From Training to Performance.

Every year, government agencies invest heavily in training. They develop courses, fill their LMS platforms, and send employees through hours of instruction. Yet many leaders still ask: Why aren’t we seeing better performance results?

They’re seeing the gap between learning and doing.

In high-stakes, high-accountability environments like government, this gap isn’t just frustrating, it is lost opportunity to truly develop people potential and deliver on the promise of exceptional government services.

Agencies don’t just need people to know policies, systems, and processes; they need them to apply that knowledge accurately and consistently.

So, what’s getting in the way and how can we fix it?

The Challenges

Training in a Vacuum

Too often, government training is disconnected from daily work. Employees learn about systems or policies in theory, not in the context of real scenarios. That abstraction makes learning easy to forget and hard to apply.

Over-reliance on Information Transfer

We often assume that knowing leads to doing. But behavior science says otherwise. Knowing the steps to a process doesn’t guarantee following them correctly under pressure. Training that emphasizes knowledge over performance misses the point.

Lack of Reinforcement

Learning fades without follow-up. When there’s no coaching or accountability, people quickly revert to old habits, especially when those habits feel faster or safer.

Cultural and Systemic Barriers

Sometimes the problem isn’t training—it’s the environment. Employees may be trained to collaborate, but if performance systems reward individual output, they won’t change. When systems, leadership behaviors, and training are misaligned, progress stalls.

Bridging the Gap

Training and performance support must be designed with work performance in mind, from the start. Here are five ideas and two technologies to make that shift:

Meet people where they are.

The Five Moments of Need model by Bob Mosher and Dr. Conrad Gottfredson reframes learning as a continuous process. It identifies five key moments when people most need support: when learning something new, wanting to learn more, applying knowledge, solving problems, or adapting to change. The key is to align learning strategies to the moments of need. Formal training is important when learning something new, while on-demand performance support helps with application and change.

Example: A federal HR specialist uses formal training to learn a new hiring system (New), quick reference guides while processing applications (Apply), and updated resources when policy guidance changes (Change).

Build for behavior, not just knowledge.

Start with the end in mind: What do we want people to do differently? Define the critical behaviors, then design training that helps people practice and get feedback.

Example: Instead of lecturing on conflict-of-interest policy, simulate real scenarios where employees must make judgment calls and receive feedback in real time.

Align training with systems and culture.

If training teaches one thing but systems reward another, behavior change won’t stick. Before designing new learning, ask: What are we rewarding?

Example: Review performance metrics, SOPs, and feedback loops to ensure they reinforce the new behaviors, not the old ones.

Ground training in the real world.

Learning should feel familiar and actionable. Use real cases, language, and systems employees recognize.

Example: Partner with front-line managers to identify everyday challenges and build your training activities around them.

Reinforce with coaching and feedback.

Learning is a process, not an event. Incorporate follow-up discussions, manager coaching, and check-ins that show the behavior still matters.

Example: Create a “learning transfer plan” for supervisors to reinforce key behaviors during team meetings.

Make learning and performance support personal.

A Learning Experience Platform (LXP) delivers personalized, just-in-time learning tailored to each employee’s role, goals, and recent activity. It moves learning from compliance-driven to performance-focused. These systems are more affordable and capable than ever and provide a flexible, mobile resource tailored to the individual.

Example: A Contract Officers Representative (COR), updating a contract record might receive a recommendation for a short video on managing vendor performance — right when it’s most relevant.

Remove friction wherever you can.

A Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) provides step-by-step, on-screen guidance inside the applications employees use every day. This helps them perform tasks accurately without leaving their workflow.

Example: When a federal employee logs into a new acquisition system, a DAP can guide them through creating a requisition, explaining each field along the way. The result: faster adoption, fewer errors, and greater confidence.

The Opportunity Ahead

Government agencies face complex challenges, policy shifts, tight budgets, legacy systems, and evolving missions. But they also have a tremendous opportunity to lead with intention.

When agencies shift their focus from training delivery to performance enablement, they close the learning–doing gap. They create not just informed employees, but capable, confident professionals ready to deliver excellence where it matters most: on the job.

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A Public Sector Leadership Imperative.

I recently read a departmental memo that struck all the right chords, clear, empathetic, visionary. But something felt off. It was too polished.

As it turns out, the memo was AI-generated. It made me pause and reflect: in a world where communication can be simulated at scale, what does it mean to be authentic?

For public sector leaders, this question isn’t philosophical, it’s practical.

The New Authenticity Gap

Artificial intelligence is changing the landscape of leadership. From policy briefs to constituent outreach, AI tools can now mimic tone, sentiment, and insight with remarkable fluency. But imitation isn’t connection.

