When to Say "YES" To That Request for Training

Scenario: You just got another request to provide/create a training from one of your business stakeholders. You want to help (it's what you do best), but you aren't sure this request can or should make the priority list. How do you know when to say, "yes"?

Enter my favorite framework for just such a question, "The Difficulty vs. Impact Decision Making Model."

After several years of using this model in my own work, I finally drew it on paper and started sharing with others through presentations and daily work.

The model relies on two factors, difficulty and impact, combined and mapped to varying degrees on a grid broken into four quadrants. It is shown in the image attached to this article.

DIFFICULTY refers to the amount and intensity of work involved in providing the requested solution. We place this factor on a horizontal axis. Difficulty increases the further we travel to the right.

IMPACT refers to the perceived impact the solution will have on the business. Impact is represented on a vertical axis where the bottom is low and the top is high.

To determine the answer to the question above, "Should this request make the priority list?" you will need to think through the solution in terms of both these factors.

How difficult will this solution be to create and/or deliver (low difficulty, high difficulty)?

How much impact will this solution likely have on the business (low impact, high impact)?

Based on your answers to these questions, you will map your solution to the corresponding spot on the model.

Let's explore what you will find by moving counterclockwise through the model, starting at the bottom where the axis meet.

LOW HANGING FRUIT (low difficulty + low impact): A solution in this quadrant won't take much effort, but you won't see much impact either. For example, you have existing content that can be re-used for this request or something that you can create very quickly with little effort. It may even be a simple email pointing to other resources.

When to prioritize "Low Hanging Fruit." The biggest benefit of low hanging fruit is in building influence with and providing great service to your stakeholder. It allows a quick win that shows your stakeholder you are responsive and easy to work with. This can build trust and improve your relationship for a bigger ask or project later (like when you know a training won't solve the problem - you've already established trust to make that conversation easier).

JUICE NOT WORTH THE SQUEEZE (high difficulty + low impact): This is one of those requests that will take a lot of time and effort (maybe even dollars) to complete, but there won't be much impact on the business as a result. In other words, not much will change.

When to prioritize "juice not worth the squeeze." Almost never. I can't think of any instances when it would be a good idea to say yes to this request and prioritize this work. There are definitely instances where we said "yes" to work in this quadrant only to have our work never be used, be left behind, or simply be seen as a "nice to have" (which means it never makes our stakeholders' priority list). Spending time on solutions in this quadrant doesn't allow you to focus your resources on the larger, more strategic projects that will impact the business.

PURSUE WITH A PLAN (high difficulty + high impact): In this instance, the solution will be time intensive, but it is likely worth the effort. However, you will need to make a project plan to create and deliver this solution over time. For example, this could be a project like completely overhauling an onboarding program or creating a hands-on simulation for a complex task. Be sure to transparently share the project and its progress with your stakeholders.

When to prioritize "Pursue with a Plan." When you have done your due diligence to ensure that training will help in solving the problem and it ties in to a larger organizational initiative, or has the potential to create large savings or revenue for the organization. Be sure to put plans to measure in place from the beginning so you can demonstrate the changes created.

SWEET SPOT (low difficulty + high impact): This is the spot where you will get the most "bang for your buck." These are solutions where the effort to complete them will be minimal, but the impact will be large. For example, you will only need to make some slight changes to existing assets in order to create something relevant and impactful for stakeholders or enroll a new department in an existing program.

When to prioritize "Sweet Spot": Generally, you should always prioritize the sweet spot if possible. After all, you are going to put in minimal effort and the resulting impact will be notable. Again, be sure to measure the results.

Having a framework for decision making has been helpful for me over the many years in my career. I hope you will find it helpful as well.