Why Training Events (Alone) Don’t Change Behavior (03/24/26)

March 24, 2026

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Are You Looking Through a Microscope or a Telescope?

I thought about this question as I looked back over my weekend. Last week, I told you I am a big college basketball fan – which means my weekend included lots (too much?) of college basketball viewing.

Because of that, I could tell you more than you want to know about Purdue’s team, their games, their next opponent, and more. But most people don’t want my microscopic view on that topic.

Some with a telescopic view on March Madness might know that Purdue won and advanced to the Sweet 16. They might even know they will be playing Texas on Thursday.

Perhaps the most important thing for me as a leader though is to realize that not everyone is even looking at college basketball at all! They have their microscopes and telescopes trained elsewhere. Those people might have been doing their taxes, enjoying early spring weather, reading a great book, or anything but watching basketball.

While that is far from my perspective, my experience and viewpoint isn’t the only one that matters.

Thank goodness for that.

The most productive teams will have a variety of perspectives. They will have different people willing to look under the microscope and others who survey with a telescope on a variety of topics, situations or challenges. The two questions from my observations relevant to all leaders are:

  • Are you using your microscope and telescope appropriately?

  • Are you aware of what others are looking at and considering and how their perspective can help you too?

Why Training Events (Alone) Don’t Change Behavior

I believe it is profoundly true that training is an event and learning is a process.

Does that mean events (like training) aren’t helpful or important?

Not at all.

It just means that events alone aren’t enough.

Which means that if we are trying to develop leaders (or anyone), we must think bigger than training events.

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