Overview

Professional development for higher education technical staff—such as data or business analysts or information systems professionals—must address both unique challenges in skill transfer and the realities of team-based technology environments. High-quality training should anticipate and address the “implementation dip”: a temporary decline in productivity or confidence when new approaches or tools are first introduced, even among experienced technical teams.

The Implementation Dip in Technical Training

When rolling out new platforms, updating data governance standards, or introducing advanced modeling techniques, technical teams often notice an initial decrease in efficiency. This dip, described by Fullan (2001), reflects the reality that shifting skills, habits, or workflows is rarely a frictionless process, even for capable professionals. Leaders should recognize this phase, communicate its normalcy, and proactively support their teams through it.

• Decreased performance: Productivity or results may drop as people learn the new system.
• Resistance or frustration: Individuals may feel uncertain or overwhelmed.
• Learning curve: Time and effort are needed to build competence and confidence.
  
  

Building Effective Technical Professional Development

Martin et al. (2014) emphasize four crucial components for successful skill transfer: theory, demonstration, practice, and follow-up. In contexts like analytics or systems administration, this means not just teaching the principles behind a new method, but regularly demonstrating its application, providing hands-on opportunities, and actively coaching participants as they integrate the new approach into their workflow. The authors state that one-off workshops do not yield meaningful change; instead, sustained engagement, long-term feedback loops, and peer reviews boost retention and successful transfer of learning.

Key Recommendations for Technical Staff

• Implement continuous training programs that allow time for deep reflection on new tools or methods (Martin et al., 2014).
• Encourage peer collaboration and mentoring—developers and analysts benefit from observing each other’s techniques and joining study groups focused on solving real-world problems (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Martin et al., 2014).
• Reduce operational load for those learning or piloting new systems, providing release time for training, experimentation, and team dialogue (Feiman-Nemser, 2001; Martin et al., 2014).
• Utilize collaborative feedback models, where staff alternate roles as technical reviewers, ensuring both mutual learning and systematic improvement. 

Navigating the Dip: Leadership Strategies

To boost resilience and engagement, technical leaders must:

• Communicate openly about expected challenges, providing context for temporary setbacks and successes (Fullan, 2001; Jigsaw Learning).
• Foster honest feedback and regular reflection, using surveys or team debriefs to address obstacles as they arise (WestEd, 2024).
• Provide tailored support: adult learners need relevance and choice—training sessions should allow flexibility for both domain expertise and interest areas.
• Facilitate peer-to-peer coaching or review sessions, encouraging shared ownership of new systems and mutual problem-solving. 
  

Implementing such strategies can help react to the effects of the implementation dip quicker and more effectively. Teams can decrease the temporary drop in performance and eventually surpass the original performance level (new state), hence, improving after adapting change.

Conclusion

Supporting professional growth for technical staff in higher education demands an understanding of the implementation dip and a commitment to sustained, collaborative learning environments. By anticipating dips, fostering feedback, and maintaining active engagement over time, training leaders empower their teams to navigate complexity and drive meaningful change—whether rolling out new data solutions or updating campus-wide information systems. 

References

Darling‑Hammond, L., Wei, R. C., Andree, A., Richardson, N., & Orphanos, S. (2010, August 1). Professional development in the United States: Trends and challenges. Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/library/publications/89.html

Fullan, M. (2020). Leading in a Culture of Change (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Jigsaw Learning. (n.d.). 3 ways leaders overcome an implementation dip. Retrieved November 4, 2025, from https://www.jigsawlearning.ca/publications/blog-posts/honouring-implementation-dip

Martin, L. E., Kragler, S., Quatroche, D. J., & Bauserman, K. L. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of professional development in education: Successful models and practices, prek-12. Guilford Publications.

Skills-Based Health Education. (2018, January 17). Getting through the implementation dip: Find and hold onto your inspiration. Retrieved from https://skillsbasedhealtheducation.com/2018/01/17/getting-through-the-implementation-dip-find-and-hold-onto-your-inspiration/

WestEd. (2024, December 31). Managing the implementation dip – guiding questions & strategies for the state systemic improvement plan implementation. Retrieved from https://ncsi.wested.org/resource/managing-the-implementation-dip-guiding-questions-strategies-for-the-state-systemic-improvement-plan-implementation/