Motion Mapping And Impression
What’s motion mapping, and the way does it improve affect whereas saving you from drowning in content material?
It is a mashup of efficiency consulting and backward design, with a concentrate on real-world behaviors reasonably than evaluation questions.
– Cathy Moore [1]
If I needed to pinpoint one single factor that made an enormous distinction in my 20+ years in L&D, it could be motion mapping by Cathy Moore. I adopted and tweaked it for studying consulting, however total, I credit score to Cathy my success in “much less content material, extra affect!”
This backward design methodology magically aligned with Amazon’s “working backwards” method as effectively. This text is in regards to the first a part of motion mapping for affect: wants evaluation and figuring out boundaries. The second a part of motion mapping, arising with significant actions to follow, deserves its personal article.
Illustration of the working backward method to studying design, based mostly on Cathy Moore’s motion mapping
Motion Mapping Dialog
For instance motion mapping, I requested ChatGPT to simulate a dialog between a enterprise stakeholder and a studying expertise designer (who could possibly be an Educational Designer (ID)) utilizing Cathy Moore’s motion mapping method for wants evaluation. What got here out initially is a badly written Hollywood scene. So, learn the next dialog and attempt to determine parts which might be completely BS (no pun meant) and don’t occur in actual life:
Enterprise Stakeholder (BS): “We’re going through a posh concern in our group. It is not nearly missing abilities or data; it additionally entails insufficient instruments, motivational challenges, and a few course of inefficiencies.”
Studying Designer (LD): “I perceive. Let’s begin by figuring out the core enterprise downside. What particular efficiency or outcomes are we seeking to enhance?”
BS: “Our major purpose is to boost total effectivity and productiveness in our venture administration (PM) groups. We’re falling behind on venture deadlines constantly.”
LD: “Obtained it. What are the Key Efficiency Indicators (KPIs) we must always concentrate on? As an illustration, venture completion price, time administration metrics, or shopper satisfaction scores?”
BS: “Precisely these: completion charges, adherence to timelines, and shopper satisfaction. We’d like our groups to carry out higher in these areas.”
LD: “To attain this, what particular behaviors do you need to see within the groups? For instance, more practical use of venture administration instruments, or higher communication inside the workforce?”
BS: “Each are essential. Higher utilization of our venture administration software program and extra proactive communication are key behaviors we’d like.”
LD: “Understood. Now, let’s speak in regards to the boundaries. What’s holding your workforce again from exhibiting these behaviors? Is it a lack of awareness, abilities, motivation, or are there environmental elements like expertise limitations?”
BS: “It is a combine. There is a hole in abilities, particularly in utilizing the software program effectively. Motivation is one other concern; there appears to be an absence of engagement. And sure, we’ve confronted some tech limitations.”
LD: “For the talents hole, we are able to design coaching that focuses on sensible software of the software program. For motivation, we would discover incentives or gamification. Relating to tech limitations, we’ll must collaborate with the IT division. Does that method align together with your expectations?”
BS: “It does. I am notably considering how we are able to make the coaching partaking and straight relevant to their every day duties.”
LD: “Completely. We’ll use real-life situations and hands-on workout routines in our coaching. We’ll additionally measure the affect of our interventions on the KPIs you talked about. This may be certain that our answer addresses the basis causes successfully.”
BS: “That seems like a complete plan. I am trying ahead to seeing how this unfolds and impacts our workforce’s efficiency.”
LD: “Nice! I’ll begin drafting an in depth motion map and get again to you with a proposed technique quickly.”
What Occurs In Actuality?
Your dialog with enterprise stakeholders is dependent upon your relationship with them. Motion mapping does not work with out belief and mutual respect. And people come from long-term relationships (internally) or hiring a guide (externally). When a stakeholder requests coaching on the eleventh hour, it’s not the time to start out constructing belief by asking numerous questions.
Be versatile with the method and present the worth, not the steps. For giant tasks, we had one- or two-day kickoffs with shoppers, largely doing motion mapping to make sure affect. All stakeholders mentioned on the finish that it was price it (and sure, they had been skeptical at first).
