Going Beyond Your Customer’s Diagnosis

Customers may know what they want but not always do they know what they need.

Often, they assume that the problems their team is facing can be cured simply with training. But until you conduct a thorough evaluation, there is no way to determine the root cause of the problem. If you want to move the needle and impact their business, do not simply accept their diagnosis.  Help them pinpoint the best move to make.

The evaluation begins in your initial conversations with your customer. You need to understand what your customer is observing, how they drew their conclusions and whether performance or organizational issues are the source of the problem. Training, by itself, is rarely the answer to complex performance challenges

An effective training needs assessment tells you what type of training will be relevant to the target audience, their bosses and the business.  Then you can link performance improvement to company goals and real business metrics in a way that creates the accountability and follow-through required to change behavior and performance. This is the way to go beyond your customer’s diagnosis and bring value as a trusted adviser.