Are your learners overwhelmed with a flood of models, frameworks, and terminology—struggling to remember, let alone apply, what they’ve learned?
This is a challenge I often see in learning and development (L&D) strategies. While the content itself may be exceptional, it’s often presented without organization, alignment, or structure that truly supports the learner.
As someone who has also designed learning experiences, I understand how easy it is to fall into this trap. When experts gather to design learning programs, there’s often a push to include as many ideas, concepts, and tools as possible—frequently in an attempt to impress peers or demonstrate expertise. The result? A curriculum that’s overwhelming and ineffective, no matter how high-quality the content.
This phenomenon is sometimes called “the curse of knowledge.” It happens when we, as subject-matter experts, lose sight of what it’s like to approach this material as a novice. We need to reconnect with both cognitive and emotional empathy—putting ourselves in the learners’ shoes to anticipate what they’ll think, feel, and experience.
The solution lies in becoming truly learner-centered. This requires letting go of the need to prove ourselves or create a “robust” and “rigorous” program that prioritizes quantity over quality. Instead, we must embrace focus, clarity, and simplicity.
Want to learn how a curricular approach could transform your organization? I’d be happy to share a recording of the webinar I hosted, The Curricular Approach for Learning & Development. Let’s connect to talk about how a curricular approach to your learning and leadership development can grow with intentionality, clarity, alignment, and integration.
