A course catalog is organized for the people who manage it. The moment of work is organized around the person trying to get something done. Those are rarely the same shape — which is why so much training feels like a detour from the actual job.
Key takeaways
- Catalogs optimize for coverage; moment-of-work design optimizes for use.
- Start from the task someone is stuck on, then work backward to what they need to know.
- Smaller, well-placed learning beats comprehensive courses nobody finishes.
Start from the stuck point
Instead of “what should everyone in this role know,” ask “where do people actually get stuck, and what would unstick them in 90 seconds?” That single shift changes what you build, how long it is, and where it shows up.
What it looks like in practice
- Onboarding that’s sequenced to the new hire’s first real tasks, not a generic week-one playlist.
- Enablement that lives where the rep already works, not in a separate portal they have to remember exists.
- Process training that arrives at the step it’s about, not three weeks before anyone needs it.
Design for the moment, and learning stops being something people endure and starts being something they reach for.