What if eLearning isn’t the solution?
Not “what if it’s a bad eLearning solution.” But what if eLearning, full stop, isn’t where your money should go?
eLearning Is Part of the Solution. Not All of It.
Here’s what actually drives behaviour change:
A salesperson watches a two-hour eLearning module on the new sales process. They pass the final assessment. Great.
But then what? Do they know how to actually use it? Have they practised it? Do they have the playbook in their hand when they’re on a call? Have they role-played the difficult scenarios? Have they shadowed someone who’s actually doing it well? Do they have follow-up support when they get stuck?
If the answer is no, then that eLearning course is just a box you ticked.
Real learning transfer (aka the stuff that actually changes how people work) happens through:
Onboarding programs need more than a course. They need workshops. Shadowing. One-on-ones with their manager. A printed handbook they can reference. Peer mentors. Follow-up check-ins at 30, 60, 90 days.
Cybersecurity training needs more than a course module. It needs real-world tests. Phishing simulations that actually catch people. Updated documentation. Quick-reference guides. Follow-up campaigns. Consequences that matter.
Sales training needs more than eLearning. It needs playbooks. Call scripts. Role-play sessions. Shadowing. Actual feedback on real calls. Ongoing reinforcement.
Compliance training needs more than a quiz at the end. It needs regular reminders. Scenario-based discussions. Clear escalation paths. Updated guides. Manager training so they can coach their team.
The eLearning is an important part of the program but it is rarely all that’s needed.
The Money Problem
You have a training budget. It’s not infinite.
If you spend 80% of it building a really sophisticated eLearning course, you have 20% left for everything else. That’s backwards.
You should spend enough on eLearning to deliver the core knowledge clearly and efficiently. Then spend the rest on the stuff that actually changes behaviour.
Fast eLearning = more budget for transfer.
If you can get your course built in three weeks for a fixed price, you’ve freed up money and time for the things that matter:
- Manager training so they can coach their people
- Playbooks and guides that people actually use
- Follow-up sessions that reinforce and troubleshoot
- Real-world simulations and testing
- Peer learning and shadowing programs
- One-on-one support for people who need it
- Ongoing reinforcement campaigns
That’s where behaviour change lives. Not in the course. In the ecosystem around it.
The Real Question
Before you start building eLearning, ask yourself: “What do people need to do differently? And what will actually make that happen?”
Sometimes the answer is a course. Sometimes it’s a workshop. Sometimes it’s a guide. Sometimes it’s shadowing. Usually it’s all of them, in some combination.
If you’re spending your entire training budget on eLearning, you’re probably not allocating money to the things that actually work.
Save Time and Money
Build cost effective eLearning fast.
That means you have time and budget left for the real work: designing the program, running the workshops, building the guides, setting up the coaching, planning the follow-ups.
Spending six months and a sizeable budget building the most sophisticated course possible isn’t doing you a favour. It’s eating up training budget for that program and leaving nothing for other stuff that moves the needle.