A report arrives late and does not answer the question the manager had in mind. “They need more training” is one possible explanation. Another is that nobody defined the decision the report was meant to support.
Good development starts with diagnosis. A course can address a missing capability, but it cannot reliably repair an ambiguous request or access to the wrong data.
Describe the gap without describing the person
Compare the expected output with what was delivered. Name an observable difference: missing source notes, an incorrect calculation or a recommendation without supporting evidence. “Not commercial enough” gives the employee little to practise.
Ask the employee to explain how they understood the task. This is a chance to compare assumptions, not a test designed to expose a mistake. The explanation may show that both sides acted consistently with different briefs.
Check four possible obstacles
Were the outcome and standard clear? Were the necessary tools and information available? Was the task a realistic priority among other commitments? Finally, did the person know how to do the work?
CIPD’s learning-needs guidance treats development as a response to identified needs rather than an automatic course purchase. Its performance-management overview also places objectives and ongoing discussion in the wider process. Neither substitutes for understanding this particular task.
Choose a small response that matches the cause
If the brief is unclear, rewrite the acceptance criteria together. If access is missing, remove the blockage. If a method is unfamiliar, demonstrate a manageable example and let the employee practise with feedback.
For instance, an employee who can explain a calculation but cannot retrieve the approved dataset may need access support. Someone with the dataset who cannot explain the calculation may benefit from targeted instruction. These are illustrative situations, not conclusions about any employee.
Agree what improvement will look like
Choose a comparable task and a review point. Record the support provided and the observable result you expect. Avoid changing the standard after the work is submitted; that makes it impossible to distinguish learning from a moving target.
If improvement does not follow, revisit the explanation before adding more training hours. A useful development conversation produces a next action both people understand. It also leaves space for the manager to discover that the task design, rather than the employee’s ability, needs attention.