It Isn't Always A Training Issue - Training Industry PDF

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Training versus Performance: It Isn’t

Always a Training Issue
Angela Wilson • 5 min read
/
VIEW IN MAGAZINE
The idea that training can solve all productivity

problems can lead an organization to failure.
Many organizations share a common assumption that if an

employee isn’t doing something “right,” then he or she needs
more training. This assumption, and others that immediately look

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to training as the go-to solution, may sound like job security to a
learning professional or an easy solution to upper leadership.
However, the idea that training can solve any and all behavioral
or productivity problems can lead an organization to failure,
which may result in a loss of support for training programs

altogether.
Traditional training models can solve one basic problem: lack of
knowledge or skills. A performance issue resulting from a lack of

knowledge or skills is easy to fix: Provide effective training and
an ongoing learning and support system, and the problem is

solved.
If it’s not a training issue, then training won’t solve the

performance problem, no matter how stellar the training solution
is. This type of failure will convince upper leadership that training
is ineffective. To ensure the longevity and success of your
training program, it’s crucial to offer solutions that work rather
than the same repetitive go-to training.
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What about all of the other causes of performance issues? If
training only addresses one cause, does that mean your training
program is unnecessary? Absolutely not! Every quality training
program can support overall performance improvement
solutions.
The major obstacle facing learning professionals is educating
leadership on:
The difference between training issues and performance

issues
The importance of a thorough needs analysis to identify
whether a problem is a performance or training issue

The value of using the results of the needs analysis to
determine the best and most effective solution
Employee productivity, job satisfaction and overall performance

will improve drastically with one simple change: Eliminate
blanket training solutions, and start matching the right solution to
each individual issue.
NEEDS ANALYSIS
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Being fully prepared with an updated and organized
performance needs analysis, or gap analysis, will be your best
tool.
Whether you are a training professional who works with different
businesses or a corporate trainer for one business, take some

time to develop your own needs analysis form and process. It’s
important to tailor the needs analysis to the business you are
serving and to your development style. Create a tool that feels
natural and that you can use quickly and easily.
Whenever you are talking with management and upper

leadership about possible training issues or assignments, take
the opportunity to educate them on the difference between
training issues and performance issues, and offer to develop the

best and most effective solution.
Your needs analysis should include methods to help identify if

any of the following performance issues exist. Sometimes the
best needs analysis is done by shadowing employees for first-
hand accounts of their experiences, asking questions and

actively listening to them. The real cause typically reveals itself
quickly when you go straight to the source.
/
PERFORMANCE ISSUES
Because people are complex and deal with vast amounts of

competing demands, the number of issues, contributing factors
and causes of performance issues can be endless (which makes

the needs analysis so important and the results sometimes
unpredictable). Here are some common issues matched with
solutions.
Issue: They know how to do the task but don’t realize that
they’re doing it incorrectly.
Solution: Feedback
Feedback is one of the most powerful learning tools. Most adults
are capable of closing their own performance gaps once they

know they exist. Provide regular and consistent feedback to
communicate clear expectations and areas for improvement.
You can give the feedback, or you can provide training and tools
to the individuals responsible for giving feedback on the best
ways to do so.
Issue: They forget some of the steps in the process.
/
Solution: Job aid
People cannot be expected to memorize long or difficult

processes. If there are detailed steps that need to be completed,
it is vital to provide a job aid to assist the learner. The aid can
come in the form of an electronic knowledge base or a paper
handout, but there must be a resource to which employees can
refer for help completing each step.
Issue: They know how to do it but repeatedly forget when to do

it.
Solution: Job aid or automated reminder
If the flow of individual tasks is not intuitive, it’s important to

provide a solution to help the employees remember it. You could
provide a visual job aid or, even better, improve the system by
providing an automated reminder.
Issue: The process is too difficult or cumbersome.
Solution: Simplify the process.
/
Expectations must be realistic. If the reason an employee is not
performing is because the task is too difficult or cumbersome,
take the time to fully understand the process and then simplify it.
Even if you are only able to simplify one step, employees will
appreciate that you took the time to understand what they were
doing and that you made the effort to improve it. Promise to
continue this effort, and you will contribute to a culture of positive
change in which employees are more engaged, loyal and
motivated.
Issue: They don’t understand why they have to do it.
Solution: Explain why.
Adult learners need to understand why they are expected to do

something and what will happen if they don’t. This simple
solution typically ends in a comment like, “Oh, I had no idea
that’s why we were doing that.” If learners don’t appreciate the

value of a task, they will not do it.
Issue: The process or tasks actually bring little to no value.
Solution: Eliminate the task.

