If you’ve been in Learning and Development for a while, you’ve probably seen this happen:
A stakeholder reaches out and says, “We need training.”
Sometimes they’re right. But more often, they’re describing a symptom, not the actual problem. That’s where performance consulting comes in.
Long before any course is designed or content is created, strong performance consultants slow things down just enough to ask better questions. Their intent is to make sure the solution (maybe training, maybe not) actually works.
This idea isn’t new. Pioneers like Robert Mager emphasized focusing on observable performance, not just knowledge. And Allison Rossett, recognized for her lifelong contributions to learning and performance, pushed the field to look beyond training to the full environment impacting results.
What’s changed is how important this approach has become. With content easier (and faster) to create than ever, the real value isn’t in building more training, it’s in making sure you’re solving the right problem.
So, what do great performance consultants actually ask?
1. “What’s the business problem we’re trying to solve?”
This sounds simple, but it’s often skipped. Instead of starting with:
- “What should the training include?”
- “How long should the course be?”
Performance consultants start with:
- What’s not working?
- What’s the impact on the business?
- Why does this matter now?
- Who is being affected—and how?
- What’s happening if we don’t fix this?
This is where the conversation starts to shift.
Because many stakeholders show up with a solution already in mind (usually training), but not a clearly defined problem. And without that clarity, it’s easy to build something that’s well-designed but ultimately misses the mark.
Strong performance consultants will often dig a little deeper by asking for specifics:
- Are we missing revenue targets?
- Is productivity lower than expected?
- Are errors, rework, or compliance issues increasing?
- Is there inconsistency across teams or regions?
These kinds of questions help translate a general request into something measurable and actionable.
2. “What does success look like and how will we measure it?”
Before designing anything, great consultants define success in concrete terms.
Not:
- “Learners will understand…”
- “Participants will be aware of…”
But:
- What should people do differently?
- What metrics will change?
- How will we know this worked?
This is where many projects start to feel different. Stakeholders begin to connect learning to:
- Performance metrics
- KPIs
- Real-world behavior
And once that happens, the solution often becomes clearer.
3. “What are people doing today and what should they be doing instead?”
This is the classic performance gap.
But strong consultants go deeper than surface-level answers.
They look at:
- Current behaviors in the workflow
- Inconsistencies across teams
- Workarounds employees are using
And compare that to:
- Expected performance
- Best practices
- Organizational standards
The gap between those two is where the real opportunity sits. It’s also where patterns start to emerge. In many cases, the issue isn’t that people can’t do the task, it’s that they’re doing it differently depending on the situation, the system, or the level of support they receive.
Understanding those nuances helps determine whether the solution should focus on building skill, improving consistency, or addressing something in the environment that’s driving the behavior in the first place.
4. “Why is the gap happening?”
This is where performance consulting really separates from traditional instructional design. Because not all gaps are training problems.
Common causes include:
- Unclear expectations
- Inefficient processes
- Lack of tools or systems
- Competing priorities
- Leadership or communication issues
If the root cause isn’t knowledge or skill, training won’t fix it.
And this is often the moment where stakeholders realize: “We may not need a course at all.”
A Simple (and Powerful) Check: The Mager Questions
Sometimes performance consulting doesn’t start with complex frameworks. It starts with a few very direct questions. Drawing from the work of Robert Mager, performance consultants often pressure-test assumptions with questions like:
- Have they ever done it before?
- Can they do it when asked?
- Do they know what’s expected of them?
- Is there a consequence (positive or negative) tied to performance?
- What happens if they perform correctly—what happens if they don’t?
These questions are deceptively simple, but they can quickly reveal whether you’re dealing with:
- A knowledge or skill gap
- A process issue
- A motivation or incentive problem
- Or something else entirely
Want to learn more about Robert Mager’s work? I recommend “Analyzing Performance Problems: Or, You Really Oughta Wanna–How to Figure out Why People Aren’t Doing What They Should Be, and What to do About It”.
Quick Example: When It’s Not a Training Problem
A sales leader requests training because their team isn’t consistently logging activity in the CRM. At first glance, it sounds like a classic training need. But after asking a few of the Mager questions:
- Have they ever done it before? → Yes
- Can they do it when asked? → Yes
- Do they know what’s expected? → Yes
These answers make it clear that knowledge of what to do is not the barrier. So what’s the issue?
