Is Corporate Training a Joke?

It’s a fair question. In fact, it might be the most important question leaders need to ask right now. For all the time, money, and energy being poured into corporate training programs, we should be seeing measurable gains in workforce performance, engagement, and strategic outcomes. But we’re not. Not even close.

Study after study confirms what most leaders already know but hesitate to say out loud. According to Harvard Business Review, 75 percent of managers are dissatisfied with their company’s learning and development efforts. Research from McKinsey shows that only 25 percent of employees believe training has significantly improved their performance. Even worse, less than 15 percent of training participants actually apply what they learn on the job.

Why? Because most training programs are designed for the convenience of the provider, not the needs of the learner. The rise of asynchronous online courses promised scalability and efficiency but delivered little more than high dropout rates and low knowledge retention. Clicking through slides or watching prerecorded videos in isolation is not learning. It’s checking a box. And companies are spending billions on it.

What’s missing is strategy. What’s missing is alignment. What’s missing is relevance. Most training today isn’t even connected to a clear business outcome. It’s based on legacy content, outdated templates, and generic modules that have nothing to do with the actual challenges teams are facing.

But the most important failure of corporate training is this, it treats learning as a broadcast, not a conversation. Training should not be about pushing information out. It should be about drawing ideas in. The best training is human-centered, collaborative, creative, and deeply tied to innovation. It should energize people, not bore them. It should build capability that leads to real performance, not vague compliance.

Takeaways

Align training with real business outcomes Focus training efforts on a specific and measurable strategic priority rather than generic content. Precision matters.

Start with a “Maturity Assessment” Evaluate both your current training content and your organization's cultural readiness to adopt and implement meaningful learning.

Avoid robotic, irrelevant content DONT rely on AI generated or legacy training that lacks context, emotional engagement, and strategic value.

Prioritize humanity in the age of automation as machines become more integrated into the workplace, training must elevate human potential through collaborative, creative experiences. Realize the incredible limitations of online and asynchronous learning.

Reimagine training as innovation stop thinking of training as a broadcast. The future of workforce development is rooted in human-centered innovation, not just instruction.

At LearnLogic, we take a completely different approach. We believe training should be strategically customized, outcome-focused, and deeply engaging. Yes, this takes more work and more thought. But in a time of rapid and chaotic change, when every dollar needs to produce a return, doing it right is not optional. It’s essential.

Podcast link

Visit www.mylearnlogic.com to learn how we’re reinventing training for a new world of work.

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Innovation is Fake
How to Make Innovation Real

Let’s be honest. Most innovation programs are performative. They’re filled with buzzwords, flashy workshops, and well-intentioned slide decks—but very little substance. Innovation has become more of a marketing slogan than a meaningful enterprise function. And in a time of rapid, chaotic change, that’s a dangerous illusion.

In my latest article and podcast, I explore how to make innovation real. It starts at the top. Without sponsorship from the board and CEO, innovation will always be underfunded, culturally unsupported, and ultimately doomed to fail. True innovation is not a departmental hobby—it’s an enterprise mandate.

And it needs a target. Vague aspirations like “let’s be more innovative” won’t move the needle. Innovation must have a clear goal and measurable outcomes. Whether you're addressing inefficiencies, unlocking growth, or improving customer experience, the effort should be laser-focused and ROI-driven from day one.

The best organizations engage problem-facing, opportunity-facing, and waste-facing stakeholders in the process. They use collaborative platforms like enterprise social networks, enhanced with game mechanics and social engagement tools, to surface ideas and foster real-time collaboration. This isn’t about sticky notes on whiteboards—it’s about structured, high-impact co-creation.

Innovation also requires a philosophical shift. If you're not expecting a significant return on your investment, you're not doing it right. Whether you're building an internal center for innovation or outsourcing to a fractional Chief Innovation Officer like myself, the goal should be clear: significant, measurable impact.

To keep innovation efforts on track, build a visual dashboard that helps your team monitor progress, spot deviations, and stay aligned. And don’t treat innovation like a seasonal campaign. It’s a long-term commitment that requires consistent internal communication and branding to keep the energy alive.

Done right, innovation can generate millions in new revenue, operational savings, and competitive advantage. The organizations that treat it seriously aren’t just reacting to change—they're shaping the future. They’re controlling costs, unlocking new markets, and embracing emerging technologies like AI and robotic process automation.

Innovation is not the shiny object. It’s the engine of sustainable success.

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The Workforce Development Mandate for 2026 and Beyond

We are entering a time of extraordinary change, and most organizations are quickly realizing that their legacy training strategies can no longer keep pace. The future of workforce development is not optional. It is a strategic requirement.

Customer expectations are evolving rapidly. Emerging technologies like AI and automation are reshaping how we work. And the new workforce, led by Millennials and Gen Z, is demanding training experiences that are personalized, relevant, and designed to create real value.

Traditional, broadcast-style training models are increasingly ineffective. To truly succeed in this environment, organizations must adopt a formal workforce development strategy built on meaningful insights and measurable outcomes. Relying on outdated surveys or generic market data is no longer enough.

This is the moment to rethink how we build, support, and grow high-performing teams.

That’s why we’re excited to announce that LearnLogic will officially launch a new suite of solutions on July 7. These programs are designed to help organizations not only adapt to change but thrive through it, with strategies that drive results in 2026 and beyond.

Learn more at www.mylearnlogic.com

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