Does Motion Mapping All the time Work?
No. I needed to abandon the method as soon as in my 10+ years doing this. It was clear {that a}) we did not have the precise individuals within the room, and b) they might not make a single resolution with out the lacking individual. Now, let’s get again to the simulated dialog above.
Issues With The Dialog Stream
The enterprise stakeholder clearly articulates the complicated downside. This is able to be known as on-the-nose dialogue in a script. These phrases are put into somebody’s mouth for the sake of the dialog.
BS: “We’re going through a posh concern in our group. It is not nearly missing abilities or data; it additionally entails insufficient instruments, motivational challenges, and a few course of inefficiencies.”
In actual life, BS would more than likely include a “answer” in thoughts (generally, they even title the supply technique and the size) for the signs (versus the basis circumstances)… which might make the LD’s job far more troublesome, in fact.
LD: “I perceive. Let’s begin by figuring out the core enterprise downside. What particular efficiency or outcomes are we seeking to enhance?”
- “My viewers could be very technical. They do not do effectively with speaking. How do I persuade them to strive motion mapping?”
Do not do this except you realize your viewers effectively, however what about this method: “Whenever you see sudden outcomes or undesired outputs within the system, what’s one of many first belongings you take a look at on the server?” The reply is clearly the logs. Logs can determine the offender. So, as soon as they agree on that, you may say that this course of is like trying on the logs: it entails figuring out the potential sources, as an alternative of attempting to patch the issue.
What Else Is “Illusionary” In The Dialog?
Possibly they need to rent the ID to run the PM perform… However severely, in actual life, consultants have one thing known as a curse of information. They know a lot, they’ve a lot experience within the area, that they can not break it down into parts anymore. They mix a number of steps, apply unconscious bias, reply questions with out even desirous about it, and remove “apparent” noise that novices battle with.
Almost certainly, an issue like that may begin with a request for PM instrument coaching. Moreover, an ID could be unlikely to call all of the KPIs the enterprise is specializing in. That is so apparent for consultants that generally we actually must ask them the apparent query: “how have you learnt they’re falling behind venture deadlines?”
Typically not understanding (or pretending to not know) something a couple of course of helps you ask elementary questions that in any other case could be “too apparent.”
BS: “Our major purpose is to boost total effectivity and productiveness in our venture administration groups. We’re falling behind on venture deadlines constantly.”
LD: “Obtained it. What are the Key Efficiency Indicators (KPIs) we must always concentrate on? As an illustration, venture completion price, time administration metrics, or shopper satisfaction scores?”
BS: “Precisely these: completion charges, adherence to timelines, and shopper satisfaction. We’d like our groups to carry out higher in these areas.”
One other concern with dangerous screenplays is telling, not exhibiting. If somebody is a foul man, you do not simply put a sticker on his head saying “he is dangerous.” You present the man doing one thing dangerous. Similar with motion mapping: do not simply decide on phrases, ask for particular actions.
LD: “To attain this, what particular behaviors do you need to see within the groups? For instance, more practical use of venture administration instruments, or higher communication inside the workforce?”
BS: “Each are essential. Higher utilization of our venture administration software program and extra proactive communication are key behaviors we’d like.”
Let me inform you, if you say “higher communication with the workforce,” I assure everybody has a special concept of what meaning. Watch out with assumptions. Ask for particular behaviors, desired and undesirable. Elicit examples once they see dangerous communication between the workforce. Ask in regards to the circumstances. How does the supervisor even know that? Spying on them? Micromanaging them? Have they got clear tips?
The precise particulars will assist to determine boundaries. A single “communication” concern may have tens of root causes, and every of them might require a special method. That is the purpose of motion mapping and that is the way it ensures affect: you’ll map the minimal content material individuals want so as to follow sure abilities in a given state of affairs.
Let’s Discuss Obstacles!
Some of the revealing components of doing motion mapping is discussing why individuals are not exhibiting the specified conduct and what they’re doing as an alternative. Breaking down the enterprise downside to (at this level, assumed) root causes elicits programs considering. With out understanding the kind of barrier we’re going through, a course could be spaghetti on the wall: let’s examine what sticks. Nonetheless, once more, the script is unrealistic and exhibits that ChatGPT has by no means finished this for actual.
