In the PREPARE phase, you establish who your learners are, the problem they have, its root cause, and the evidence for both — as well as whether the fix requires training, better tools, or clearer workplace support — so you find out what actually needs fixing before you design anything.
Be specific: Name their role and where they are in it (brand-new, moving into their second year, highly experienced, etc.).
What do they do that they shouldn’t? What should they do that they don’t? How do they act, speak, or listen in ways that hold them back?
What have your learners told you? What have you seen yourself? What do supervisors or mentors report? What do the people they serve say — customers, clients, patients? What shows up in evaluations, surveys, or feedback?
What are they doing? What do you hear them saying? How do they carry themselves? How do they interact with others?
Pick all that apply. If training can help, you’ll be guided to design a remarkable learning experience for your learners.
I’ll use this one to guide what comes next. We can still address the other blockers in the future.
Match the help to why they aren’t there yet — and to what you can realistically offer. If nothing on this list would truly fix it, “Not a learning problem” is a good answer, not a wrong one.
Your first answer will probably be the official reason. But you’ve already described what changes for your learners — this question is about you. Why does making that happen matter to you?
The best names promise the destination — who your learners become, or what they can finally do. Short and concrete beats clever.
Picture yourself after it ships. What are you doing that you can’t do today? What do you have that you don’t have now?
What do your learners lose? What do you lose? Who else feels it?
Someone who’ll give you an honest take, or a nudge when the work gets hard. A name or two is plenty.