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.
Beyond the Trailhead
Designing Onboarding That Actually Works
Let’s be honest, most onboarding programs come at you like a firehose of “stuff.” Many new hires endure sitting through endless slides, meet half the company in one day, and get buried in processes before they ever get to do something meaningful. By week two, the spark is gone, the Slack channels are ignored, and the excitement of a new role turns into overwhelm.
We can do better.
Onboarding shouldn’t be about how much information you can cram into a week. A solid onboarding process doesn’t just make new hires feel welcome, it builds clarity, confidence, and consistency. Solid onboarding is about accelerating the SPEED to IMPACT a new team member can make. When people know what “good” looks like, they can start replicating it faster. The shift from information overload to speed to impact is where teams win.
Before you start creating another training deck, take a breath and zoom out. Ask yourself: What does success actually look like 30, 60, 90 days in?
Then design backward from that outcome.
Let’s say you want new team members to confidently run client meetings by day 45. Great. Now ask:
What three things do they need to know or do before that’s possible?
Who can they shadow to see it done well?
What checkpoints tell us they’re ready?
That’s your framework. The rest is distraction and noise.
Great onboarding doesn’t happen by accident. It’s intentionally designed. When you design backward from impact, you shorten the time it takes for someone to feel competent, confident, and valuable - and that’s what ultimately drives retention and results.
If you or your team want to reimagine onboarding and design for speed to impact, our Strategic Whiteboard Sessions can help you map out what that looks like for your business. Simple, visual, and built for alignment. Learn more here.
Then
Voices from the Trail
Hitting the Trail
We’re lacing up and heading out. Here’s where Catalyst will be in the coming weeks. Join us on the path and be part of the conversation.
Ready to have Mike come and speak at your event? Click here for more information.
Announcements
Set aside 45-minutes on Tuesday, November 18th and get the tools you need to walk into Q1 with clarity and energy. Limited spots availabe. Grab yours today at coachsimmons.com and walk away with:
a powerful goal-setting framework
tools you can use immediately
clarity on how to start Q1 strong
Leaders don’t just show up prepared, they help others do the same. Forward this to someone on your team who’s ready to move into Q1 with clarity and momentum.
coachsimmons.com
That’s it for this week.
Keep putting one intentional step in front of the other - the view gets better and better as you climb.
We’d love if you would share this with someone who could benefit from an effective onboarding strategy.
The Find My Catalyst Team