In public service, trust isn’t earned through perfect prose, it’s earned through presence. Through consistency. Through leadership that feels grounded in real values and experience.

The risk is this: as the tools get better, the human voice becomes harder to distinguish and easier to question.

Public servants and employees are already predisposed to skepticism. Negativity bias tells us that people tend to focus more on what feels false or manipulative. Add in confirmation bias, and you’ve got a workforce that may interpret overly polished AI-generated messages as just more evidence of top-down detachment.

What Does It Mean to Be Authentic?

Let’s get practical. Authenticity isn’t about oversharing or rejecting innovation. It’s about alignment between what we believe, what we say, and what we do.

In change leadership, it’s called the “Say-Do Gap” — the space between what leaders say they value and what their actions demonstrate. Authenticity is about narrowing that gap.

Why is this so important now?

• In times of transformation, when budgets are shifting, roles are evolving, and systems are being reimagined, this alignment is the foundation for real trust.
• In high-stakes, high-scrutiny environments like the public sector, this alignment is everything. Employees and constituents are watching closely. “Do you mean what you say? Will you follow through?”

When there’s a mismatch — when messages feel manufactured or disconnected from reality — the trust erosion is fast and hard to reverse. But when words and behaviors align over time, even imperfect communication carries weight.

How Public Sector Leaders Can Stay (and Feel) Authentic

Here are five practical ways to embrace both technology and human nature to effectively lead in the evolving age of AI:

1.    Be transparent.

You don’t have to disclose every tool used, but when appropriate, naming the role AI plays in your communication can build trust, not erode it. People appreciate honesty over polish.

2.    Don’t outsource your voice.

Generative AI can be a powerful first draft partner. Use it to save time, explore tone, or structure messages. But let your lived experience and leadership point of view shape the final product. If it doesn’t sound like you, it won’t feel like leadership.

3.    Practice strategic self-disclosure.

Public servants aren’t looking for confessions; they’re looking for context. When you share a personal experience that aligns with a policy, priority, or pain point, it signals empathy and being grounded.

4.    Lead with consistency, not performance.

Authenticity isn’t a one-off act, it’s cumulative. As your words and actions align over time, you will build goodwill and trust. This “conversational capital” becomes especially valuable during times of high-stakes change.

5.    Prioritize presence over perfection.

Flawless communication isn’t the goal. Feeling seen and heard is. Sometimes the most effective thing you can do is show up, listen actively, and speak from the moment even if it’s not fully scripted.

The Human Advantage

AI can replicate tone. It can scale messaging. But it can’t lead.

It doesn’t carry the weight of responsibility, the courage to be vulnerable, or the insight that comes from years of public service. Those are the things that make leadership human. And in this rapidly evolving age of AI, they’ll be the things that make leadership matter.

By the way: I used AI tools to support the drafting of this post, but all ideas, insights, and final edits are my own.

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Government agency prime contractors need their consulting partners to bring these essentials.

In today’s rapidly evolving government landscape, agencies are more engaged in transformation initiatives than ever before. They include technology modernization and responsible integration of artificial intelligence. Agencies are also weathering big changes to the federal government workforce such as agency-level restructuring, reorganization, and return-to-work mandates.

Big changes need change management to succeed.

A great organizational change management (OCM) partner can be invaluable to prime contractors supporting these new agency priorities.

Here are seven key features primes should look for in a change management teaming partner:

1. Comprehensive Expertise

A change management partner should have experience across project types. They should be able to manage:

• Global Implementations
• Supply Chain Transformations
• IT System Rollouts
• Integration of Innovative Technologies
• Organizational Restructuring
• Process Redesigns

The consulting partner should also have significant experience in various industries, private and government organizations. In particular, private sector change management experience can offer a lot of value.

Significant industry experience means the consultant can bring fresh perspectives and proven methodology honed in competitive, demanding environments, where change is constant and success is measured by tangible outcomes.

Moreover, private sector experience offers valuable insights into managing cultural shifts and overcoming resistance to change. This enables federal clients to navigate their unique challenges more effectively, balancing the need for consensus-driven decision-making with the imperative for rapid, impactful change.

This breadth of experience helps the entire project team deliver more successful transformation, improve service delivery, and better align with evolving public sector demands.

2. Proven Methodology

Look for a partner with a structured, yet flexible approach to change management. They should offer:

• Stakeholder Identification and Analysis
• Change Impact Assessments
• Change Models Tailored to Your Organization
• Comprehensive Change Management Scorecards

Many OCM firms have developed their own change models based on their experience of what works. That said, there are many change models organizations can adopt, such as ADKAR and Kotter’s eight-step change model. A good OCM partner should be able to apply a variety of change models, including proprietary. Regardless of the approach, the model should consider the entire performance system at the individual, organizational, and cultural levels.

