1. Diagnosis first
Mager & Pipe
The training-request triage
Use when
The intake gate for every capability request
- 1
Name the gap
What are they not doing that they should?
- 2
Worth fixing?
Cost of gap vs cost of fix; sometimes ignore
- 3
Skill or will?
Could they do it if their life depended on it?
- 4
If will
Fix consequences, expectations, obstacles
- 5
If skill
Train, practise, job aid, or simplify the task
How to use it
The single most useful intake tool in L&D. The killer question is 'could they do it if their life depended on it?' If yes, training will not fix it. Route non-skill findings back to the sponsor with the real diagnosis; that is what makes L&D a performance function rather than a course shop. Will problems are usually system problems wearing a personal disguise: unclear expectations, absent feedback, or incentives pointing the other way. Check those before concluding anything about the person.
Card details
- Model type
- Sequence
- Origin status
- Established
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
EstablishedRobert Mager and Peter Pipe, Analyzing Performance Problems, 1970.