Creating Training Programs That Drive Client Results

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬? 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝. 🏁 I used to think my job as an L&D professional started with a syllabus. I was wrong. Recently, I was tasked with building a learning solution for our Talent Acquisition (TA) team. The goal wasn’t just to "train recruiters"—it was to solve a business problem. Instead of looking at what they needed to know (Level 2), I started with what the business needed to achieve (Kirkpatrick Level 4). The "Reverse" Approach I didn’t start with slides. I started by analyzing Voice of the Customer (VOC) survey results, focusing on various metrics from both Hiring Managers and Candidates. Working Backwards: ✅ Level 4 (Results): I defined the business KPI. ✅ Level 3 (Behavior): Based on the VOC metrics, I identified the specific actions recruiters needed to change—specifically around "Precision Intake" and "Candidate Experience Management." ✅ Level 2 & 1 (Learning & Reaction): Only then did I design the actual training content that addressed those specific behavior gaps. The Result? The training didn't feel like a chore; it felt like a solution. Because I built it based on the actual metrics revealed in the VOC surveys, the TA team saw immediate value, and the business saw a measurable shift in hiring efficiency. The Lesson: If you want your learning solutions to be more than just "check-the-box" exercises, stop asking "What should we teach?" and start asking "What does the data say I need to solve?" How do you use VOC data to shape your enablement programs? 👇 #LearningAndDevelopment #InstructionalDesign #TalentAcquisition #KirkpatrickModel #Enablement #DataDrivenLD #BusinessImpact

Most training programs create excitement. Very few create measurable business impact. A few months ago, I worked with an organization that had a very specific challenge. Their frontline teams were attending workshops, feeling motivated, taking notes but when it came to actual performance on the field, their sales conversion was very low. Great energy. Poor execution. Something was missing. So before designing the learning intervention, I asked one simple question: “What’s the real context in which your people operate daily?” Not the role. Not the job description. Not the competencies. The context. What pressures do they face? What conversations are toughest? Where do deals collapse? Who influences decisions? What behaviours matter most on the ground? The organization opened up. We mapped real scenarios. We shadowed calls. We watched interactions. We decoded customer psychology. We understood the reality behind the numbers. Only then did we build the training journey. Not generic content. Not textbook concepts. Not motivational theory. But a program designed exactly around their on-ground realities. The impact. Over the next eight weeks, something changed. Sales conversations became sharper. Objections were handled with more confidence. Teams spoke value, not price. Managers reinforced learning consistently. The conversion saw a huge jump and this was created not by more training, but by the right training. The lesson is simple: Content informs. Context transforms. Workshops don’t create results. Relevance does. When learning mirrors the real world, people don’t just listen they apply. When they apply, organizations grow. What’s one area in your team where you feel content is high but context is missing? If your organization wants training that delivers real, measurable outcomes let’s talk.

🔴 Knowledge isn’t the goal — performance is. If training doesn’t change what learners do, it’s useless information. To design learning that drives real behavioral change, focus on performance-based outcomes. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Define the desired behavior. Before you create content, ask: "What should learners be able to DO after this training?" ✅ Instead of “Understand conflict resolution” → “De-escalate workplace conflicts using a 3-step framework.” ✅ Instead of “Know safety procedures” → “Complete a safety check before each shift without missing a step.” 2️⃣ Align content to real-world tasks. Cut anything that doesn’t directly impact performance. ✅ Teach skills, not just concepts. ✅ Show learners how to apply the information. ✅ Use realistic examples, not just definitions. 3️⃣ Make practice the priority. If learners only consume content passively, they won’t be ready to act. ✅ Use scenario-based activities. ✅ Have them make decisions and see consequences. ✅ Design realistic practice opportunities. Example: Instead of listing customer service principles, let learners handle a simulated customer complaint -- and refine their approach. 4️⃣ Measure success by actions, not completion. ✅ Set clear, observable performance goals. ✅ Assess what learners can do, not just what they remember. ✅ Provide feedback that helps them improve. Learning should change behavior, not just transfer knowledge. 🤔 How do you design training with performance in mind? ----------------------- 👋 Hi! I'm Elizabeth! ♻️ Share this post if you found it helpful. 👆 Follow me for more tips! 🤝 Reach out if you need a high-quality learning solution designed to engage learners and drive real change. #InstructionalDesign #PerformanceBasedLearning #BehavioralChange #LearningAndDevelopment

