Learning in the flow of work
Step 1 / 4·The five moments of need
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Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- Identify the five moments when people need to learn
- Design performance support for the apply and solve moments
- Measure with behaviour metrics rather than completion rates
The five moments of need
See which moments traditional training actually serves.
Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson described five moments when a person needs to learn. The key point: traditional training serves only the first two well, while the remaining three are where the real work happens.
The five moments of need
| Moment | Situation | The right solution |
|---|---|---|
| Learning something NEW | First encounter with a topic or task | Classroom, e-learning, structured guidance |
| Learning MORE | Knows the basics, wants to go deeper | Advanced courses, deeper material, professional communities |
| When APPLYING | Doing it now and needing to recall the steps | Performance support: checklists, job aids, a 2-minute piece inside the process |
| When something GOES WRONG | It isn't working as expected and needs fixing now | Decision trees, a list of common faults, a fast question channel |
| When something CHANGES | A process, system or policy has just changed | A short piece stating what changed, who it affects, from when |
The last three moments are nearly always uncovered
Most training budget goes into the first two moments, while apply, solve and change usually have nothing supporting them. The result is that people improvise by asking colleagues, and everyone ends up doing it differently.
Key takeaway: Five moments: new, more, apply, solve, change — traditional training serves only the first two well.