“Pushing Back” on a request for help isn’t thought of, most of the time, as being helpful.

This is something that I’ve been listening to for over 40 years in T&D, then L&D, and now LXD.

My practice has been to let the Analysis Data chips fall where they may – and let the client and stakeholders make the Business Decision” as to proceed with Instructional Development – or to Pivot to a Performance Improvement effort – or to do both.

Although I had been doing that for a number of years before I heard the late Joe Harless (Brother Joe) from the stage at an NSPI Conference in 1985 share his thoughts – which I repeated from memory (so you know how “exact” I got it) in the Video Podcast I did with IDIODC last week.

His advice is how I then articulated it to my more savvy clients when they knew that a Request that they were bringing me in to address was likely to not be a problem or opportunity rooted in a Knowledge/Skills deficit.

Rest assured, business people, if/when confronted with credible data – will make the right business decision.

The trick is to get them on that Journey – so that they will see data that they believe is credible. Even when it contradicts their initial thinking.

My 21st book – Performance Improvement Consulting is in my editor’s hands.

That would be Clark Quinn – who asked me to write this book – that I had already started – as part of the initial wave of publications for the LDA Press – or whatever they’ll eventually call it – associated with the LDA – the Learning & Development Accelerator – a professional affinity group that I happen to be associated with.

Check them out here.

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