Stephanie McBride, M.B.A.

One of the biggest challenges in Learning and Development is getting to the root of a training issue. I rely on a strategy called Action Mapping, inspired by Cathy Moore's Map It! (in my opinion, it's required reading for instructional designers.) Here’s a quick walkthrough of how I use Action Mapping to address training problems: 🔍 Identify the Business Goal: Define what success looks like for the organization. For example, increasing customer satisfaction scores. 🎯 Pinpoint the Desired Behaviors: Determine what employees need to do to achieve this goal. For example, improving active listening skills in customer service reps. 🔎 Uncover the Root Causes: Find out why these behaviors aren’t happening – lack of skills, motivation, or other factors. For example, discovering the reason reps might not be recording a customer's problems because they lack active listening skills. 📝 Design Realistic Practice Activities: Create scenarios where employees can practice and refine these behaviors. For example, role-playing customer interactions. (By the way, this is where most training fails to help fix the core problem. Videos are great supplements, but they don't give learners a chance to practice.) 📚 Develop Targeted Resources: Provide support materials like job aids and microlearning modules. For example, quick reference guides on active listening tips. By following this approach, we ensure our training is not just informative but transformative, making a real impact on performance and helping organizations achieve their goals. Let’s transform training from a chore into a powerful tool for growth! #LearningAndDevelopment #Training #ActionMapping #ProfessionalGrowth #SkillMammoth

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