Have you ever noticed that even the most well-resourced L&D teams still get asked, “What impact is this having?” It’s like having a state-of-the-art kitchen but constantly being asked if anyone’s enjoying the food.

Sound familiar?

That’s because great L&D doesn’t always equal effective L&D. Even experienced teams can fall into the same traps. Sometimes it’s about outdated assumptions, sometimes it's about trying to do too much. But here’s the good news: small changes can lead to huge impact. So let’s take a peek behind the curtain and fix the five most common mistakes that even great L&D teams make.

1. Focusing on Content Over Outcomes

It’s tempting to obsess over creating the perfect eLearning course. You’ve got the animations, the quizzes, the voiceover that sounds like David Attenborough... but if it doesn’t move the needle on behaviour or performance, does it matter?

The fix: Start with a robust Training Needs Analysis. Before developing any custom eLearning content, ask: What does success look like? Use clear business goals and KPIs to shape your corporate training solutions. Then build backwards. This is what turns “nice-to-have” learning into measurable results.

2. Treating All Learners the Same

You wouldn’t give everyone in your company the same sandwich for lunch, so why offer the same learning?

The fix: Embrace personalised learning. Tools like microlearning and mobile learning solutions make it easy to adapt experiences for role, experience, or learning style. And they increase completion rates. Research by LinkedIn Learning shows that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it simply invested in their learning and development (source: LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, 2023).

3. Ignoring the Power of Storytelling

You’ve probably seen it: a technically accurate course that’s as engaging as reading a tax return. If learners aren’t emotionally invested, the content won’t stick.

The fix: Use storytelling. At Popcorn, we follow the science. Will Storr’s The Science of Storytelling shows that stories activate the same parts of the brain as real-life experiences. It’s why our filmed training videos and animated learning videos often feature real characters, dilemmas, and a satisfying journey. We make people feel, not just learn.

4. Leaving the Evaluation Until the End (Or Not Doing It At All)

You wouldn’t launch a new product without tracking sales, so why launch training without tracking behaviour change?

The fix: Use learning impact evaluation from day one. Popcorn’s approach is about building evaluation into the design phase. We measure how our digital learning solutions perform in the wild, so you can report real ROI to the board, not just completion rates.

5. Treating Learning as an Event, Not a Journey

Tick-box training doesn’t change behaviour. One-off courses are like one-off gym sessions: they don’t do much unless they’re part of a plan.

The fix: Think blended learning solutions - a smart mix of digital, face-to-face, coaching, and follow-up. And embed them within a broader learning strategy consulting approach. That way, your employee learning and development becomes part of the culture, not just a calendar invite.

What’s Next?

If any of these mistakes made you wince, don’t worry, you’re in good company. And better still, they’re all fixable. At Popcorn, our learning and development solutions are designed not just to deliver knowledge, but to change behaviour and drive performance. That’s why organisations trust us to create interactive eLearning, leadership development programs, and more - with impact that’s measurable and meaningful.

So, what’s the next step for your team?