ATD Arizona | April 17, 2026

This presentation helps learning and development professionals shift from being seen as a cost center to a strategic business partner by understanding and speaking the language of business. Participants learn to connect training initiatives to financial outcomes by identifying key drivers, including revenue, costs, productivity, and risk. Through practical examples and guided application, the session demonstrates how to align learning solutions with what leaders actually fund—measurable business impact. Attendees leave with a clear framework for analyzing performance issues, framing solutions in financial terms, and making stronger, evidence-based cases for investment in L&D.rum

Minnesota PACT | April 10, 2026

Most organizations default to training as the solution—often before fully understanding the problem. The Diagnose First, Train Second presentation challenges that instinct by introducing a disciplined, performance-focused approach that helps leaders and L&D professionals identify the true drivers behind performance gaps. Participants learn how to determine when training is—and is not—the right solution, apply a practical diagnostic framework, and connect business problems to measurable outcomes. By shifting the conversation from learning events to performance impact, this session helps reduce wasted training spend, sharpen decision-making, and position L&D as a strategic partner focused on results—not just delivery.

ISPI Conference | March 30, 2026 to April 2, 2025

Nashville, Tennessee & Online

The Five Essential Questions Performance System (5EQ) helps organizations stop guessing and start proving impact. This practical framework guides leaders and L&D professionals in defining the exact behaviors that must change, determining how those behaviors will be measured, connecting them to meaningful business outcomes, identifying the metrics that matter to decision-makers, and establishing when to evaluate results. Instead of starting with training as the default solution, 5EQ ensures every initiative is grounded in performance needs and tied directly to results leaders trust. The outcome is a clear, repeatable process that shifts learning from a cost center to a strategic driver of measurable business performance.

Most organizations default to training as the solution—often before fully understanding the problem. The Diagnose First, Train Second presentation challenges that instinct by introducing a disciplined, performance-focused approach to help leaders and L&D professionals identify the true drivers of performance gaps. Participants learn how to determine when training is—and is not—the right solution, apply a practical diagnostic framework, and connect business problems to measurable outcomes. By shifting the conversation from learning events to performance impact, this session helps reduce wasted training spend, sharpen decision-making, and position L&D as a strategic partner focused on results—not just delivery.

Training Magazine Conference | February 22 to 25th, 2026

Orlando, Florida

Most organizations default to training as the solution—often before fully understanding the problem. The Diagnose First, Train Second presentation challenges that instinct by introducing a disciplined, performance-focused approach to help leaders and L&D professionals identify the true drivers of performance gaps. Participants learn how to determine when training is—and is not—the right solution, apply a practical diagnostic framework, and connect business problems to measurable outcomes. By shifting the conversation from learning events to performance impact, this session helps reduce wasted training spend, sharpen decision-making, and position L&D as a strategic partner focused on results—not just delivery.

Diagnose First, Train Second

Stop Solving the Wrong Problem

Training Magazine Network Webinar | January 14, 2026

Too much training. Not enough traction. Every year, organizations invest millions in programs that don’t solve the real problem. In this fast-paced, practical session, Dr. Mike Saunderson of Ethnopraxis, Inc., introduces a simple, repeatable diagnostic framework that helps L&D professionals distinguish true performance gaps from system, process, and leadership issues.

You’ll discover how asking the right questions—before building a single course—saves time, protects your credibility, and delivers measurable results. Join this interactive webinar to practice the Diagnose First, Train Second approach, uncover what’s really causing performance challenges in your organization, and leave with tools you can apply in your very next stakeholder meeting.

Technology Usage & Training Evaluation:

How Organizations Measure Real Performance Change

AECT Conference — October 2025 & February 2026 (Online)

In today’s data-driven learning landscape, organizations are investing heavily in training—but most still struggle to measure whether learning truly improves on-the-job performance. Drawing on a mixed-method study of 135 learning professionals and nine in-depth interviews, this presentation reveals how organizations use technology to collect, store, evaluate, and analyze training transfer data. The research shows a strong reliance on Learning Management Systems and HRIS platforms, widespread use of surveys at Levels 1 and 2 of the Kirkpatrick model, and a growing but uneven adoption of tools that measure behavior change and business impact. Small organizations face financial and manual tracking limitations, while larger organizations struggle to integrate complex analytics and AI-enabled systems. These insights help leaders understand which technologies support meaningful evaluation—and how to build an infrastructure that moves beyond completion data to accurate performance measurement. Ethnopraxis utilizes these findings to help organizations modernize their evaluation strategy, select the right tools, and leverage data to demonstrate the real business value of learning.

The Five Essential Questions—From Diagnose First to Demonstrated Impact

ATD Core4 Conference — September 2025

Every year, organizations invest billions in employee training—but few can prove it improves performance. The Five Essential Questions Workshop from Ethnopraxis helps learning and development teams change that. Built on two proven frameworks—Diagnose First, Train Second and The Five Essential Questions—this hands-on session equips leaders to design and measure training that truly drives results. Participants learn to define observable behaviors, measure change, link learning to business outcomes, identify meaningful metrics, and evaluate impact at 30-, 60-, and 90-day intervals. Using real-world case studies and ready-to-use templates, teams leave with a repeatable, evidence-based process that turns training data into leadership insight. The result? Measurable performance, smarter decisions, and L&D recognized as a strategic business partner.