Why we all need Action Mapping
Most training doesn’t fail because it’s badly built.
It fails because it’s answering the wrong question.
Instead of asking:
“What do people need to know?”
We should be asking:
“What do people need to do differently?”
That shift is exactly what Action Mapping forces you to make.
The problem Action Mapping was created to solve
In many businesses, training starts like this:
“We need a course”
“We should cover everything”
“Let’s explain the process clearly”
The result?
long courses
overloaded learners
high completion, low impact
People finish training…and then carry on working exactly the same way.
That’s not a motivation issue.
It’s a design issue.
What Action Mapping actually is (in plain English)
Action Mapping, developed by Cathy Moore, flips the training conversation on its head.
Instead of starting with content, it starts with performance.
It asks four simple but uncomfortable questions:
1. What business problem are we actually trying to solve?
Not:
“What training do we need?”
But:
“What’s going wrong right now?”
“What does success look like?”
“What would people be doing differently if this worked?”
If there’s no clear performance problem, training probably isn’t the answer.
2. What actions need to change on the job?
This is where most training goes wrong.
Action Mapping focuses on:
decisions people make
actions they take
behaviours that drive results
Not policies.
Not background information.
Not “nice to know”.
If people can’t do something differently afterwards, the learning hasn’t worked.
3. What practice will help people do that?
Instead of information dumps, Action Mapping prioritises:
scenarios
decision-making
realistic consequences
People learn by trying, not by reading.
This is where learning becomes useful and where confidence is built safely.
4. What support is needed outside the course?
Action Mapping recognises a hard truth:
Training alone rarely changes behaviour.
Sometimes what people need is:
a job aid
clearer expectations
better feedback
simpler processes
Courses are just one part of the solution, not the whole thing.
Why this matters so much for SMEs
In small and growing businesses:
time is limited
tolerance for “fluffy” training is low
mistakes are felt immediately
Action Mapping helps you:
avoid building training that doesn’t move the needle
reduce unnecessary content
focus effort where it actually improves performance
It’s how you stop paying for learning that looks good, but doesn’t help.
This isn’t about better courses it’s about better decisions
Action Mapping isn’t really a learning model.
It’s a thinking framework.
It helps you decide:
whether training is needed at all
what not to include
where support will have the biggest impact
And that clarity is often more valuable than the course itself.
This is exactly where Define & Align fits
Action Mapping works best before anything is designed.
That’s why it sits at the heart of Define & Align.
Define & Align helps you:
clarify the real performance problem
identify the actions that matter most
decide whether learning is the right lever
avoid investing in the wrong solution
Sometimes the outcome is e-learning.
Sometimes it’s something simpler and more effective.
Either way, you move forward with confidence.
A final question worth asking
Before commissioning your next piece of training, ask:
“If this works perfectly… what will people actually do differently?”
If that answer isn’t clear yet, that’s your starting point.
👉 Define & Align helps you get that clarity before time and budget are spent.
Because training that changes behaviour always starts with the right question.