The Fright of New Technology and the Calm of In-House.
Joe Dunlap
"The lens through which you look at a problem is probably the same lens through which you solve the problem." The question is, how many other lenses did you neglect in your solution?
And the spooky stories of L&D Leaders continues...
The sleek conference room feels charged with the fright of Halloween as the L&D tech vendor, eager to showcase the platform’s latest advancements, sits across from the Director of Learning and Development. The conversation begins...
Vendor: "Our platform delivers bite-sized learning right into the hands of your employees—wherever they are. It’s fast, easy, and most importantly, it meets people where they’re at. The completion rates are through the roof. You won’t find a more engaging way to deliver content.”
Director: “I can see how this would appeal, especially for quick, on-the-go training. But we’re already using MS Teams, SharePoint, and even WhatsApp to deliver workflow learning. These platforms are integrated into our employees' daily routines. We’re achieving continuous learning and performance improvement without having to introduce another standalone tool.”
Vendor: “I hear that, but our technology is designed with learning science at its core. We know that microlearning, delivered over time, helps with retention and engagement. Our course templates and delivery methods have a directness that keeps learners involved. That’s the science behind it.”
Director: “I’m familiar with the claims of learning science, but there’s a bigger conversation to be had about that. The reality is, there’s little concrete proof that these principles are universally valid, repeatable, or lead to sustained performance improvements. The science behind retention and learning effectiveness is still contested in a corporate setting. I’m more interested in approaches like Continuous Learning and Performance Improvement, where the focus is on real-world application within the work ecosystem.”
Vendor: “With our technology, we can deliver learning right to the technology employees use in a way that fits into their lives, without disrupting their workflow. Imagine the ease of deploying leadership training or compliance updates to their phones, across MS Teams or Slack. It’s learning at their fingertips.”
Director: “I understand the convenience, but we already have similar capabilities through WhatsApp, MS Teams and SharePoint. They are deeply embedded into our operations, especially for our globally dispersed workforce. The tools we use allow for real-time collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous feedback. And with methods like Continuous Improvement and Lean Learning, we’re focusing on performance outcomes, not just learning.”
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Vendor: “But our technology simplifies everything. You can measure engagement and learning easily, send out content at scale, and it’s all designed with microlearning principles. It’s a scientifically backed way to ensure retention.”
Director: “I hear that, but retention doesn’t always equal performance. What I’m focused on is how our learning initiatives lead to real changes and impact on the job. We can’t just assume that completing a microlearning module translates into better decision-making or improved performance. That’s where methodologies like Continuous Learning and Performance Improvement shine—they are directly tied to the outcomes we want to see in the business. And we don’t need an external tool when we have systems like MS Teams, SharePoint, and WhatsApp, which already work for us and our employees.”
Vendor: “I get that you’re invested in those tools, but our technology offers something different. It’s about making learning as easy and frictionless as possible.”
Director: "If I may offer a little advice. Your technology is like most of the L&D technology I see out there, a focus on learning operations, course development and content delivery. The problem is some studies indicate that this work may only have a success rate of 5-20% of actual application, so being learning only focused means you will probably fall way short of actual performance improvement and competency achievement."
"While your technology may have appeal to a learning content developer, most leaders I know are looking for technology that has the capability to provide integrated, on-demand, contextual support that helps employees solve problems and apply skills exactly when they need them, within the systems they use every day. To truly drive continuous learning and performance improvement, it’s crucial to shift focus from just delivering courses to embedding learning into the workflow.
"What you've shared with me is your technology delivers across the same platforms and devices I already use to deliver performance improvement solutions. So, if you look at it from my perspective, there's really no way to cost justify a purchase like this just because it may save me a little time."
"I understand that what I've shared is not what you want to hear, but we've been having this same conversation about learning and performance support for over 20 years and yet many of those who want to provide services or products to what we do have not adapted. By reallocating time and resources toward experiential and informal learning methods, L&D professionals can enhance learning retention, application, capability, competency and, ultimately, business performance."
Thanks for reading, until next time...