“A Playbook for Ending Wasted Training”
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Title: Map It
Author: Cathy Moore
Category: Leadership & Team Building, Decision-Making & Critical Thinking
Ever had to sit through a training that was all slides and no point? That's the familiar complaint that opens this episode, and it frames the core problem Cathy Moore tackles in Map It: most training is designed backwards, starting with content instead of the outcome it should serve.
Sam and Sophie walk through Moore's action mapping method. You start with a measurable business goal, then identify the specific behaviors that will reach it, and only then ask why those behaviors aren't happening. If the cause is a skill gap, training might help. If it's motivation, broken processes, or misaligned incentives, training is a waste of time. When you do design training, Moore's philosophy is to build practice, not lectures. Give people realistic decisions with consequences, and feedback that explains the outcome, not just 'correct' or 'incorrect.'
If you're an instructional designer, a manager, or anyone who's ever been asked to 'put together a training,' this episode gives you a better way to avoid useless courses and drive real behavior change. The takeaway: don't ask what people need to know. Ask what they need to do.
Map It by Cathy Moore. The full written summary is on the 7 Minute Books app at 7minutebooks.com/app, with over 6,000 fiction and nonfiction titles you can read or listen to in any language, plus infographics on many titles. Unlimited access starts at $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year, or $19.99 lifetime.
Chapters
00:00Training Is Designed Backwards00:54Action Mapping: Start with the Goal01:21Build Practice, Not Lectures01:48A Real-World Case Study and SME Wisdom02:29Measure Metrics, Not Smiley Sheets
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