Action mapping, four steps

What this lesson covers

1. 01

   A map, not a mind map

   Cathy Moore published action mapping as a visual approach to workplace training design. Everything on the map must justify itself by linking to a measurable business goal. In 2013 she deepened step 2 with a flowchart because too many teams skipped the question “is training even the solution?” Action mapping is collaborative: client, SME, and people close to the job should be in the room when the goal is set.

2. 02

   The four steps

   1. Business goal: A number the business already cares about, a gap, a timeframe, and a role. “Improve communication” fails. “Cut warehouse count errors 15% in two quarters” can be designed against.

   2. Observable actions: What must people do on the job to move that number? If a supervisor could not watch it, keep asking “so they can do what?” Diagnose why they are not doing it today (the 2013 flowchart).

   3. Practice activities: Design realistic practice for the actions that training can actually fix. Decisions and consequences, not slides that define the topic.

   4. Minimum information: Only then add what people need in order to complete the practice. History of the company, extra theory, and “nice to know” stay out unless they serve an action.

3. 03

   A common misuse

   Moore has warned that some people present action mapping as a way to organize the client’s existing content into activities — skipping analysis. That is not action mapping. If you start from a content dump, you are decorating the dump.

4. 04

   Action mapping is not ADDIE’s enemy

   Question | ADDIE-style start | Action-mapping start

   First document | Needs analysis / objectives list | Measurable business goal + action map

   Unit of design | Topics and terminal objectives | On-the-job actions and practice

   When content appears | Often early (source documents) | Last, and only if practice requires it