Turning a philosophical quagmire into an employee training framework

What? So what? Now what? 

Though this may sound like a philosophical cliche that challenges the meaning of existence, it's actually one of the critical reflection models that can help teachers, educators, and organizational L&D departments deliver better training, and help learners grasp and apply the skills or methods they’ve learned in real-time scenarios. 

This model can be used in almost any scenario, such as in schools and colleges, organizations educating their employees and teams, or even individual teachers instructing a local community.

And the best part? This model isn’t limited to a physical setting; it can also be applied to online training as well.

In this blog post, we'll understand what exactly critical reflection models are, the three stages of the What? So what? Now what? model, and how it can be applied to employee training.

What is critical reflection?

We reflect on the things that happen to us all the time. Remember the last time you were in an awkward situation and kept thinking about it later in the day?

Maybe it was that time in the grocery store when you waved back at someone, only to realize they were waving at someone else. You then think of better ways to deal with such scenarios in the future, like pretending to fix your hair or waving at an imaginary friend.

This is called critical reflection—or at least the basics of it.

Remember that critical reflection isn’t just a journal of what happened during the day. One must carefully analyze the event, understand what happened, learn from it, and determine how to act on it in the future.

What is the 'What? So what? Now what? model?'

This is one of the critical reflection models with a three-stage process. Originally developed by American school teacher Terry Borton in the 1970s, it became a simple and favorite learning framework for students and healthcare professionals.

As Borton saw it, the three components cannot exclude each other. There’s no clearly delineated beginning or end to the process; instead, it’s fluid and circular.

Now let's look at each stage in detail.

Note: The questions asked at each stage may seem superfluous, but asking them with a logical mind will help you work through the process.

Stage 1: What? (The details)

In this stage, you’ll need to analyze what happened in a particular event. Without any judgments, try to run the entire scenario through your mind.

You can ask yourself questions like:

• What happened?

• What was my role in the situation?

• What was my reaction?

• What was others' response?

• What went well and what didn't?

Stage 2: So what? (The assessment)

In this stage, you must dive deeper and interpret what you’ve learned or deciphered from the situation.

You need to find the reason behind why the situation happened, what was running through your mind during the event, and what contributed to the event going the way it did.

A few questions to ask at this stage are:

• So what was going on in my mind?

• So what were my actions based on?

• So what are my feelings about the event then and now?

• So what can I learn from the event?

Stage 3: Now what? (The discovery)

Now, you’ll apply what you've learned. Discover how you’ve changed because of the event and how you'll think or act differently in the future in a similar event.

This stage is all about what additional steps you must plan to become better at handling such events in the future.

Some relevant questions at this stage include:

• Now what actions do I need to take to be better?

• Now what other factors should I consider for the action to be successful?

• Now what consequences may arise from the action?

How to apply this model when training your employees

This three-stage process can be applied to any situation. However, let's see how we can apply it to boost the effectiveness of your employee training programs. This can be used both by trainers to refine their teaching methods and by learners to improve their skills.

For trainers and educators

Consider a scenario where you’re hosting an online training program to upskill your employees. As a trainer, your goal will be to continuously improve your training methods, ensuring your materials are up-to-date and your employees learn the best skills.

Stage 1: What?   

Once the session is done, take some time to carefully analyze your session. Consider the following:

• What happened during the entire duration?

• What questions did the employees have?

• What were your reactions to those questions?

• What were your learners' reactions to your teaching style?

• What went well, and what didn't work?

Answering these questions will provide you with complete details about the session, giving you ample opportunity to learn from them in the next stage.

Note: Online employee training platforms such as TrainerCentral offer built-in live classroom capabilities, allowing you to host training programs in real time. You can always record your sessions using these platforms and play them back at a later time to analyze your session.

Stage 2: So what? 

In this stage, you’ll learn how to improve your teaching methodologies. Take notes about events so you can understand why they happened.

For example, you may think that learners weren't satisfied with the answers you provided to one of their questions, or you might have noticed that your learners were drifting off during a specific topic. Record all events that need deeper analysis.

Now, you can also pose questions like:

• "I think my learners weren't satisfied with a few answers I gave, so what better answers could I provide?"

• "My learners got bored during a few sessions, so what exactly might have been the reason?"

It's not just about adding “So what?” to every question. The goal of this stage is to find the reasons behind situations that need improvement and possibly learn from them.

Stage 3: Now what? 

Finally, just analyzing an event isn't enough if you can't learn from it and apply it in real time. This stage is where you get the opportunity to put your insights from Stage 2 into action.

Using the same set of events from Stage 2, ask yourself:

• "My learners weren't satisfied with my answer because they expected a real-time example. Now, what can I say next time to better address their queries?"

• "My learners were bored during a specific topic because it was complex and filled with jargon. Now, what can I do to make it lighter and easier to understand?"

When you find answers to these questions, you'll discover ways to improve the experience next time. Maybe you can provide case studies when they pose questions so they can relate better, or enhance your delivery by adding anecdotes and improving your storytelling techniques.

By applying the “What? So what? Now what?” approach in your employee training, you'll be able to refine your teaching methods and help your learners understand the concepts more efficiently.

For learners

This approach can also be used by employees (i.e., learners) during online training to retain what they’ve learned and apply it more effectively in real-time job scenarios.

Without deep-diving into this, let’s look at some questions that learners can pose at each stage of a training session on time management.

Stage 1: What?   

• What time management techniques were taught in today's session?

• What activities were part of the training?

• What topics were covered related to time management?

• What tools were recommended for managing my time?

Stage 2: So what?   

• So what impact do these new techniques have on my current time management practices?

• So what challenges did I face during the activities?

• So what benefits can I expect from applying these new techniques?

• So what changes in my productivity can I expect from using these tools?

Stage 3: Now what?   

• Now what steps will I take to implement the learned techniques in my daily routine?

• Now what tools will I start using to improve my time management?

• Now what strategies will I use to overcome the challenges faced during the training?

• Now what follow-up actions will I take to ensure continuous improvement in my time management skills?

These questions will help you learn and retain new skills better and apply them in real time.

Wrapping up 

We’ve seen how What? So what? Now what? critical thinking approach can be implemented in employee training to help both trainers and learners. Though the process may seem trivial and time-consuming, it will definitely boost your productivity and bring better results for your organization.