When Training comes too soon

Training is often requested at moments of change.

Processes are evolving.
Workflows are still being defined.
Systems are shifting.
Documentation is coming together.

None of that is unusual. It is a normal part of building and scaling work. It’s also the moment when training is most likely to be asked to do more than it can reasonably support.

This short video explores a common moment teams face during periods of change. Training gets requested while decisions and expectations are still being worked out. In this video, I walk through why timing and sequencing matter, what is often still unclear at that stage, and how training works best when it is built to support something stable.

When Training Comes In Too Early

When training is pulled in before the underlying work is stable, it is rarely because training is a bad idea. More often, it is because training feels like the fastest way to create alignment.

The intent is good. Teams want consistency. Leaders want clarity. People want support.

The challenge is that what feels clear at a high level often isn’t clear at the level where work actually happens.

What Is Usually Still Unclear

In these moments, the issue is rarely the information itself.

What’s still unclear is how decisions should be made and what’s expected when things don’t line up perfectly.

Which decisions matter most?
What should someone do when the workflow does not match their situation?
How much judgment are they expected to use?

Without clear answers to those questions, training starts to carry responsibility it was never designed to handle. It is asked to reinforce behavior, support culture, and create consistency without the systems or follow-up that make those things stick.

How This Shows Up for Learners and the Business

From the learner’s perspective, this often feels frustrating. They complete the training, but hesitate when something doesn’t look exactly like the example they were shown.

From the business side, it feels inefficient. Time and effort go into building and delivering training, but outcomes remain uneven. Not because people are unwilling, but because the path forward is still unclear in practice.

Why Sequencing Matters

What makes the difference is sequencing.

Clarifying processes and workflows first.
Making expectations and decisions explicit.
Then building training to support something stable.

When training comes at the right moment, it reinforces clarity instead of trying to create it. That’s when training becomes useful, usable, and worth the investment.

When training works best

Good training doesn’t create clarity on its own. It supports clarity that already exists.

When the sequencing is right, training works for the people doing the work and for the outcomes the business actually cares about.