What Not to Train: When it’s Time to Rethink Smarter Solutions

When performance dips or processes stall, it’s natural to look toward training as the fix. After all, training is one of the most visible ways organizations invest in their people.

However, not every problem is a knowledge or skill gap, so it’s essential to pause and ask the right questions. Otherwise, we risk wasting time and money on the wrong solution.

While it’s natural to want to respond quickly when something’s not working, good intentions don’t always lead to the right solution. Training programs certainly have their place in workplace learning and career development, but the ones that truly make a difference are rooted in strategy. They’re timely, well-crafted, aligned with business goals, and based on what’s happening on the ground.

At the same time, not every performance issue requires a formal course. Sometimes, the most innovative solution is a well-designed resource or an improved communication flow that helps employees do the right thing in the moment.

When you take that thoughtful approach and choose the proper support for the situation, you give your team what they need to succeed.

In this article, we’ll explore real-world examples where training was initially proposed, but a deeper look revealed a better fit. These stories can help you sharpen your instincts, protect your training investments, and give you more confidence in identifying the right solution for the problem.

Scenario 1. The Case of the Missed Steps

At a regional logistics center, customer complaints about delayed deliveries were piling up. Leadership assumed warehouse staff needed refresher training on shipping protocols, so multi-day workshops were scoped out and budgeted.

Before developing it, a quick observation revealed the issue: a recent system update had changed the screen sequence in the shipping software. The old process no longer aligned with the current system, and employees were inadvertently skipping steps without realizing it.

This wasn’t a knowledge issue; it was a resource problem. A quick update to the job aid, along with a five-minute walkthrough, solved the issue. No training required.

Scenario 2. The Motivation Misunderstanding

A sales manager noticed that weekly reports were being submitted late. She figured the team needed time management training and asked the Learning and Development department to set up a course.

The following week, during informal check-ins, team members shared that submitting reports had no follow-up or acknowledgment. In their view, it felt like busywork, so there was no motivation to get them in on time.

Lack of feedback was the real issue, not time management. When the manager began providing weekly commentary and praise on insights shared in reports, the late submissions disappeared. Engagement rose. No training was needed.

Scenario 3. The Equipment That Didn’t Work

In a manufacturing plant, error rates in product assembly were on the rise. Supervisors believed newer employees didn’t understand the process and requested onboarding enhancements.

Soon after, an engineer quickly discovered the problem: a calibration issue in one of the machines had gone undetected. Employees were following procedures perfectly; the equipment wasn’t.

Training employees to work around a broken system would have only masked the issue. Fixing the machine corrected the errors. Training wasn’t the answer.

Scenario 4. The Foggy Expectations

An HR department received complaints that managers weren’t conducting annual reviews on time. The proposed solution? A training module on performance management.

After conducting interviews to gather content for the training, the root cause became clear. The review process had changed, and managers weren’t sure when or how to complete the new steps.

What they needed wasn’t training; it was communication. A simple checklist, a shared deadline calendar, and a short Q&A session cleared up the confusion.

What These Stories Tell Us

Each of these examples had one thing in common: the initial assumption pointed to training, but further investigation revealed a better fit. That doesn’t mean training was a bad idea; it just wasn’t the right idea for the moment.

When you take the time to ask questions and understand the root cause, you protect your training investment and make room for better solutions. That could mean resources, incentives, system fixes, more transparent processes, or even more great training.

And whether the right solution is training or the tools and resources to support it, our team of experts is highly adaptable to the needs of your business. We can partner with you to uncover the real issue and recommend the most effective approach, so you don’t waste budget solving the wrong problem. Reach out today for clear, practical guidance that supports both your goals and your people…because the right fit makes all the difference.