Create a learning path outline for a role or skill
intermediateClaude SonnetHR & PeopleLdlearning-developmentonboardingtrainingcareer-developmenthr
Use case
Use this prompt to design a learning path for a new hire onboarding, a promotion track, or an upskilling initiative. A well-structured learning path reduces time-to-productivity, gives employees a clear sense of what they're working toward, and signals that the company invests in development — which improves retention.
The prompt
You are an L&D manager or people leader designing a learning path for a specific role, skill, or career stage. Context: - Company:{{company_name}}- Learner role and level:{{learner_role}}(e.g., new SDR, mid-level engineer moving to senior, new manager) - Learning objective:{{learning_objective}}(what the learner should be able to do by the end of this path) - Current baseline:{{current_baseline}}(what skills or knowledge the learner is assumed to bring) - Timeline:{{timeline}}(30 days, 90 days, 6 months — be realistic about depth vs. speed) - Learning modalities available:{{modalities}}(self-paced courses, shadowing, mentorship, workshops, coaching, OJT) - Key skills to develop:{{skills_to_develop}}(list the 4–6 core competencies this path addresses) - Success metrics:{{success_metrics}}(how you'll know the learner has achieved the objective) - Company resources:{{company_resources}}(internal playbooks, documentation, product demo environments, etc.) Build a learning path with these sections: ## Learning Objective Statement One clear sentence: "By the end of this learning path, [learner] will be able to [observable behavior] at [standard]." ## Phase-by-Phase Curriculum Divide the path into logical phases (e.g., Foundation / Application / Independence). For each phase: - **Phase name and duration** - **Learning goals for this phase** (what the learner should know and be able to do by the end) - **Activities and resources** (specific — not "read documentation" but "read the Revenue Recognition Policy doc in Notion and summarize the key rules for SaaS contracts") - **Practice or application component** (how they apply what they're learning — shadow a call, complete a mock exercise, run a live process with a safety net) - **Milestone checkpoint** (what does a successful completion of this phase look like?) ## Resource Library Curated list of the specific resources this learner should consume, organized by type: - Internal documents, playbooks, or wikis - External courses or certifications - Books or articles (with specific titles, not generic "read about X") - People to shadow, meet, or learn from ## Mentorship and Support Plan Who supports the learner and how: - Primary mentor or manager (meeting frequency, what you review together) - Peer buddy (if applicable) - External coach or training resource ## Success Metrics and Assessment How you'll evaluate learning progress — specific, observable behaviors at each milestone, not just "can perform the role." Tone: practical and specific. Generic learning paths are ignored. Every element should be actionable enough that the learner can open it and know exactly what to do next.
Variables
{{{{company_name}}}}Replace with your {{company name}}{{{{learner_role}}}}Replace with your {{learner role}}{{{{learning_objective}}}}Replace with your {{learning objective}}{{{{current_baseline}}}}Replace with your {{current baseline}}{{{{timeline}}}}Replace with your {{timeline}}{{{{modalities}}}}Replace with your {{modalities}}{{{{skills_to_develop}}}}Replace with your {{skills to develop}}{{{{success_metrics}}}}Replace with your {{success metrics}}{{{{company_resources}}}}Replace with your {{company resources}}
Example
Input
company_name: Anchor Analytics learner_role: New SDR (Sales Development Representative) — no prior SDR experience but has 1 year of customer-facing work learning_objective: Conduct confident, productive cold outreach and book qualified discovery calls independently current_baseline: Comfortable with written communication; has used Salesforce as a user; no outbound prospecting experience; understands basic SaaS concepts timeline: 60 days (30-day foundation + 30-day ramped independence) modalities: Shadowing, self-paced internal playbooks, 1:1 coaching with VP Sales, live call practice, peer buddy (senior SDR) skills_to_develop: Prospect research and qualification, cold email and LinkedIn outreach, cold calling and voicemail, objection handling, Salesforce hygiene, pipeline metric literacy success_metrics: Books 3+ qualified discovery calls in week 5 and 4; maintains Salesforce accuracy above 95%; sends 40+ targeted outreach sequences per week by day 30 company_resources: SDR Playbook (Notion), ICP definition doc, Email sequence library, Salesforce training environment, Chorus call recordings, product demo library
