20th August 2026
A practical method to distinguish skills gaps from process, role clarity, resources and incentive problems before commissioning training.
“The staff need motivation training.” “The supervisors need leadership training.” “The customer service team needs an attitude change.”
These requests may point to real concerns. But they are conclusions, not diagnoses.
When performance falls short, training is often the first solution suggested because it is visible, familiar, and easy to organize. The risk is that we invest in a learning event before understanding why the gap exists.
A more useful starting question is not “What training should we run?” but “What is preventing the expected performance?”
Begin with the work, not the workshop
Describe the gap as precisely as possible. “Poor customer service” is too broad. “Customers are not told when their complaints will be reviewed” is observable. So is “handover notes omit the next owner” or “supervisors do not address repeated missed deadlines until appraisal season.”
Then ask what good performance would look like and how the organization would recognize it.
Collect evidence from more than one source. A manager’s impression matters, but it should be tested against employee experience, process documentation, operational data, and examples of actual work.
The five-question performance diagnosis
1. Do people know what is expected?
If role boundaries or standards are unclear, the answer may be clearer communication, workflow documentation, or better onboarding. Training can explain a standard, but leadership must first define it.
2. Can they demonstrate the required skill?
If staff understand the expectation but cannot perform it even with reasonable support, there may be a capability gap. This is where coaching, practice, structured learning, and feedback can help.
3. Do they have the authority and resources?
A frontline team cannot resolve complaints quickly if every decision requires several approvals. Employees cannot meet quality standards with inadequate systems or unrealistic staffing.
4. Is the desired behavior reinforced?
If speed is rewarded but accuracy is demanded, employees receive conflicting signals. If managers ignore missed commitments, accountability training alone will have limited influence.
5. Is the process itself working?
Repeated errors across capable, experienced employees often indicate a process issue. Examine handovers, duplicated steps, information access, and bottlenecks before attributing every problem to individual capability.
An example from a typical office environment
Consider a team that repeatedly submits late reports. The initial request is for “time management training.” Diagnosis reveals three issues: reporting priorities change midweek, approval roles are ambiguous, and team members have not been taught a shared planning method.
The response should be blended: establish a clear reporting owner and approval process; create a predictable priority check-in; provide short practical learning on planning and escalation; review timeliness after implementation.
The exact example is illustrative, not a claim about a specific client.
Prioritize gaps before designing solutions
Not every issue should become a full program. Prioritize by business impact, frequency, risk, and the strength of evidence. A high-risk recurring issue affecting customers may need urgent action. A low-impact inconvenience may be better addressed with a job aid or process reminder.
When learning is appropriate, choose methods proportionate to the gap. A short supervisor demonstration may work better than a full-day workshop. A critical interpersonal capability may require practice, coaching, and follow-up over several weeks.
CIPD’s guidance on learning needs analysis makes the same essential distinction: capability needs should be linked to organizational performance, and learning should not automatically be the default response to every gap.
What to ask before signing a training proposal
Ask the requesting manager to provide:
- The performance problem, in observable terms.
- Evidence of its frequency or consequence.
- The employee groups and work situations affected.
- Possible causes beyond knowledge or skill.
- Two behaviors or indicators that should improve.
- The support managers will provide after intervention.
If the organization cannot answer everything immediately, a focused diagnostic is a sensible first engagement.
The best training decision may be to train. It may also be to redesign a process, clarify accountability, or coach a manager. The professional responsibility is to find out which.
Reference
CIPD. (2025). Learning needs analysis. https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/learning-needs-factsheet/
