Why Traditional Training Leaves Us Drained: And What to Do Instead
Have you ever walked out of a training session feeling more drained than inspired?
You’re not alone.
Too often, learning environments overload us with content and underdeliver on real engagement. You sit. You listen. You take notes. But by the end, you’re wondering, “What was the point?”
This is more common than we realise — and it’s not just about poor design. It reflects a deeper problem in how we approach learning itself.
Why Most Training Gets Stuck at the Bottom
In education theory, Bloom’s Taxonomy outlines six levels of learning:
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analysing
Evaluating
Creating
But here’s the issue: Most training stops at the first two. It’s focused on passive recall, not active growth. You get a lot of information, but very little transformation.
At Dynamic Potential Academy, We Flip the Pyramid
Literally.
Most people visualise Bloom’s as a triangle, with “Remembering” at the wide base and “Creating” at the narrow top.
But when I design a learning experience, I flip that triangle.
I put creativity, evaluation, and critical thinking at the start, not the end. That wide base of the triangle? That’s where we begin with prioritising time for the learning environment. That’s where people engage. That’s where curiosity grows.
Why?
Because real growth happens when people are:
Solving problems, not memorising processes
Collaborating creatively, not just consuming content
Reflecting deeply, not ticking boxes
This approach helps every learner, but it’s especially powerful for neurodivergent thinkers, who are often left behind in static or overly structured environments.
The Neuroscience Behind It
This flipped approach isn’t just a design choice — it’s backed by brain science.
When learners are invited to engage with complex, reflective, and creative tasks early on, they access higher-order brain functions:
Problem-solving
Emotional regulation
Imagination
Cognitive flexibility
This stimulates the prefrontal cortex — the area associated with leadership, planning, empathy, and growth.
It also engages the brain's reward systems. When people make meaningful connections, solve problems collaboratively, and feel seen in the process, it boosts dopamine and motivation, deepening memory and emotional impact.
And It Supports Well-Being, Too
When people feel safe to think differently, take risks, and be themselves in a learning space, psychological safety and well-being naturally increase.
Rather than feeling like they’re being tested or watched, learners feel:
Energised
Seen
Calm but alert
Valued for their perspective
This doesn’t just make learning more effective — it makes it more human.
I Only Build What I Want to Learn In
Here’s something personal: I have a low tolerance for boring learning.
If a session is overloaded with passive slides, unclear objectives, and no space to explore, I disengage quickly.
I ask too many questions. I get distracted. I crave interaction and purpose.
That’s why every space I create has to feel:
Safe
Stimulating
Adaptable
Human
Whether I’m working with young learners or executive teams, I build sessions with movement, storytelling, curiosity, and depth. Because at the core of all learning is one thing: people.
What Happens When We Flip the Approach?
When we design learning this way, here’s what shifts:
Learners feel energised, not drained
Sessions become interactive and meaningful
The environment is neuro-inclusive by default
Well-being is built in, not bolted on
Skills stick, and so does the confidence to use them
This is how we build leadership capacity that lasts. This is how emotional intelligence becomes a reality, not just a theory. This is how we create learning that changes lives, not just job titles.
What kind of training experience has stayed with you, and why? I'd love to hear.
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At Dynamic Potential Academy (The DPA), we design learning that sticks. If that’s something you need in your team or organisation, I’d love to chat.
