Dig Deeper To Create E Learning That Actually Solves Problems

How to uncover what stakeholders really want from your e-learning

Your stakeholders rarely tell you what they actually need when they request a training course. Often training is a default solution, so they might ask for a comprehensive software tutorial when all they really need is a quick guide on data entry.

Learning to uncover these true needs will help you create e-learning that solves real problems instead of just ticking boxes.

The gap between what they ask for and what they need

When someone approaches you with “We need a course on X,” that’s just the starting point. There’s almost always a deeper reason behind the request.

Take this common situation:

A manager asks you to create a complete course on the company’s CRM software because “employees aren’t using it properly.” Your first thought might be to build a detailed training covering every feature. But is that what they actually need?

Dig a little deeper, and you might find the real issue is that employees struggle specifically with entering data consistently, which messes up the reports. What they need isn’t a comprehensive CRM course but focused training on proper data entry and why it matters.

On top of that, many training requests aren’t based on training needs. There are all sorts of reasons stakeholders have issues and lack of training isn’t always the case.

How to discover what stakeholders actually want

You need to ask smart questions during your kickoff meetings to get to the heart of what stakeholders want to achieve. Here’s how to do it:

Start with the problem, not the solution

When someone requests specific training, shift the conversation to focus on the problem they’re trying to fix. You can ask:

• “What problem do you hope this training will solve?”
• “What specific behaviors do you want to change?”
• “What’s happening now that you want to improve?”

These questions help stakeholders think beyond the training itself and tell you what they really want to accomplish.

Use the “five whys” technique

This simple but powerful method helps you get to the root cause. When a stakeholder tells you what they want, ask “why?”

Then ask “why?” again to their response, and keep going about five times until you reach the core issue.

Here’s an example:

“We need a course on information security policies.”

• (Why?) “Because employees aren’t following security protocols.”
• (Why?) “Because they’re sharing passwords and leaving sensitive information unsecured.”
• (Why?) “Because they don’t understand the risks involved.”
• (Why?) “Because they haven’t seen how a security breach would affect them personally.”

Now you know the real need isn’t just teaching policies but helping employees understand how security breaches impact them personally—a completely different focus for your training.

Look for measurable outcomes

Ask stakeholders how they’ll know if the training works. Try questions like:

• “How will you measure if this training is successful?”
• “What metrics do you hope to improve?”
• “What specific behaviors should change after training?”

Their answers often reveal expectations they didn’t mention at first.

Connect to business goals

Link the training to business objectives by asking:

• “How does this training support your broader goals?”
• “What business metrics will improve if this training works?”
• “What’s the cost of not addressing this issue?”

These questions help stakeholders explain the true value they expect from your training.

Real-world example: From checking boxes to changing behavior

A client once asked a training team to create a mandatory ethics course. Initially, they just wanted employees to acknowledge understanding the code of conduct—a typical compliance approach.

Through careful questioning, the team discovered the real issue: the organization had recently faced several ethical problems that damaged its reputation.

Instead of creating a standard “read and click” compliance course, the team built scenario-based training that helped employees recognize ethical dilemmas in their industry and practice making tough decisions.

The result wasn’t just better compliance rates but an actual decrease in ethical incidents—the outcome the stakeholder truly needed.

Create a shared understanding

Once you’ve identified the true desired outcomes, document them clearly and get stakeholder agreement. Make a simple table showing:

• The initial request
• The underlying problem
• The agreed solution approach
• How you’ll measure success

This document becomes your reference throughout the project and helps prevent scope creep by keeping everyone focused on addressing the core need.

Key takeaways: Focus on solving problems, not just creating courses

Looking beyond initial requests to find underlying problems is essential for creating effective e-learning. Use questioning techniques like the “five whys” to uncover root issues, focus on measurable outcomes, and build a shared understanding of what success looks like.

When you design your solution to address the real need, you’ll deliver training that creates genuine value rather than just fulfilling a request.