Most of us in this field know that Instructional Design is here to stay, but occasionally there are people who pop-up claiming that “this training fluff” is just a fad – that it doesn’t do the company any good – that it is a waste of dollars, so on and so forth.

This can sometimes be frustrating, especially when you come across that really snarky engineer who believes the lifeblood of the company is all about math and numbers. Well, this little list is for that guy.

For the record, I didn’t really have to dig all that deep for this one as there are plenty of reasons why ID is not a fad:

1. Efficiency: Without proper ID, employees introduced to new systems or processes cannot efficiently perform their job costing the organization time and money.
2. Consistency: Without proper ID, large organizations that require uniformity across multiple geographic locations will struggle to be consistent. Lack of consistency is costly, and compromises the organizations product/services.
3. Adaptability: Without proper ID, organizations limit their ability to adapt to industry changes. Rapid ID incorporating the leading adult learning theories makes organizations more nimble because it allows for quick employee training turnaround and engagement.

While these three benefits of ID are always true, they are also dependent on the designer’s ability, the learning management system that is in place, and the internal change communication plan that is in place at the organization. That said, ID isn’t going anywhere, and these are just a few of the more obvious reasons.