Working memory is a transient representation of recently experienced that undergoes processes to make the information usable for goal-oriented behavior. Prior research emphasizes the prefrontal cortex's importance in working memory. This was demonstrated by inhibition (Bauer et al, 1976) and recording (Miller et al, 1996) experiments. However, most studies focus on the short-term aspect, neglecting the reference memory that got a crucial role in information utilization in working memory (Yoon et al,2008). Our investigation digs into the evolution of encoding learned information in reference memory within the medio-prefrontal cortex during a working memory task. Thanks to an inducible inhibition technique, we temporarily suppressed the medio-prefrontal cortex activity and assess memory performance in a T-maze task. Results revealed the prefrontal cortex's pivotal role in the initial learning phase, when the task is goal-directed, becoming less important as the task becomes overtrained and automatic. We tackle goal directed versus habit strategies with a devaluation protocol. We also examined the possibility of a relay from dorsolateral striatum in this automation process. Our findings indicate the involvement of this structure in maintaining the rule in working memory once the behavior becomes habitual. Finally, we observed that suppressing the striatum activity during this phase induces a new adaptation of the learning strategy toward goal-directed behavior. Our study aims to understand the unexpected evolution of learning strategies by analyzing specific neuronal dynamics and shed light on the intricate interplay between the prefrontal cortex, dorsal striatum, and reference memory in working memory tasks.