What Clients Really Need from L&D

What clients ask for ≠ What they actually need

"Can you create a 60-minute eLearning course?"

Translation: “People aren’t doing what we need them to do.”

We get caught solving the request…

Instead of diagnosing the root problem.

Think of it like going to a doctor and saying:

“I need surgery.”

A good doctor doesn’t just book the OR.

They ask questions. Run tests.

They treat the cause, not just the symptom.

Too many L&D teams just book the surgery.

Here’s what clients ask for vs. what they actually need:

🗣 Client: “We need a training course.”

🔍 Reality: You need to change a behavior or close a gap.

🗣 Client: “Can you add more content?”

🔍 Reality: People are confused, not uninformed. They need clarity, not volume.

🗣 Client: “Let’s make it mandatory.”

🔍 Reality: You don’t trust the pull—so you’re forcing the push. Maybe the learning isn’t relevant enough.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Start every request with 3 questions:

1️⃣ What’s the business goal?

2️⃣ What behavior do we want to see more of?

3️⃣ What’s getting in the way right now?

Then decide: Is training even the right solution?

Because sometimes the best “learning” intervention…

is fixing a broken process, not building a new course.

You’re not a content factory.

You’re a performance partner.

Design like one.