Derailers, Detours, and Dead Ends: Avoiding Pitfalls in PI Projects

Sep 23, 2026 (Note—this section was briefly hacked about 40 minutes in, we apologize for interruption and inappropriate language) Overview This session, hosted by ISPI of Hampton Roads, featured a presentation by Dawn Snyder (Dawn Snyder Associates) and Lisa Toenniges (Innovative Learning Group) titled Derailers, Detours, and Avoiding Pitfalls in Performance Improvement Projects. The discussion drew on the presenters' combined decades of experience in instructional design, performance consulting, and organizational learning. The session explored why performance improvement projects go off track and offered practical, categorized fixes to help practitioners navigate common challenges. Participants were encouraged to contribute their own experiences and insights throughout. Key Concepts or Theories Derailers: Categories of issues that cause performance improvement projects to fail or lose momentum Performance Consulting: A discipline focused on identifying root causes of performance gaps rather than defaulting to training solutions Learning Transfer: The degree to which trained behaviors are applied on the job, a central concern for measuring training effectiveness Project Charter: A foundational document used to align stakeholders, define scope, set priorities, and plan for communication and change management Change Management: A structured approach to transitioning individuals and organizations through change, increasingly recognized as essential to project success Pilot Projects: Small-scale implementations used to test solutions, surface issues, and build a case study before full organizational rollout Important Questions Raised How do we ensure that the right stakeholders are included from the beginning of a project? What do we do when the solution requested by a client does not match the actual performance problem? How can performance consultants demonstrate value early and continuously throughout a project? What skill sets are most commonly missing from performance improvement project teams? How do we manage organizational changes that occur mid-project and threaten to derail progress? How do we build trust with stakeholders before being able to influence the direction of a project?