Output
## Learning Objective Statement By the end of this 60-day learning path, the SDR will independently execute a full outbound prospecting motion — researching and qualifying target accounts, crafting and sending targeted outreach sequences, and booking 3+ qualified discovery calls per week — at a level that meets or exceeds the SDR team's performance bar. --- ## Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1–14) *"Understand the product, the buyer, and the motion before touching a prospect"* **Learning goals:** - Understand Anchor Analytics' product, ICP, and value proposition well enough to explain it confidently without the deck - Understand what a "qualified" discovery call looks like and why ICP criteria matter - Navigate Salesforce and the SDR toolstack (LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Outreach/Apollo) - Know the SDR Playbook's structure and the rationale behind each step **Activities and resources:** - Day 1–2: Complete Anchor product demo walkthrough (60 min recorded demo in Google Drive) and write a 200-word "what we do and why it matters" summary in your own words - Day 2–3: Read the ICP Definition doc in Notion (Anchor Analytics Internal > Sales > ICP). Categorize 10 example companies as ICP-fit, ICP-adjacent, or not ICP-fit, and review with VP Sales - Day 3–4: Read the SDR Playbook (Notion > Sales > SDR) cover to cover. Flag 5 questions and review them with your peer buddy - Day 4–5: Complete Salesforce 101 (Trailhead — "Salesforce for Sales" module, approximately 3 hours) and set up your Salesforce views - Day 5–7: Listen to 5 recorded discovery calls in Chorus — one strong close, one that lost, and 3 average. Write 1 paragraph on what differentiated the strong from the average - Day 7–10: Shadow 3 cold calls with VP Sales or senior SDR. No talking — just listening and taking notes - Day 10–14: Shadow 3 discovery calls. Write call notes immediately after each — share with your manager for feedback **Practice component:** Run 2 mock cold calls with your peer buddy. Peer buddy plays a skeptical VP of Finance. Record the calls and self-evaluate before reviewing together. **Milestone checkpoint:** By Day 14: Pass the "ICP Quiz" (10-question written exercise, graded by VP Sales), demonstrate functional Salesforce hygiene on 20 mock accounts, and receive a "ready to proceed" from peer buddy on mock calls. --- ## Phase 2: Supervised Practice (Days 15–30) *"Execute the motion with a safety net — every email and call gets reviewed before sending"* **Learning goals:** - Write effective cold outreach sequences (email + LinkedIn) that get responses - Make live cold calls with the structure and confidence to reach a decision-maker - Qualify discovery calls using Anchor's MEDDIC-light qualification criteria - Maintain Salesforce hygiene at 95%+ accuracy **Activities and resources:** - Draft 10 cold outreach sequences targeting accounts in the ICP list. Share all 10 with VP Sales before sending. Iterate based on feedback. - Read the 3 best-performing email sequences in the sequence library (Outreach > Library > Top Performers). Analyze the structure and subject lines - Send 20 outreach sequences per week (weeks 3–4) — all pre-approved by manager until Day 28 - Make 20 cold calls per week (weeks 3–4) — submit call recordings weekly for review - Read "Fanatical Prospecting" by Jeb Blount — chapters 1–5, 10, and 12 (focus on mental framework, not advanced tactics yet) - Meet with VP Sales for a 30-minute sequence review weekly — bring specific sequences and ask why some performed better **Practice component:** Book your first real discovery call. This is the milestone — not the number, but doing it live with a real prospect. **Milestone checkpoint:** By Day 30: Sending 40+ outreach sequences per week independently; booking at least 1 qualified discovery call; Salesforce accuracy at 95%+; call recordings show consistent cold call structure (opener → relevance hook → ask). --- ## Phase 3: Ramped Independence (Days 31–60) *"Execute at full volume with weekly coaching — no pre-approval required"* **Learning goals:** - Consistently hit the 3-call-per-week target - Handle common objections without escalating - Contribute to sequence improvement and share what's working - Develop a personal prospecting system that's sustainable at full volume **Activities and resources:** - Execute the full outbound motion independently — 40+ sequences/week, 40+ calls/week - Complete the "Objection Handling" module from the SDR Playbook and role-play the 5 most common objections with peer buddy - Read the competitive battle cards in Notion (Anchor Analytics Internal > Sales > Competitive) — understand how to respond when a prospect mentions Amplitude or Tableau - Weekly 1:1 with VP Sales — bring your own call recordings and sequence data; drive the agenda - Mid-path review at Day 45: VP Sales reviews all metrics and provides feedback on what to continue vs. improve **Practice component:** Lead a "playbook contribution" — identify one improvement to the SDR playbook based on what you've learned, write it up, and share with the team. **Milestone checkpoint:** By Day 60: 3+ qualified discovery calls booked per week for 2 consecutive weeks; Salesforce accuracy 95%+; 40+ sequences per week; positive peer buddy assessment; VP Sales signs off on "independent" status. --- ## Resource Library **Internal (must-read):** - SDR Playbook (Notion > Sales > SDR) — primary reference - ICP Definition Document (Notion > Sales > ICP) - Email Sequence Library (Outreach > Library) - Competitive Battle Cards (Notion > Sales > Competitive) - Top 10 call recordings from Chorus — ask peer buddy for recommendations **External:** - *Fanatical Prospecting* by Jeb Blount (chapters 1–5, 10, 12 in phase 2; full book in phase 3) - Salesforce Trailhead: "Salesforce for Sales" module (Day 4–5) - LinkedIn Learning: "Cold Calling Mastery" (optional — if cold calls feel uncomfortable after phase 1) **People:** - Peer buddy: [Senior SDR] — weekly 30-min check-in, call recording review - Manager: [VP Sales James Wu] — weekly 1:1 plus ad hoc questions - Sales team: shadow discovery calls proactively; ask before joining --- ## Mentorship and Support Plan - **Daily (Days 1–14):** End-of-day 10-minute Slack check-in with peer buddy — share one thing learned, one question - **Weekly:** 30-minute 1:1 with VP Sales — bring your call recordings and outreach data; manager drives in weeks 1–2, SDR drives from week 3 onward - **Weekly:** 30-minute peer buddy session — review call recordings together - **Day 30:** Mid-path review with VP Sales — full metrics review and phase 3 readiness assessment - **Day 60:** Learning path completion review — VP Sales and SDR together --- ## Success Metrics and Assessment | Milestone | Timing | Metric | |---|---|---| | ICP Quiz pass | Day 14 | 8/10 correct | | First real discovery call booked | Day 28 | Completion | | Outreach volume | Day 30 | 40+ sequences/week | | Salesforce accuracy | Day 30 | 95%+ | | Discovery calls booked/week | Day 45 | 2+ per week | | Discovery calls booked/week | Day 60 | 3+ per week for 2 consecutive weeks | | Independent status | Day 60 | VP Sales sign-off |
Tips for best results
- 1The biggest mistake in learning paths is passive consumption without active application. Every phase should include something the learner does, not just reads or watches.
- 2Phase 1 almost always takes longer than people plan for. Build in buffer — a new SDR who is rushed into live prospecting before they understand the ICP is going to generate bad pipeline.
- 3The peer buddy structure is often more valuable than manager coaching for new SDRs — peers can model exactly what 'good' looks like in the actual role. Invest in the buddy relationship explicitly.
- 4Specific resources are much more useful than generic guidance. 'Read chapter 1 of Fanatical Prospecting' is better than 'study prospecting techniques.' The learner should never have to guess what to do next.
- 5Success metrics that are observable and measurable (40+ sequences/week, 95%+ Salesforce accuracy) are much more useful than subjective assessments ('is doing well'). Build the measurement system before the learner starts.
Related prompts
Design a training workshop agenda
intermediateGenerate a structured training workshop agenda with objectives, activities, timing, and facilitation notes for an in-person or virtual session.
HR & Peoplelearning-developmenttrainingworkshop
Write a performance review self-assessment
intermediateGenerate a thoughtful, honest self-assessment for a performance review that goes beyond a summary of accomplishments to demonstrate self-awareness, growth, and forward-looking development.
HR & Peopleperformance-reviewself-assessmenthr
Create a new employee onboarding checklist
intermediateGenerate a comprehensive, role-specific onboarding checklist that gives new employees a structured first 90 days and helps managers deliver a consistent onboarding experience.
HR & Peopleonboardingpeople-opshr
Need help implementing this prompt in your workflow?
Book a call