This guide walks through creating an Action directly from an associate's profile, the fastest path when you're already viewing a specific associate and want to log a Coach, Engage, Investigate, or Validate Fix Action.
If you're working from Navigator instead or need to create a Certify, Observe, or Skill-build Action, which aren't available from a profile, see How to Create an Action from Navigator.
In this article:
Available Action Types
Four Action types are available from an associate's profile, each designed for a specific coaching intent:
Coach
Intent: Conduct a 1:1 follow-up conversation to provide specific feedback, clarify expectations, and reinforce correct behaviors. Used when awareness, alignment, or judgment, not skill, is the primary gap.
Why it matters: Without this, coaching conversations go unrecorded and aren't linked to future validation; leaders have to remember commitments and manually assess whether feedback led to behavior change. A Coach Action closes the awareness → behavior adjustment loop.
Example: After a 1:1 about error rates, document the conversation, what was agreed upon, and the expected timeline for improvement.
Engage
Intent: Initiate a purposeful check-in to understand context, surface concerns, or rebuild alignment when signals are ambiguous or human factors may be influencing outcomes. Used to gather insight before choosing a more prescriptive action.
Why it matters: Contextual and human insights from conversations are often lost, forcing leaders to retain nuance mentally and re-engage repeatedly when issues resurface. An Engage Action closes the sense-making and alignment discovery loop.
Example: Checking in with an associate after a role change, return from leave, or when you notice a change in engagement before deciding whether coaching, retraining, or another intervention is needed.
Investigate
Intent: Analyze a systemic issue, trend, or recurring signal to determine root cause and appropriate intervention. Used when the problem is not isolated to a single person or when data suggests a broader process or system gap.
Why it matters: Signals are often fragmented across tools and time, forcing leaders to manually synthesize data, form hypotheses, and track investigations outside the system. An Investigative Action closes the root-cause learning and systemic improvement loop.
Example: Error rates are rising for a specific associate across multiple shifts. Create an Investigate Action to document findings and determine next steps.
Validate Fix
Intent: Confirm that a completed action or change has resolved the original issue, that performance or behaviour has stabilized, and that this is used to close the loop and prevent regression.
Why it matters: There is no structured trigger to re-check outcomes after a fix is completed, forcing leaders to set personal reminders or rely on lagging indicators to detect regression. A Validate Fix Action closes the fix effectiveness and stabilization loop.
Example: You coached an associate on their error rate two weeks ago. Create a Validate Fix Action to verify the issue has improved and document the result.
How to Create an Action from an Associate's Profile
Step 1: Navigate to the associate's profile
From the Team view in Smart Access, search for and select the associate.
Step 2: Open the Assign/Add menu
In the top-right corner of the profile, click the Assign/Add button (red button). A dropdown will appear with options to assign Observations, Skill-building, and Action Plans, as well as an option to add an Action.
Step 3: Click "+ Action"
Select + Action from the dropdown. This opens the Action type modal with four options: Coach, Engage, Investigate, and Validate Fix.
Step 4: Choose the Action type and click "Create action"
Select the appropriate type and click the red Create action button.
Step 5: Fill in the Action details
A right-side panel will open with the following fields:
Stage: Shows the selected action type. You can change this using the dropdown at the top of the panel.
Title: Enter a clear, descriptive title (e.g., "Follow-up on safety observation — Putaway").
Description: Use the rich text editor to document details, context, and notes. Supports bold, italic, underline, lists, and links.
Due date: Optionally set a deadline.
Associate: Pre-filled with the associate whose profile you're on.
Assignee(s): Assign to one or more leaders or coaches. Click Edit next to "Set assignees" to add people.
Prevent action from being reassigned: Check this box if the Action should stay with the original assignee.
Related to: Link the Action to related content (e.g., a specific Observation, Skill Build, or Action Plan).
Links & attachments: Add a link, attach a file, or link to existing Smart Access content.
Step 6: Click "Create"
Click the red Create button at the top of the panel. The Action will be saved to the associate's profile.
Choosing the Right Action Type
Selecting the right Action type matters — it determines how the entry is categorized, how it appears in reporting, and how future leaders can interpret what happened.
Is the issue about awareness or judgment? → Coach
Are the signals unclear, and you need more context? → Engage
Is this a systemic issue, not just one person? → Investigate
Did you already take action and need to confirm it worked? → Validate Fix
Need a Certify, Observe, or Skill-build Action? Those are created from Navigator — see How to Create an Action from Navigator.
Best Practices
Use clear, specific titles
Instead of "Follow up," try something like "Follow up on error rate discussion — Putaway (3/28)." This makes it easy to find and understand the Action later.
Choose the right Action type
Using the correct type keeps your records meaningful. If you coached an associate on performance, use Coach, not Engage. If you're verifying a previous fix, use Validate Fix, not Investigate. When in doubt, refer to the decision guide above.
Set due dates for accountability
A due date ensures follow-through and makes Actions visible in Navigator dashboards. Even a short timeline (e.g., 3–5 days) keeps things moving.
Link Actions to related content
When an Action stems from an Observation, Skill Build, or prior coaching conversation, use the Related to and Links & attachments fields to connect them. This creates a coaching trail that's useful for performance panels and audits — and it's what closes the feedback loop.
Assign to the right person
If you're asking a coach or trainer to follow up, make sure they're set as the assignee. Use the "Prevent action from being reassigned" checkbox when ownership matters.
Document in the description field
The description is your coaching record. Include what was discussed, what was agreed upon, and any next steps. This becomes part of the associate's documented history and ensures the next leader to view this profile has full context.
Think in loops, not one-offs
The real power of Actions comes when they're connected: a Coach Action leads to an Observe Action to confirm behavior change, which leads to a Validate Fix Action to close the loop. Building this habit turns reactive firefighting into a structured coaching system.
Common Scenarios
Scenario 1: Post-observation coaching
After an observation reveals a process gap, create a Coach Action from the associate's profile to document the conversation about the gap and the expected improvement. Set a due date and link it to the original observation. Follow up with a Validate Fix Action once the behavior stabilizes.
Scenario 2: New hire check-in
A new associate is two weeks into their ramp plan. Create an Engage Action to capture a purposeful check-in about how they're settling in, any blockers, and feedback on their training experience.
Scenario 3: Closing the loop
You coached an associate on their error rate two weeks ago. Create a Validate Fix Action to verify the issue has improved and document the result — closing the feedback loop.
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