Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how fantastically designed our learning solutions are because training alone won’t address the root cause of a problem.

Training can only solve for problems that specifically relate to a lack of skills or knowledge. In his book Performance Basics, author Joe Willmore estimates that this only accounts for 10% to 15% of organizational challenges. The rest of the time, a different solution is needed.

But by the time stakeholders come to you with a request, they have often convinced themselves that training is the solution they need. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

So, we still get requests for which we don’t have the answers. Our stakeholders are stressed. They either don’t have time to figure out the real problem, they are too close to see it, or they don’t believe they have time to address it.

But whenever we provide a training solution that doesn’t solve the problem, we essentially waste everyone’s time and resources. A learning or training solution can address a gap in skills or knowledge but it cannot fix inefficient processes or misaligned rewards systems. It also cannot make up for a manager who fails to provide feedback.

Yes, we can help managers learn how to provide effective feedback and coaching for their team members. But no amount of even the most awesome training for their team members can make up for a manager who does not do this work.

Training isn’t a substitute for manager feedback.

Example No. 1: An ill-suited request from the CFO

One day, the learning manager on my team received a request from the CFO to retrain his team on how to lock their computers when they stepped away from their desks.

A company security policy stated that whenever an employee stepped away from their desk, they were to lock their computer, an action that then required a new login to view their screen or access information.

The CFO had walked past a team member’s office and noted the computer wasn’t locked. Anyone could have easily accessed company finance information with only a few clicks and keystrokes. Instead of talking with this team member individually, the CFO called the learning manager and requested that she deliver additional training on the policy for his entire team.

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