Trailhead Thoughts
“If we don’t worry about onboarding before the employee starts, then we’re way behind.” - Ben Peterson
Trail Map - Learn. Think. Act. ™
Onboarding Isn’t a Checklist - It’s a Roadmap to Impact
📚Learn
Most onboarding programs start strong and then fall flat.
Why? Because they focus on information overload instead of speed to impact. Let’s flip the script.
Design Backward from the result you want.
Execute Forward with just enough structure to guide the journey.
Success comes from clear conversion points. Simple, observable steps that build confidence and competence.
🤔Think
Ask yourself:
How are we helping new hires see what “good” looks like before we expect them to do it?
Have we clearly defined just 3 key actions or skills they must demonstrate to create impact?
Are we designing onboarding like a road trip with milestones that show we’re on track (and with ways to help spot when we’re off course?")
💪 Act
List the final impact you want a new hire to make in their role.
Work backward. What are the 3 milestones they must hit before they can do that?
Create checklists for each milestone 3 skills, 3 tools or 3 behaviors to demonstrate.
Build in observation loops - they watch someone doing the job well, then they get watched doing it themselves.
Keep it visible. Used shared docs to track and document progress.
Want to design your own onboarding map? Reply and let’s build it together.