The best training programs break three sacred HR rules. While most HR teams focus on completion rates and satisfaction scores, high-ROI learning experiences deliberately ignore these metrics. They measure behavior change at 30, 60, and 90 days instead of smile sheets at day one. Here's what's actually happening: Companies are throwing billions at learning programs that never stick. The "Great Training Robbery" study proves what many suspected all along. But here's the real problem. We're designing backwards. → Measuring engagement instead of application → Tracking completion rather than competency → Celebrating attendance over actual outcomes The organisations getting results? They flip this completely. Start with the business goal. Work backwards to the behavior change needed. Then design the learning experience. Simple. Instead of "Did people enjoy the session?" they ask "Can our people perform differently now?" This shift shows up in real numbers. Companies measuring behavioural change report 25% higher performance improvements compared to traditional training metrics. For HR teams, this means stepping away from being the completion rate police. Start being the performance change architect instead. Your learning budget is too valuable for vanity metrics. What are you actually measuring in your training programs?

Many teams obsess over ROI for training programmes. I believe that’s the wrong place to start. ROI is calculated after the fact — often in isolation, with little cooperation from managers or participants. It tends to be defensive and reactive. Plus, hard to attribute accurately. But if you want training that actually drives behaviour change and pipeline impact, you need to start before the programme even runs. That’s where ROE – Return on Expectations – comes in. --- ROE is a concept I've come across in the New World Kirkpatrick Model, and it’s one of the most powerful ideas I’ve used in programme design. Instead of just measuring results in isolation, you build a contract with stakeholders upfront that: ✅ Defines the behaviours you expect to see ✅ Links them to pipeline outcomes ✅ Creates shared ownership across enablement, managers, and reps --- For a discovery training programme, your ROE contract (for a period of 12 weeks) might include: • Raising discovery→opportunity conversion from 38% to 48% within 12 weeks.    • Increasing the share of opps with quantified pain & success criteria captured by Day 10 of the opps lifecycle from 22% to 60%. • Lifting early multi-threading (≥2 stakeholders engaged by 2nd call) from 34% to 55% • Ensuring CI scorecard ratings on discovery trend upward to ≥3.8/5 by Week 12 • Requiring managers to run weekly group discovery clinics, with Sales Ops reporting bi-weekly on progress This is all about creating mutual accountability and aligning everyone on what “good” looks like before you deliver training and surrounding activities. --- How do you define success for your training programmes? Curious to hear your thoughts 👇 #sales #salesenablement #salestraining  

Training isn’t the goal. Impact is ⬇️ Training doesn’t end with the session. It ends with results. Most companies track training attendance. But few measure what really matters, impact. The Kirkpatrick-Phillips Model helps you do just that. It moves beyond completion rates to ask: Did learning change behaviour? Did it drive results? Was it worth the investment? Here’s how the 5 levels break down: ✅ Level 1 – Reaction ↳ Was the training relevant, engaging, and useful? ✅ Level 2 – Learning ↳ Did participants gain new knowledge or skills? ✅ Level 3 – Behaviour ↳ Are they applying what they learned on the job? ✅ Level 4 – Results ↳ Are we seeing improvements in performance, productivity, or quality? ✅ Level 5 – ROI ↳ Did the business gain more value than it spent? To apply this model well: Start with the end in mind ↳ Define clear business outcomes before designing training. Link each level ↳ Show how learning leads to behavioural change and how that drives results. Use real data ↳ Track both qualitative and quantitative outcomes across all five levels. Involve managers ↳ Bring them into the process early, they’re key to learning transfer. Be selective and focused ↳ Avoid tracking everything. Focus on what truly moves the needle. Tell a clear story ↳ Use the data to tell a results-focused narrative that shows the full value of training. 🧠 Remember: Great training isn’t just delivered. It’s measured, proven, and improved over time. Which level do you think L&D teams struggle with the most? -------------------------- ♻️ Repost to help others in your network. ➕ And follow me at Sean McPheat for more.

Are you creating training? Or just adding to the noise? Too often, training fails because the objectives weren’t designed for real behavior change. I've worked in L&D for ~20 years. Here's my approach to writing performance-driven objectives with my nonprofit clients. 1️⃣ Start with the end behavior. What action do you need learners to take? (e.g., giving feedback, asking for donations, creating a lesson plan) 2️⃣ Outline the process. What steps will help them achieve that action? Think of it like a roadmap -how will they get there? 3️⃣ Identify key learning points. What do they need to know or practice to perform each step well? 4️⃣ Shape objectives around real performance. If the objective doesn’t directly help learners take action in their job, it doesn’t belong in your training. Bonus (somewhat controversial) Tip: Work collaboratively with subject matter experts to create objectives—not in isolation. L&D pros bring expertise on how people learn, but subject matter experts know the real actions required for success. Want to hear more about my process for creating performance-driven learning objectives? Tune into episode 124 of the Learning for Good podcast. https://lnkd.in/gdVyugki