LD: “Understood. Now, let’s speak in regards to the boundaries. What’s holding your workforce again from exhibiting these behaviors? Is it a lack of awareness, abilities, motivation, or are there environmental elements like expertise limitations?”
BS: “It is a combine. There is a hole in abilities, particularly in utilizing the software program effectively. Motivation is one other concern; there appears to be an absence of engagement. And sure, we’ve confronted some tech limitations.”
First, do not ever depend on a single individual’s view. Even when this stakeholder is an skilled, and even worse, a frontrunner who used to do that job, however now they’re kind of indifferent from the every day trenches! Usher in a number of views: from an skilled to a novice, totally different division representatives with a stake (for instance, in a name middle: high quality, operations, supervisors, and IT). Why?
They are going to resolve half of their issues within the room! All it is advisable do is facilitate the method effectively. Lots of the boundaries don’t have anything to do with coaching. Facilitating a dialogue round boundaries and sources of points will be solved by merely speaking to one another.
There’s one trick to this, although. If you happen to ask them for a barrier kind, they may possible agree with probably the most senior individual within the room. I exploit a deck of playing cards to resolve that. Everybody within the room has the identical 5 playing cards (data concern: they should memorize; data concern: they should instrument on the job; abilities concern: they want follow; motivation concern: they want some nudge; and atmosphere concern: issues we do not have management over (politics, authorized, tech, and so on.)). I ask them to consider an issue and, on a rely of three, present one card they suppose is the principle purpose. They by no means present the identical playing cards. The purpose will not be even the cardboard, however what occurs after:
“Inform me why you suppose that is an X concern?” They’ve a dialogue. As they hear to one another, they be taught new facets of the issue.
Cease The Urge To Resolve!
And eventually, this is likely one of the most troublesome behaviors for studying designers. You must ignore the urge to resolve particular person points once they come up! The worst you are able to do is that this:
LD: “For the talents hole, we are able to design coaching that focuses on sensible software of the software program. For motivation, we would discover incentives or gamification. Relating to tech limitations, we’ll must collaborate with the IT division. Does that method align together with your expectations?”
The second you carry up studying options, you are making a number of errors in a single transfer:
- You refocus the room from digging into what actually issues to the phantasm of fixing (largely about content material and supply strategies).
- Your SMEs gentle up and begin speaking about content material. You’ve got misplaced your probability to even take into consideration genuine actions.
- Your concepts might stick. Later, if you notice they aren’t the best, it’s too late.
- You are going to keep an order taker. Motion mapping is an opportunity to offer extra worth than course content material.
Are You Accountable For Coaching Solely, Or Are You Accountable For Fixing Enterprise Issues?
About #4: in case your purpose is to filter out what’s coaching and what’s not so you may say “no” to issues that aren’t coaching, that is already most likely a win. Nonetheless, it is a probability to step out from the “if it isn’t coaching, it isn’t my downside” field. This session can create a map of points with their boundaries.
Think about all of the boundaries and errors written on the wall or a digital collaboration board. You’ll be able to then ask members to assist categorize them. Prioritize by affect. Some shall be coaching issues you personal. Some shall be studying issues that want collaboration between events. Some shall be communication points. Some shall be organizational points, course of challenges, tech boundaries, and so on. You’ll be able to even get to this point that some stakeholders volunteer to personal the boundaries.
A Ultimate Takeaway From Motion Mapping
Your output of the session could be a map of points that you just present to them afterwards, with a precedence and proprietor. They will work on a number of the points on the listing whilst you get into designing a method, storyboard, or no matter. Which means you are an issue solver, not an order taker. Which means you already offered worth to the leaders, they usually do not have to attend weeks for some course content material. Lastly, do not forget the “extra affect” a part of the title: you additionally want a measurement and analysis plan.
References:
[1] Motion mapping: A visible method to coaching design
Picture Credit:
- The picture inside the physique of the article was created/equipped by the creator.