What Triathlon Taught Me About Skill Acquisition and Corporate Learning

Two summers ago, I decided to take on a triathlon. I’d been active through college and grad school, but as kids and a demanding job took over, my workouts faded away. Competing in a race gave me the push I needed to get back into shape. That summer, I completed a sprint triathlon, an Olympic distance, and eventually a half Ironman. I felt great.

But as any competitor will tell you, finishing isn’t enough. In year two, I didn’t just want to finish—I wanted to be faster. Swimming was my weak spot, so I set a goal to improve my swim time and finish in the top 25% of my age group.

The Illusion of Knowledge

My first instinct, like many, was to turn to the internet. I watched countless YouTube videos on freestyle technique, breaking down strokes, breathing, body positioning. There’s a comforting certainty to these tutorials. They make you believe that if you can just watch enough, understand enough, you’ll emerge transformed.

But here’s the thing: when I got in the pool, armed with all that new knowledge, nothing changed. I was still slow. My form was still off. All those tutorials had turned into a jumble of advice that I couldn’t translate into action. I knew what good swimming looked like, but I had no idea how to make it happen for me.

The Power of Feedback

Frustrated, I hired a coach. His first move wasn’t to load me up with more information. Instead, he observed. Within minutes, he pinpointed the issues with my stroke—things I couldn’t see, things no YouTube video could diagnose. We started with basic drills. I practiced, he corrected, and we repeated. Over time, I built muscle memory. I could feel when I was off and correct it. My times improved.

And slowly, something shifted. Over time, I could feel when I was off and adjust. I built muscle memory. My times improved. But more importantly, I wasn’t just swimming—I was swimming well.

Learning is Active, not Passive

What I experienced in the pool is something cognitive scientists have understood for decades: learning isn’t just about acquiring knowledge. It’s about applying that knowledge, failing, correcting, and trying again. Skill development is active, not passive.

Yet many corporate learning programs operate under the false assumption that access to information equals improvement. Companies pour millions into e-learning platforms, believing that more content will make employees better. But access is not action. Watching a video doesn’t make you better at your job—just like watching a swimming tutorial didn’t make me faster in the water.

The Science of Getting Better

Research on skill acquisition tells us that deliberate practice, not passive learning, drives improvement. My swimming journey is a perfect example: when I moved from watching videos to structured, feedback-driven practice, I got better. Corporate learning needs the same shift.

Here’s what truly drives skill development:

• Clear goals: My goal wasn’t just to swim—it was to swim fast enough to rank in the top 25%. Employees need the same clarity, whether they’re becoming better leaders, communicators, or problem-solvers.
• Targeted instruction: My coach broke down swimming into bite-sized drills. Similarly, employees should focus on mastering one skill at a time.
• Deliberate practice: Repetition is key. The more opportunities employees have to apply what they’ve learned, the more likely they are to turn knowledge into capability.
• Immediate feedback: Without feedback, you’re just repeating mistakes. Employees need timely, specific feedback to know when they’re off course and how to adjust.
• Spaced repetition: Learning isn’t a one-time event. It’s consistent, spaced practice that builds lasting skills.

The Corporate Learning Paradox

The irony is that most companies know this. They understand that simply providing access to information isn’t enough. Yet they continue to invest in content platforms, believing that scale and content volume drive improvement. Why? Because content is easy—it’s scalable and measurable. But more content doesn’t lead to better performance.

The best learning programs focus on building skills, not just delivering information. They’re designed to give employees the space to practice and improve, with feedback along the way.

The Real Competitive Advantage

If companies want to see real performance improvement, they need to rethink their approach to learning. It’s not about building bigger content libraries—it’s about creating learning experiences that mirror the principles of deliberate practice. That means:

• Clear objectives aligned with business outcomes.
• Structured practice to apply new knowledge.
• Immediate, specific feedback to reinforce good habits.
• Ongoing support that continues beyond the training session to build mastery over time.

In the end, companies that embrace this approach will have more than knowledgeable employees—they’ll have capable ones. Because in the real world, it’s not what you know that matters—it’s what you can do.