Many learning objectives describe the action but ignore the circumstances in which the task actually happens. In this skills briefing, Jonathan Halls shows how the Condition Element helps talent professionals make training more relevant, credible, and aligned with real workplace demands.
The Condition Element: Where Will They Perform the Task?
A while back, I conducted a train-the-trainer course for instructors in Texas who onboarded youth workers working with vulnerable adolescents. These trainers were impressive professionals operating in challenging circumstances. They taught new recruits many tasks, including how to de-escalate conflict between the young people in their care.
In the training world, we describe tasks that learners will be able to perform after a learning experience using learning objectives. A learning objective has three elements: the action the learner must perform, the condition under which it is performed, and the standard that defines how well it must be done. Because objectives can be fiddly to write, it’s common for trainers to run out of steam and include only the action element. But the objective is much less useful without the condition and standard. In this brief article, we’re going to focus on the Condition Element in a learning objective.
Youth work trainers might feel tempted to skip the condition and standard and simply write the action: de-escalate a conflict with a young person. It seems straightforward, and a trainer’s mind might immediately jump to the basic steps of de-escalation—stay calm, use nonthreatening body language, acknowledge feelings, set boundaries, and guide the conversation toward safety while observing relevant laws and regulations.
But de-escalation never happens in a vacuum. A youth worker might need to de‑escalate conflict in a meeting room. Another time it might be in a recreation hall surrounded by fifteen other kids. And at another time it might be during a home visit. While the core action is the same, the conditions under which the youth worker performs the task vary greatly. Being safe during a home visit involves dynamics that are nothing like being safe in a meeting room.
Once you see this, including only the action element feels woefully inadequate. If you’re the trainer and your objective is simply “de‑escalate conflict,” you’re left guessing whether to prepare learners for a meeting room, a rec hall, a home visit, or a dozen other environments. The objective becomes vague, and ultimately unhelpful.
This is why Mager argued that learning objectives must describe not just the action but the condition under which the task is performed. That’s the purpose of the Condition Element.
The Condition Element in a Learning Objective
The Condition Element in a learning objective describes the circumstances under which the task is performed. Without it, trainers risk preparing learners for a version of the task that doesn’t exist in their workplace. When written well, the Condition Element makes learning design easier, ensures instruction is relevant, and gives trainers credibility because participants see the trainer understands their real world.
The condition might describe the environment (a hostile setting), the location (an office, factory, or community center), or the mode (over the phone, in person, or online).
Almost every task benefits from having the condition spelled out because tasks can look dramatically different under different circumstances. Brewing coffee in a commercial kitchen is not the same as brewing it at home. Closing a sale in a call center requires different skills than closing one across a conference table. The more specific we are about the conditions, the more relevant and effective the learning experience becomes.
Writing the Condition Element
A very common mistake is describing the learning conditions rather than the workplace conditions. That’s not what the Condition Element is for. We don’t write “Given a case study…” or “Given three pens…” because these describe instructional methods, not job realities. As Mager noted, including teaching methods in objectives limits instructional flexibility and shifts the focus away from workplace performance.
Like the action element, the Condition Element should be specific and concrete. If the action is de‑escalate a conflict with a young person, the condition might be:
“…in a crowded community center,”
“…during an outreach visit,”
“…when the young person is surrounded by peers,”
“…when working alone in the field.”
These details help everyone understand the real task.
What to Include in the Condition Element
There are no strict rules, but these prompts can help:
- Location: counseling room, community center, street outreach, call center, kitchen, aircraft, front desk, cash register, conference room, courthouse, sales floor
- Time: after a triggering event, during peak hours, before a meeting, after a client call
- Tools: if not already in the action element—phone, Excel, stethoscope, radio, app
- Circumstances: high stress, high volume, political tension, system failure, safety concerns
The Bottom Line
The Condition Element focuses everyone’s attention on where the task is performed and with what constraints. It helps designers create realistic activities, helps supervisors choose the right training, and helps stakeholders set accurate expectations.
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