A client once confessed, “At least half of every training dollar we spend is wasted—we just don’t know which half.”
This is a sobering reality. In 2024, research from the Association of Talent Development found that the average organization spent $1,283 per employee on workplace learning. From university programs to leadership courses, and customized programs to team retreats, it seems we’ve tried it all. Unfortunately, much of that investment fails to deliver, or worse, backfires.
We’ve seen how this plays out. Whether that be mandatory DEI initiatives that trigger more backlash than inclusion, to mindfulness programs that only frustrate already chronically overworked employees, learning and development (L&D) programs can be a double-edged sword.
In a reality where companies have constrained training budgets and AI looms over the future of work, leaders are under pressure to upskill their teams (and quickly). However, another “flavor of the month” workshop isn’t going to cut it.
So how do you create a training program that drives lasting change? First, we need to start by understanding why these programs so often fail. Here are six common reasons why, and what you need to do to get it right.
1. There is no strategic anchor
Training without a clear link to strategic objectives is just noise. You should have absolute clarity on what skills and knowledge are necessary for your people to achieve business-critical outcomes. A pilot’s or surgeon’s training is life-and-death. Can you say the same about your emotional intelligence workshops? If not, start by defining the mission-critical skills your leaders must master. Everything else is a distraction.
2. Leaders aren’t walking the walk
If senior leadership isn’t modeling the behaviors you’re teaching, it’s going to create a credibility gap and kill adoption. If leaders preach one thing but their actions actually indicate otherwise, your training can do more harm than good. That’s why it’s important to ensure that leaders are active participants in training and the company holds them to the same (or higher) standards. Senior leaders need to model the way and visibly demonstrate desired behaviors, or they risk losing credibility.
3. Misdiagnosing the problem
Training won’t solve systemic problems. Mindfulness in an understaffed healthcare system won’t cure burnout. Leadership workshops won’t help if there isn’t a clear strategy. Diagnose before you prescribe. Get to the root cause first, asking: “Is this a skills gap or a systems gap?”
4. Culture kills content
Peter Drucker’s famous quote, ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast,’ applies here. If you don’t align your training with performance management, promotion criteria, and daily operations, the old habits (which famously die hard) will persist. This is when culture often overrides training investments. To solve this, review and embed training goals into existing systems (like performance reviews and succession plans) so they stick.
5. Lack of clarity and consistency
Employees need a consistent and coherent framework with clear applicability to their on-the-job behaviors. Switching between “radical candor” one month to “crucial conversation” only serves to create confusion if you don’t incorporate them in your daily routines. So pick a framework and identify behaviors that you can measure, then stick with it and build it into daily practices.
6. No ROI on impact
Measuring impact and behavior change is hard if you don’t know what you’re measuring. Without clear definitions and metrics, you can’t see your training ROI. Understand before you launch what metrics will indicate program success—is it engagement, retention, promotion readiness, improved team behaviors, customer outcomes? Get clarity, and start tracking from the outset.
What high-performing organizations do differently
High-performing organizations know that training is an ongoing system, not a one-off event. To do this, they align, act, and audit—linking training initiatives to strategic imperatives, ensuring these are delivering well and are well-embedded, and continue to measure training impact after completion of the program.
With the plethora of information at our fingertips, it’s easy to be swept up in the latest workshop hype. However, when it comes to sustainable behavior change, there is no such thing as a quick win. If you want workplace training that works, you need to focus on consistent and intentional alignment. And over time, your organization will start to reap the results.