3. Ability to Manage Complex Change

At Emerson, we often adopt the mindset of an air traffic controller, where we help our prime teaming partner see the “flight map” of the organization. We identify the concurrent initiatives impacting the same stakeholders so we can anticipate conflicts, clarify messaging, and ensure smooth implementation of activities. This is particularly valuable in large-scale government projects with multiple stakeholders and initiatives.

The idea is to keep a structured but nimble approach, helping our partners meet project milestones, manage risks effectively, and deliver successful outcomes.

4. Experience with Comprehensive Communications

Effective communication is crucial in change management. Your partner should excel in:

• Ensuring leadership alignment
• Developing targeted communication plans
• Creating engaging content for various channels
• Training change champions and leaders
• Facilitating workshops and seminars

It’s essential that all communications across the initiative are grounded in one set of messages, and that all actors are aligned on that foundation. That’s why it’s important that your consulting partner has deep experience planning and implementing communications from the leadership level to the staff level, customizing content so that it resonates with each group.

5. Employee Engagement Focus

A great partner recognizes that successful change hinges on employee buy-in. They should provide:

• Employee readiness planning
• Strategies for building and sustaining momentum
• Interactive training programs
• Tools for measuring and improving adoption

Successful employee adoption requires a multifaceted approach. A good strategy prioritizes organizational values, transparency, and engagement (physical or virtual). Good plans include activities that build trust, confidence, and ownership in the agency’s success.

It’s essential that a consulting partner targets true engagement — not just delivering communication and training but creating a two-way flow of information and collaboration between the program and stakeholders.

6. Training and Development Expertise

To support new processes or systems, your partner should be adept at designing, developing, and delivering:

• Custom learning programs that target the initiative’s outcomes
• Training in multiple and blended modalities
• Training that fits agency platforms and policies (in-person or virtual)
• Sustainable learning solutions

Training and workforce development drive performance. Without the right skills and knowledge, employees can’t fulfill the initiative’s objectives or the agency’s mission. Targeted learning programs help the workforce embrace the rationale behind the change, adopt new processes, and develop the competencies they need to work in the new way.

7. Experience Building Change Capability

In an ever-evolving government landscape, smart agencies are building capability in change itself. Home-grown change management practitioners can serve their own agencies, dispelling common myths about change, reducing employee resistance, and creating momentum for workforce adoption.

Building capability typically means a combination of training and practical application. The right consulting partner can teach selected staff to apply change management concepts and methodologies to real scenarios.

Agencies with internal change management capabilities are ready to respond to future transformations and foster a culture of continuous improvement and agility in a time of constant change.

A change management partner with the right qualities boosts a prime contractor’s ability to execute complex government projects successfully, support positive client relationships, and position themselves for future opportunities.

Want to explore the topic in more detail with John? Hop on his calendar: Book a meeting with John

Turbulent times require more support for your federal agency workforce.

In today’s political climate, it might feel like positive change within the federal government is an up-hill battle. Whether it’s planned or not, welcome or not, any big change means that people and teams have to work differently. And they need help to do it.

Change management is a way to optimize any change. It’s a way to get your organization from the current state to a future state, smoothly and successfully.

Here are some of the challenges agency workforces are facing and why they might need help with change:

• Rapid Policy Changes. The Trump administration has implemented many executive orders and policy shifts that affect both government agencies and private industry. Regulatory freezes, hiring freezes, and shifts in priorities mean different ways of working for leaders and staff. Organizations have to quickly adapt to these changes as they continue to work toward their missions.
• Organizational Restructuring. With the administration’s focus on reducing the federal workforce and eliminating certain positions (like Chief Diversity Officers), many organizations will implement significant restructuring. Leaders and employees will have new workloads and different procedures to follow.
• Process Redesigns. The emphasis on deregulation and “unleashing prosperity” means many agencies might need to redesign their processes to align with new regulatory landscapes. To do it right, agencies need insights, methods, and lessons learned from across sectors.
• IT System Rollouts. As organizations adapt to new policies and regulations, they may need to implement new IT systems or modify existing ones. Technical modernization is a priority for this administration. Supporting the people side of digital transformation is key to adoption and performance.
• Supply Chain Transformations. The administration’s focus on infrastructure investment and potential changes to international trade policies might require supply chain transformations. These kinds of transformations have ripple effects that touch many teams and employees’ day-to-day work. They need help transitioning to the new way of working.
• Navigating Uncertainty. Frequent policy changes and potential legal challenges to some administration actions create an environment of uncertainty. Uncertainty is disruptive to any workforce. Clear messaging and alignment from leaders can help stabilize teams and maintain performance.
• Balancing Compliance and Innovation. Organizations must balance compliance with new directives while pursuing innovation and growth. It’s essential to prioritize employee behaviors and activities so everyone is aligned and meeting those goals.
• Managing Cultural Shifts. Some of the administration’s policies, particularly those related to DEI, might go against the culture of an organization. Leaders must clarify values and norms to affirm culture, and engage employees in the conversation, while remaining in compliance.
• Leveraging Cross-Industry Insights. Some policy changes might blur the lines between public and private sectors. It’s a great time to adopt valuable cross-sector insights and best practices.