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By exploring the reason for the original task/expectation, you
may find that it isn’t even necessary. It’s important to ask, “What
would happen if they didn’t do this?” If the impact is minimal, you
may want to stop doing it. Sometimes employees aren’t
completing a task you think is important because it actually adds
no value.
Issue: There’s a better way of doing it.
Solution: Ask, listen and improve the process.
When setting expectations, it’s critical to involve the end users.

When you fail to hear their perspective, the process will
inevitably be more difficult than it should be. When people know
there’s a better way to do something, they will either complete it
your way and be frustrated, complete it their own way and
frustrate you, or not do it at all. Take the time to ask, listen and
be open to improving processes.
Issue: The tool or application is difficult to use.
Solution: Fix the usability issue.
/
You should never blame an employee or training program for a
tool or application that is difficult to use. If improving the usability
is not an option, acknowledge the issues and reset the
expectations to be fair and realistic.
Issue: The task is done infrequently.
Solution: Make the process/application intuitive and easy to

remember, or provide a job aid.
Learners need repetitive practice to master a skill and retain

information. If employees are expected to complete a process or
use an application so infrequently that they can’t remember what
they did last time, no amount of training will solve that problem.
The solution instead is to develop applications and processes
that are intuitive and have a high degree of memorability. If that’s

not possible, it’s critical that you provide a job aid for the
employees to use when the task is required.
THE COURAGE TO CHALLENGE TRAINING ISSUES
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By taking the time to identify the true cause of performance
issues, you will be able to support your organization’s efforts to
create positive change, and your training program will develop a
reputation for solving problems and improving employee
performance.
The next time you hear “I think our employees need some
training on that topic,” have the courage to educate others about
the difference between training issues and performance issues.
Share your vision for identifying, developing and delivering
solutions that work.
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Click here to download the model.
#needs analysis
#performance
/
#performance improvement
#performance management
#productivity
Angela Wilson
Angela Wilson is a learning and development coordinator at
Avista Utilities in Spokane, Washington. She has more than 15
years of experience delivering innovative learning solutions for
organizations across a broad range of industries.

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PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Training versus Performance: It Isn’t

The idea that training can solve all productivity

Many organizations share a common assumption that if an

more training. This assumption, and others that immediately look

which may result in a loss of support for training programs

Traditional training models can solve one basic problem: lack of

knowledge or skills. A performance issue resulting from a lack of

an ongoing learning and support system, and the problem is

If it’s not a training issue, then training won’t solve the

than the same repetitive go-to training.

The major obstacle facing learning professionals is educating

The difference between training issues and performance

whether a problem is a performance or training issue

Employee productivity, job satisfaction and overall performance

each individual issue.

Whether you are a training professional who works with different

businesses or a corporate trainer for one business, take some

natural and that you can use quickly and easily.

Whenever you are talking with management and upper

training issues and performance issues, and offer to develop the

Your needs analysis should include methods to help identify if

hand accounts of their experiences, asking questions and

Because people are complex and deal with vast amounts of

and causes of performance issues can be endless (which makes

Feedback is one of the most powerful learning tools. Most adults

are capable of closing their own performance gaps once they

Issue: They forget some of the steps in the process.

People cannot be expected to memorize long or difficult

Issue: They know how to do it but repeatedly forget when to do

Solution: Job aid or automated reminder

If the flow of individual tasks is not intuitive, it’s important to

Issue: The process is too difficult or cumbersome.

Solution: Simplify the process.

Issue: They don’t understand why they have to do it.

Solution: Explain why.

Adult learners need to understand why they are expected to do

that’s why we were doing that.” If learners don’t appreciate the

Issue: The process or tasks actually bring little to no value.

Solution: Eliminate the task.

Issue: There’s a better way of doing it.

Solution: Ask, listen and improve the process.

When setting expectations, it’s critical to involve the end users.

Issue: The tool or application is difficult to use.

Solution: Fix the usability issue.

Issue: The task is done infrequently.

Solution: Make the process/application intuitive and easy to

Learners need repetitive practice to master a skill and retain

that are intuitive and have a high degree of memorability. If that’s

THE COURAGE TO CHALLENGE TRAINING ISSUES

solutions that work.

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