A little more digging reveals:
- The CRM system is slow and frustrating to use
- Managers aren’t consistently reinforcing the expectation
- There’s no clear consequence for not entering data
In this case, training wouldn’t solve the problem. The real solution might include:
- Simplifying the process
- Improving the system experience
- Aligning manager expectations and follow-up
Training might still play a small role, but it’s not the primary answer.
5. “What’s getting in the way of performance?”
Even when training is part of the solution, the environment matters.
Performance consultants look at:
- Systems and tools employees use
- Access to information at the moment of need
- Manager support and reinforcement
- Incentives and consequences
Because if the environment doesn’t support the behavior, it won’t stick. You can design a great learning experience, but if the workflow makes it hard to apply, performance won’t change.
In many cases, employees already know what to do, but something in their day-to-day reality is working against them. That friction, whether it’s a clunky system, competing priorities, or lack of follow-up often has a bigger impact on performance than any training ever could.
Identifying and removing those barriers is what turns learning into sustained behavior change.
6. “What happens if we do nothing?”
This question doesn’t get asked enough, but it’s powerful. For newer instructional designers, it can feel a little uncomfortable at first. It might even seem like you’re questioning the importance of the request. But in reality, this question is about helping stakeholders think more clearly about impact and priority. It helps stakeholders:
- Prioritize initiatives
- Understand urgency
- Clarify the true cost of the problem
And that “cost” isn’t always financial. It could look like:
- Missed revenue or slower sales cycles
- Increased errors or rework
- Inconsistent customer experiences
- Lower employee engagement or confidence
- Risk related to compliance or safety
Sometimes, the answer reinforces the need for action. Other times, it reveals that the issue isn’t as critical as it first appeared, or that it can be addressed in a simpler way.
7. “Is training actually the right solution?”
This is the question that defines a performance consultant.
And it can be uncomfortable. Especially for instructional designers who are used to being brought in to build something.
Because sometimes the answer is:
- Partially
- Indirectly
- Or not at all
That doesn’t mean training isn’t valuable. It just means it’s not always the primary lever for change.
One way to think about it is this: Training helps when people don’t know what to do or how to do it. If they already know and aren’t doing it, something else is likely in play.
That’s where performance consultants pause and consider:
- Is this a knowledge or skill gap?
- Or is it an issue with expectations, environment, or accountability?
Instead of defaulting to training, strong performance consultants might recommend:
- Job aids or performance support tools
- Process improvements
- Manager coaching
- System changes
- Communication strategies
Or a combination of several approaches.
Why These Questions Matter More Than Ever
There was a time when creating content was the hardest part of the process. That’s no longer the case. Today, content can be created quickly, sometimes in under an hour.
But solving performance problems? That still requires thoughtful analysis, strong questioning, and real understanding of how work gets done. That’s why the role of the instructional design consultant is evolving – again.
The most effective consultants aren’t just designers. They’re partners in solving business problems.
Performance consulting isn’t about making projects more complex. It’s about making them more effective. And it usually starts with something simple:
Asking better questions before designing anything.
Want to learn more? Read the book referenced in this article by Dr. Robert Mager, First Things Fast by Dr. Allison Rossett, and Performance Consulting by Dana Gaines Robinson and James Robinson.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring Instructional Design Contractors
What is performance consulting in learning and development?
Performance consulting focuses on identifying and solving business performance problems. It looks at root causes, environment, and behavior change.
How is performance consulting different from instructional design?
Instructional design focuses on creating learning experiences. Performance consulting takes a broader view, determining whether training is needed and what other factors may be impacting performance.
Do all instructional design consultants use performance consulting?
No. Some consultants focus primarily on content development, while others take a more strategic, performance-focused approach.
When should a company use performance consulting?
Performance consulting is especially valuable when business results are not meeting expectations, and the root cause is unclear.
Can training still be part of performance consulting?
Yes. Training is often one component of a broader solution, but it is not always the primary or only approach. Performance consulting may also include changes to processes, tools, communication, or manager support depending on what’s driving the issue.
