundamentally different. It's built on active, immersive experiences.
These aren't just "exercises" or "case studies." They are dynamic, hands-on scenarios that simulate the real-world pressures, ambiguities, and challenges you face every day. By placing you directly in the situation, these experiences move you from a passive observer to an active participant. You aren't just learning about a concept; you are living it. This engagement is the essential first spark for real change.
2. Experiences are the Catalyst for Behavior Change
You cannot have a new experience and remain unchanged. When a TESTs scenario challenges your existing framework, you are prompted to find a new way of operating. You are forced to try a new behavior—to communicate differently, to analyze a problem through a new lens, or to lead with a different mindset.
This is the pivot point. The goal of the experience isn't to get a "right answer" but to provide a safe, structured environment to experiment with new behavior change. It’s the first, crucial step of moving from knowing what to do (the skill) to doing it (the behavior).
3. Behavior Change, Repeated, Becomes Habits
Training that triggers a single instance of behavior change is powerful, but it's not permanent. This is where most training fails. It can inspire a change that lasts for a week, only to be eroded by the gravitational pull of old routines.
The TESTs methodology is designed to combat this. It’s not a single event; it’s a cycle. The process encourages repetition and reinforcement. By repeatedly engaging in these new behaviors—sparked and refined by the TESTs experiences—you begin to strengthen new neural pathways. The new behavior stops being a conscious, difficult choice and starts becoming second nature. It evolves from a forced action into an ingrained habit.
4. Ingrained Habits Create a "Practice"
What happens when these new habits become interconnected? What happens when this new way of thinking and acting is no longer an "exception" but becomes your new default?
This is what we call a practice.
A "practice" is the holistic, sustainable integration of these habits into your daily work. It's the difference between "I'm trying to use that new feedback technique" (behavior change) and "I am a leader who gives clear, compassionate, and effective feedback" (practice).
This is the ultimate goal of the TESTs methodology. It doesn’t just hand you a new tool. It guides you through the entire journey: from a compelling experience, to the first act of behavior change, to the formation of lasting habits, until you have forged an entirely new, effective, and sustainable practice. You haven't just learned a skill; you have fundamentally changed how you operate.