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ISPI SoCal Presents: First Tuesday Webinars
Diagnose First, Train Second
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Mike Saunderson, Ph.D.
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Title: Diagnose First, Train Second: Making Smarter Performance Decisions Before Building Training
Performance diagnosis, training decision-making, and organizational credibility in Learning & Development.
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Session Description
Organizations continue to invest billions of dollars in training each year, yet many performance problems persist—or worsen—after training is delivered. The issue is not lack of instructional design capability; it is a lack of diagnostic discipline before prescribing training.
This session introduces Diagnose First, Train Second, a practical, evidence-based approach that helps learning and performance professionals distinguish true skill gaps from problems caused by unclear expectations, misaligned incentives, workflow constraints, leadership behaviors, or system design. Rather than defaulting to training as the solution, participants learn how to apply a structured diagnostic process that protects organizational resources, strengthens L&D credibility, and ensures training is used only when it has a realistic chance of improving performance.
Through realistic organizational scenarios, participants will practice diagnosing common performance requests—such as calls for coaching training, onboarding programs, or compliance refreshers—and learn how to identify when training will fail before it is ever built. The session also addresses a common real-world challenge: what to do when leadership requires training even after a precise diagnosis that it is not the primary solution. Participants will learn how to reframe these situations to protect credibility, clarify expectations, and design training that serves the appropriate organizational purpose under constraints.
This is an applied performance session, not a theory overview. Participants will leave with a repeatable diagnostic approach they can immediately use in stakeholder conversations, needs analysis, and program planning, reducing wasted training effort and increasing the likelihood that learning initiatives yield measurable results.
About the Speaker
Mike Saunderson, PhD, is a performance consultant and founder of Ethnopraxis, Inc., where he helps organizations stop training by default and start investing where performance actually changes. He is the creator of the Five Essential Questions Performance System, a practical decision framework used to diagnose performance problems, determine whether training is the right solution, and measure real-world business impact.
With over 14 years of experience supporting Fortune 500 companies, universities, and federal agencies, Mike specializes in aligning learning initiatives with operational priorities and evaluating results beyond completion and satisfaction metrics. His work helps leaders reduce wasted training spend, improve accountability, and demonstrate measurable performance outcomes.
#PerformanceImprovement #L&DandInstructionalDesign #ISPISoCal
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