Each of these challenges highlights the need for change management in some form.

It’s important to consider the impacts on the entire “performance system” at the organizational, cultural, and individual levels.

Even in a historically dynamic federal government, we can achieve positive change.

How Government Agencies Use Storytelling in Change Management.

Change management is an essential function for any organization, but it’s especially important for federal government agencies. Change initiatives help drive the agency’s mission, which can impact millions of US citizens. Storytelling is fundamental to effective change management. Stories engage, inspire, and move people to action, making them a potent tool for leaders helping their agencies change and thrive.

Here are a few reasons government agencies should integrate storytelling into their change management approaches.

1.    Stories work.

Humans are naturally drawn to stories. Stories are how we make sense of the world and our place within it. In the context of federal agencies, stories can transform abstract concepts into tangible examples that employees can understand and relate to. When leaders share stories of successful change, they provide a narrative that helps people envision the positive outcomes of the transformation.

2.    Stories promote your change.

A compelling change narrative should be authentic, relatable, and aligned with the agency’s values and mission. It should illuminate the “why” behind the change, the vision for the future, and the role each employee plays. For instance, a story about how a new technology will improve citizen services can help employees see the importance of their contribution to the larger goal.

3.    Stories combat resistance.

Stories are also powerful learning tools. They can be used to illustrate best practices, common pitfalls, and lessons learned from past changes. By sharing stories from within the agency or similar organizations, leaders provide a roadmap for navigating the complexities of change; this tamps down resistance and builds confidence in the change.

4.    Stories engage employees.

Change can be daunting. But stories can create emotional connections that facts and figures alone cannot. They can motivate employees by describing the human impact of the change, such as how it improves the lives of the public or enhances the work environment for staff.

5.    Stories drive commitment.

Inclusivity should be a cornerstone of stories in change management. Diverse perspectives help the narrative resonate with a broad audience and make all stakeholders feel heard. Inclusive stories foster a sense of belonging and commitment to both the change process and the agency.

The power of story in change management cannot be overstated. For federal government agencies, where change can be particularly complex and impactful, stories unite, guide, and inspire employees. As agencies continue to evolve and adapt to new challenges, the stories they tell will shape their path forward.

Our government is apparently not a fan of TikTok, but they seem to love other innovative technology — especially AI. US federal agencies are starting to harness the power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to improve efficiency, decision-making, and service delivery.

For instance, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could use generative AI to model complex public health scenarios, helping them form policies and response strategies. Similarly, the Department of Defense (DoD) is exploring generative AI for simulation and training purposes, to give personnel realistic and varied practice scenarios.

AI promises big benefits, but beware — there are three pitfalls government teams should consider as they approach AI projects.

Consider ethics and policy.

As federal agencies adopt generative AI, they must keep ethics and policy implications at the forefront. They need clear guidelines on data usage, privacy, and security. They must also ensure that AI-generated content is unbiased and equitable; government decisions based on AI outputs can have significant impacts on the lives of US citizens.

As federal agencies adopt generative AI, they must keep ethics and policy implications at the forefront.

Hire and train for the AI-enabled agency.

Generative AI will change the work performed within federal agencies. This is a good thing; AI can take over repetitive tasks, freeing up human workers for more complex and creative work. But that workforce must be prepared to get all the benefits of AI. Agencies should consider AI technology skills as they recruit and hire. They must also invest in training to help employees perform in an AI-augmented workplace.

Generative AI will change the work performed within federal agencies. This is a good thing.

Manage it like any other change.

Integrating AI technology into federal agencies is an organizational change, like any other. Agencies will not see the workforce adoption they need – and the benefits they expect – without effective change management. Dedicated change management teams help federal organizations navigate the complexities of the new technology, address resistance, and promote employee engagement and adoption. The right communication, training, and support minimizes disruption and maximizes the benefits of generative AI, fostering an environment where innovative tools like AI enhance employee performance and service delivery.

Dedicated change management teams help federal organizations navigate the complexities of new technology.

Generative AI offers federal agencies exciting opportunities to innovate and improve their operations. But each opportunity comes with the responsibility to implement AI ethically and support the workforce. As generative AI continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see how federal agencies leverage this technology to serve the public better.