Let's say, A sales team is missing its targets.
The solution? Sales training. Customer complaints are increasing.
The solution? Communication training. Managers are struggling to meet deadlines.
The solution? Time management training. It sounds logical. There is a performance problem, so the organization arranges a training programme.
But..
- what if the sales team has poor-quality leads?
- What if customer complaints arise from delayed deliveries?
- What if managers are overwhelmed by excessive workloads and unclear priorities?
Would another workshop solve these problems? Possibly not.
One of the most expensive mistakes an organization can make is investing in training before understanding what is preventing people from performing well.
THE RESEARCH: Organizations often respond to skill gaps with training
The evidence shows that workforce capability is a genuine business challenge. But it also shows why organizations need more than one solution.
The OECD's 2024 report, Understanding Skill Gaps in Firms, examined employer data from five European countries. Among firms reporting skill gaps, 63% experienced increased workloads for existing employees, 50% reported higher operating costs, and 46% faced difficulties implementing new working practices.
The report found that approximately nine in ten firms with skill gaps used training and development to address them. Recruitment and changes to working practices were also used, although less frequently. "Read the OECD research" (https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/understanding-skill-gaps-in-firms_b388d1da-en.html).
Training clearly has an important role. However, these findings do not establish that every performance issue is caused by a skill gap or that training alone will resolve it.
The Association for Talent Development (ATD) has made a similar point. Its article on needs assessment highlights the importance of investigating the business problem before deciding whether training is the appropriate response.
An earlier ATD research report cited in that article found that only 56% of surveyed organizations conducted needs assessments. "Read the ATD article" (https://www.td.org/content/atd-blog/needs-assessment-obstacles-to-avoid).
The lesson is straightforward.
A performance problem is evidence that something needs to change. It is not, by itself, evidence that people need training.
THE HIDDEN PROBLEM: Five causes that training cannot fix alone
Imagine an employee who repeatedly fails to complete a task correctly.
Before recommending training, examine what might be happening.
1. The employee does not know how to do the task
This is a genuine capability gap. The employee may lack the required knowledge, practical skill or experience.
Possible response: Structured training, demonstrations, supervised practice, coaching and feedback.
2. The employee knows what to do but lacks the right tools
Imagine a customer service representative who understands the correct process but works with an outdated system that frequently fails. Training may help the employee navigate the system. It will not eliminate the system's underlying limitations.
Possible response: Better technology, process redesign, technical support and targeted training where necessary.
3. Expectations are unclear
Employees receive conflicting instructions from different managers. Performance standards are vague. Priorities change without explanation. The result is inconsistent performance, even among capable employees.
Possible response: Clearer procedures, defined responsibilities, aligned expectations and manager communication.
4. The work environment discourages the right behaviour
An organization asks managers to coach employees but rewards them only for short-term output. Managers are expected to delegate, yet every decision requires senior approval. Employees may understand the desired behaviour but have little opportunity or incentive to demonstrate it.
Possible response: Changes to management practices, decision-making authority, incentives and workplace culture.
5. The employee lacks the necessary skill
Sometimes the answer really is training. A salesperson may struggle to ask effective discovery questions. A supervisor may lack the skills to provide constructive feedback. A trainer may need to improve facilitation or assessment techniques.
Possible response: Targeted learning with practice, feedback and workplace reinforcement.
These causes can overlap. A team might need training and better tools. Managers might require coaching and clearer accountability.
The objective is not to avoid training. It is to avoid expecting training to solve problems it was never designed to fix.
THE SHIFT: From training provider to performance partner
This is an important change in the role of corporate trainers and L&D professionals.
A traditional approach often begins with a request: “We need a two-day leadership programme.”
A performance-focused approach begins with questions:
- What is happening in the business?
- What performance should we be seeing?
- What is preventing the desired performance?
- Which factors can learning influence?
- What other changes are necessary?
ATD's guidance on "conducting a needs assessment" (https://www.td.org/content/atd-blog/the-what-why-and-how-of-needs-assessments) emphasizes understanding the gap between current conditions and desired business results, then exploring appropriate solutions.
This approach requires trainers to become better at diagnosis, consultation and problem-solving, not just content delivery.
It also changes the conversation with clients.
Instead of immediately discussing the number of training days, corporate training PowerPoint presentations or training facilitator guides, the trainer first establishes what success should look like.
Only then does programme design begin.
THE MOVE: Use this five-step performance diagnosis
Before recommending training, work through this practical sequence.
Step 1: Define the performance problem.
Avoid vague statements such as “communication is poor” or “leadership needs improvement.” Look for specific evidence: customer complaints, delayed decisions, recurring errors, missed sales targets or inconsistent work quality.
Step 2: Define the required performance.
What should employees be doing differently? What standard must they meet? What outcome should improve? Without a clear target, it is difficult to determine whether a gap exists.
Step 3: Investigate the root causes.
Speak with employees, managers and process owners. Review relevant work samples, performance data and existing procedures. Explore knowledge, skills, tools, workload, incentives, authority and management practices.
Step 4: Match the solution to the cause.
Use training when people need to develop knowledge or skills. Consider coaching, job aids, clearer processes, improved technology, changes in workload or management support when those are the real barriers.
Sometimes the best solution combines several interventions.
Step 5: Define how success will be measured.
Do not stop at attendance, satisfaction scores or assessment results.
Identify the workplace behaviour or business indicator expected to change. Establish a baseline and agree when the improvement will be reviewed.
This creates a clearer connection between the intervention and its intended impact.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CORPORATE TRAINING MATERIALS
The quality of learning resources still matters.
Well-designed train the trainer materials, ready-made training materials, leadership training materials and management training materials can help organizations deliver consistent, relevant learning experiences.
A good training facilitator guide can support practice, discussion, feedback and application. Carefully designed corporate training resources can reduce preparation time and improve programme quality.
But resources are only part of the equation.
If the underlying problem is unclear accountability, poor workflow design or inadequate management support, even excellent training content may produce little lasting improvement.
Before choosing or customizing a programme, ask whether the learning objectives address a verified capability gap.
If they do, invest in good design and delivery. If they do not, return to the diagnosis. The right training for the wrong problem is still the wrong intervention.
TODAY → TOMORROW
TODAY: A department reports a problem. L&D is asked to arrange training. Success is often judged by delivery and participant feedback.
TOMORROW: L&D works with business leaders to diagnose performance gaps, select appropriate interventions and measure whether workplace performance improves.
The shift is from accepting every training request to understanding the need behind it.
That is how trainers become more than content providers. They become partners in organizational performance.
THE QUESTION -
The next time a manager says, “My team needs training,” will you ask which programme they want?
Or will you first ask: “What is happening at work that makes you believe training is the solution?”
Research sources
- OECD (2024). Understanding Skill Gaps in Firms: Results of the PIAAC Employer Module. "Read the report" (https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/understanding-skill-gaps-in-firms_b388d1da-en.html).
- Association for Talent Development. Needs Assessment Obstacles to Avoid. "Read the article" (https://www.td.org/content/atd-blog/needs-assessment-obstacles-to-avoid).
- Association for Talent Development. How to Perform a Needs Assessment. "Read the article" (https://www.td.org/content/atd-blog/the-what-why-and-how-of-needs-assessments).
. . By ICARIANS — The House of Corporate Learning
