Reason #6: Tools - Why Your Training Project Is Doomed to Fail… and How You Can Make It a Success Instead

Welcome to what I plan to write as a regular column over the next few months. Shockingly, over 70% of all business projects fail. Fortunately for me, I have a lot of material for this column because there are more than enough reasons why a training project can fail, which means that not only are the odds stacked against you, but the challenges are numerous and sometimes not so apparent. The purpose of this column is to identify these issues and challenges and offer concrete solutions to mitigate the risks associated with each.

Feel free to check out prior posts in the series:

·        Reason #1: It’s Not a Training Problem

·        Reason #2: No Metrics

·        Reason #3: Your Training Program only Addresses Training Issues

·        Reason #4: The Project Sponsor

·        Reason #5: The End User

Reason #6: The Right Tool for the Wrong Job

Although the adage “the right tool for the right job” probably originated in construction, the adage applies to every industry, including training. Too often the project is determined by the tool rather than the need. There are several reasons why people take this erroneous approach:

When Every Tool in Your Toolbox Is a Hammer…

…everything looks like a nail. You did your due diligence, and after much deliberation, you settled on an LMS system or e-learning authoring tool. It was a considerable investment, and you bought the tool based on your needs at the time, but is it the right tool for every job? Maybe you could make that mandated harassment course into an e-learning module, but if you thought about it, you know it would be more effective if it were instructor-led, or maybe a combination of the two. Don’t be alarmed if your “go to” tool is not ideally suited for a particular project. Just as you need a hammer, a saw and a screwdriver, no one tool can do everything. Too often we lead with determining the tool when that should come towards the end of our discovery process.

Been There, Done That

The upcoming project is strikingly similar to one you did three months ago, so why not use the same tool? But are the two projects the same? How much do both projects align exactly in the following ways?

• Need
• Audience
• Approach
• Learning objectives

Perhaps most importantly: what lessons learned from the prior project could be applied to the new one? When possible, that answer will both help shape your current project and avoid possible pitfalls that occurred prior.

Married to the Vendor

Too often we base our decision not on our overall need, but on a product’s promised capabilities. Vendors and partners will be sure to inform you of the latest features, bells, and whistles, but to what extent are they addressing both your present and future needs while serving their own needs to sell you something? Relationships are not all or nothing. Just as two people are not perfectly aligned, it would be unfair to expect a product to align perfectly with all your needs. Recognize that your vendors are trying to address your needs while meeting their own. Be aware of the gap between the two and how dependent you are on external factors beyond you and your team to create something that addresses your specific needs.

Ultimately, a tool is a tool. On its own it has strengths and weaknesses, but as far as how suited it is for your present and future needs, only you can determine that by first establishing objective criteria based on your needs. It can be concerning or even scary to come to the conclusion that what you have is not what you need at the moment, but better to discover that now than later. Again, it’s not all or nothing. Speaking to one of my earlier points, at least be aware of the gap, and then you can recognize and address each issue. At the end of the day, it’s not about the tool, it’s about creating the perfect training solution for your audience