Break Free from 'Copy-Paste Learning': Time to Refresh and Refocus Your L&D Solutions

Are you guilty of copy-pasting your learning solutions?

It’s that time of year again! Yep, the season when learning professionals across the globe sit down, look at last year’s plan and… copy it over for next year.

Are YOU guilty?

But hold up – is that really the best strategy?

We were chatting about this just today. The 'copy-paste' approach might save time, but when it comes to making a real impact with learning and development solutions, there’s a good case for a more thoughtful approach.

The truth is, if you're hitting copy-paste without a second thought, you might be missing the chance to ditch the low-impact fluff and focus on the stuff that really matters.

And let's be real—none of us have endless budgets (wouldn’t that be nice?) So why waste resources on programmes that just aren’t moving the needle?

So, what's the problem with copy-paste learning?

Imagine you’re back in school and your teacher just gives you the exact same lesson plan every year. Not only is it boring – but some things will feel irrelevant and out of date.

Now imagine how your learners feel when your programmes haven’t changed in ages. Just because something 'worked' last year doesn’t mean it’s going to deliver the goods next year.

Sure, we crave consistency in our coffee or our favourite dish at the Hawker Centre, but in learning, repetition isn’t the secret sauce—relevance and impact are.

People change, so should their learning.

We think it's time for some tough love: learning professionals, it's your duty (yep, we said it) to ensure every programme you roll out is relevant, impactful and delivering the goods for both the business and the learners. But how do you do that?

The big audit: time to rank and reassess

Here's a simple exercise. Make a list of all your learning solutions, from workshops to self-paced eLearning and coaching sessions to conferences.

Now, ruthlessly assess them! You’ve got two key questions to ask:

1. How desirable is this solution to your learners?
   This isn’t just what they enjoy, but what they are getting value from and what aligns with their own personal development goals. You can pull out your Level 1 feedback (those post-training surveys everyone fills out) and gather anecdotal feedback (but beware of bias—ask a good spread of people and don’t just ask the people who always give glowing reviews).
2. How well does the solution align with your organisation’s strategy?
   This means having conversations with your stakeholders, understanding the business’s direction, and rating each learning solution based on its impact.

Now screen grab the image below and plot those answers on this simple 2x2 matrix. The top right quadrant is your goldmine!

These represent high-impact AND high-desirability solutions. But what about the other quadrants? That’s where you need to get creative.

We’ve even made it easier for you, screen grab the below image and get to work.

Rethink, refresh, and revamp

Let’s break it down:

• Bottom right (high learner desirability, low business impact)
  People love the solution, but is it moving the needle? Time to either tie it more tightly to your business initiatives or admit it’s just not cutting it. (Harsh, but true.) How can you take what your people love and apply that to align with business goals? Talk to business stakeholders and look to align the content to the strategic direction of the company.
• Top left (low learner interest, high business impact)
  It’s supporting business goals, but it needs a little TLC to get your learners more excited. Maybe it needs a facelift with fresh case studies, or a guest speaker who can bring the content to life. Do you need to explore gamification, or hire an expert facilitator to make it more interactive? How about taking it off Zoom and getting people back together to connect?
• Bottom left (low learner desirability, low business impact)
  Ehhhhrrrrr. ‘Insert machine buzzer sound here.’ You have to be brave enough to ditch this. It might mean saying goodbye to an ‘old friend’.
• Top right (high learner desirability, high business impact):
  This quadrant is where the ‘keepers’ are, the sweet spot. Although it’s still worth asking yourself, have you kept this content updated and fresh? Can you make it EVEN better?

We promise you, if you take the time to plot each solution, you can see that not all your solutions are serving you, your learners or your stakeholders.

Less is more: quality over quantity, every time

The truth is, less really is more when it comes to L&D.

We’ve spent over 15 years working with some of the world’s top organisations and one thing is clear: quality always beats quantity.

So be brave! If a solution isn’t performing, can it and free up that budget for something innovative and aligned with your goals.

And remember, content ages quickly. In today’s fast-paced world, a refresh every three years should be the norm, not the exception.

If a learning solution has been chugging along “just fine” for too long, it’s probably time to rethink it.

Copy-paste is for documents, not learning

So, as you plan for the year ahead, resist the urge to copy-paste your L&D strategy. Be bold. Be brave. And most importantly, be strategic.

It’s your responsibility to deliver learning that works—not just for your learners, but for your business stakeholders too.

Need help? We’d be happy to chat it through with you or brainstorm over a cuppa.

Whether you’re looking to refresh, redesign, or completely revamp your learning curriculum, challenge yourself to make the year ahead your best L&D year yet—no copy-pasting required.