In the real world, stakeholders often walk in saying “we need a training on X.” A skilled L&D specialist pushes back gently and asks what’s actually going wrong on the job — missed targets, errors, inconsistent service. Sometimes the fix isn’t training at all; it’s a process, tool, or incentive problem. Building content before diagnosing the gap wastes budget and erodes trust when the training doesn’t move the metric leadership cares about. Starting with a performance analysis (even a quick one) ensures the solution is targeted, measurable, and defensible when someone eventually asks “did this work?”

What’s one training request you’ve had to push back on because the real problem wasn’t a knowledge gap?

Our Sponsors:

The Australian Learning & Development Network’s events and resources are available free of charge to our members due to the generous support of our sponsors. As such, if you’re looking for any externally provided capability development services, we kindly ask that you contact them to discuss your needs.

• Frontline Management Training Australia – Purpose-Built Leadership and Management Training for Frontline Managers and Staff
• Australian Public Sector Training – Leadership and Management Training Specifically for People Working in Public Sector Organisations
• Executive Development Australia – Inspiring Executive Excellence