Blended learning and the problem of “training debt”
Blended learning and the problem of “training debt”. Organisations accumulate training debt: hours delivered minus behaviours changed. You see it in repeated incidents, unchanged customer complaints, and managers who “approve” courses but never coach the follow-through.
Fix the system: shift from calendar-based learning to moment-of-need design (tools, checklists, and practice embedded in the workflow); tie every module to a measurable on-the-job behaviour; and cap programmes with leader-led application sessions where teams commit to two changes and report back.
Track behaviour adoption like revenue. When learning is judged by movement in work, not attendance, the portfolio gets smaller, sharper, and more valuable. People don’t want more courses; they want fewer that work.
