‘It’s not your trainers or your learners – it’s you’ is a tough message to get across. But sometimes it’s the L&D professional’s most important job.

Something’s not right – missed targets, inaccurate data entry, customer complaints – whatever it is, it needs fixing. Obviously they need a course, because they’re doing it wrong. Call in L&D to do the fixing.

So you develop a course based on the needs analysis, and deliver it to good feedback. Off they go back to the workplace … and nothing changes.

You get called in by management who want to know what’s wrong with the planning, the training, the learners – and you. You’re under the spotlight, now. Explain yourself.

This is where things can get sensitive because you know the problem’s not the material, the trainers or the delegates. The problem’s what happens when they try to apply. The learners are fine. The training was fine. It’s just that the culture, attitudes and support aren’t there yet. That new knowledge and great intentions mean nothing if managers won’t or don’t know how to support new ways of thinking and behaving, or allow some experimenting and the risk of making a few mistakes.

Imagine parents have bought a hard-working teenager a set of driving lessons from a skilled instructor – but she fails the test.

They’re angry with their teen for not working hard enough. They’re angry with the instructor for poor teaching. The one thing they haven’t noticed is … they never let the kid borrow the car.

There’s nothing wrong with the learner, the instructor or the course. It’s just that the learner was never given the opportunity, the support or the time to practice.

Any organisation needs to be able to look at itself and ask just where does that change need to happen? So often it needs to start with the leaders and managers – who often think they’re the ones getting it right.

That’s where the L&D pro has to bring out all their skills. It isn’t just about the training – you need to be able to hold a mirror up to their assumptions and help them to see what’s really going on.

So learn about the business, its customers and competitors. Understand its vision and goals, and what might be getting in the way of achieving them. And get to know the people and the personalities and what makes them tick. Your deep understanding of the business and your interpersonal, coaching and influencing skills are just as important as your L&D skills.

No matter how high their grade or how well they’re paid – new staff will always need managers’ support, guidance and facilitation into their new organisation, team and role. Here are five top tips to help you get it right.

1) Set the scene

If it’s a brand new role, it’s important for managers to position it clearly to the relevant teams in advance of their new colleague’s arrival. If they don’t really understand or appreciate the need, it will be all the more difficult for the new postholder to assimilate.

2) Build networks

Scheduling a programme of informal 1-1s with people from right across the business is a great way to get them started on learning how the place ticks, what the various teams do and how everything fits together. It helps them become known quickly, and kickstarts those personal networks essential for success.

Encourage the postholder in actively seeking out contacts, arranging and holding their own 1-1s and small team meetups too, to develop their personal brand and position in the organisation.

Just be aware that if there is no formal induction course, people may just tell them what it occurs to them to say at the time and the postholder may not know the right question to ask to get essential and timely information, which can lead to surprising gaps in knowledge. It’s best to assemble at least a rough outline of areas to cover, so they get the right details in more or less the right order.

A key reading list helps, too – website, publications, research, tools of the trade and so on, to get them on their feet.

3) Quick wins

If you turn a big project over to a new person and then just leave them to sink or swim, there’s a danger they – and you – won’t necessarily realise they’re going under. Give them some small projects instead, and monitor closely to begin with, so they can gain confidence from quick wins, or you can identify fixable issues early on.

4) Feedback matters

Regular, timely and honest feedback is essential – everyone needs to ensure they’re getting it right from the start. Actively get team members’ feedback on their progress and performance, perhaps on a weekly basis, and ensure it’s given in turn to the postholder so they have a fair chance to adapt and evolve as needs be as they go.

Managers can sometimes shy away from difficult conversations, and if the first indication that all is not well doesn’t come until the three months review, or even at the end of probation, this will come as a shock, and that sudden vulnerability can be difficult to overcome. Ensure that the 3 months’ review happens at the correct time – late can be too late.

5) Persevere

New skills take time to develop and colleagues must persevere too, if new staff are to merge into the team. Accept they may take time to come up to speed and encourage the team to think of the new person every single time an opportunity for a client meeting, visit or call comes up, and include them, and give out the message that everyone’s regular, open and timely feedback will enable them to become a valued member of the team.

Whatever happens, always support, feed back, coach and challenge your new team member again to new achievements.