If your learning strategy looks sharp but falls flat, you’ve got company.
Weak training foundations quietly drain performance, culture, and momentum in even the biggest organisations. And most of the time, the cracks start before a single course is built. Because here’s the thing: skip the needs analysis, and you’re solving the wrong problems.
Here’s why it matters, and how to get it right.
Start with the real work
The signs that your learning strategy is breaking down are easy to spot. Low completion rates, recycled mistakes, and teams relying on old assumptions are clear signs that learning is missing the mark.
A true needs analysis looks at the true cause of these symptoms. It asks:
Where are the skills gaps?
What behaviours are we looking for?
What’s actually working?
The answers to these questions will differ from org to org. It might be a capability gap, a leadership drag, or a process that everyone has outgrown. But a needs analysis is the only way to find out what’s truly going on.
Run a needs analysis worth doing
Talk to the right people
Step away from the org chart. Now’s the time to talk to the people closest to the work. Your goal is to find out about the gaps and friction points that grind their gears, so you can solve those problems and make work smoother.
Find the bottlenecks
At this stage, you’re looking for outcomes. Find out where decision-making gets bogged down. Where does performance flag? And what delivery problems crop up? Ask your teams to list their workarounds; those are the real data points.
Backwards design
If you haven’t identified what success actually looks like, now’s the time. Once you’ve done that, work backwards. Find out what’s missing, and where behaviours (and productivity) fall away.
Look for the bright spots
There will be many! Remember, identifying your strengths is a huge part of needs analysis. Don’t forget to pay attention to what’s already working, so you can scale it.
You’re asking the right questions – now get the full playbook
Head to our guide to learn how to uncover real capability gaps, focus where it counts, and build a learning strategy that actually shifts culture and performance.
If you’re more of a talker, book a call with Michael. We’ll help you cut through the noise and get moving.
FAQS
A needs analysis looks at where your people are now, where they need to be, and what’s getting in the way. It connects learning to real performance gaps – not just requests for “a training session.”
It should explore the goals of the business, what success looks like, and whether learning is the right lever to pull. That means understanding your audience, the work they do, and the environment they’re doing it in.
In short: it’s part detective work, part strategy. Done well, it sets you up to design learning that actually makes a difference.
Hungry for more?
Related blog articles:
- Why poor training costs more than you think (and how better strategy fixes it)
- Instructional design strategy vs. content design: why your learning needs more than good slides
- Build a learning strategy that shapes culture and drives performance
- 5 questions smart teams ask to avoid digital learning mistakes
- Learning Labs