Motion Mapping And Affect
What’s motion mapping, and the way does it improve impression whereas saving you from drowning in content material?
It is a mashup of efficiency consulting and backward design, with a give attention to real-world behaviors moderately than evaluation questions.
– Cathy Moore [1]
If I needed to pinpoint one single factor that made a giant distinction in my 20+ years in L&D, it will be motion mapping by Cathy Moore. I adopted and tweaked it for studying consulting, however total, I credit score to Cathy my success in “less content, more impact!”
This backward design methodology magically aligned with Amazon’s “working backwards” strategy as properly. This text is in regards to the first a part of motion mapping for impression: wants evaluation and figuring out boundaries. The second a part of motion mapping, arising with significant actions to observe, deserves its personal article.
Illustration of the working backward strategy to studying design, based mostly on Cathy Moore’s motion mapping
Motion Mapping Dialog
As an example motion mapping, I requested ChatGPT to simulate a dialog between a enterprise stakeholder and a studying expertise designer (who might be an Educational Designer (ID)) utilizing Cathy Moore’s motion mapping strategy for wants evaluation. What got here out initially is a badly written Hollywood scene. So, learn the next dialog and attempt to determine components which are completely BS (no pun supposed) and don’t occur in actual life:
Enterprise Stakeholder (BS): “We’re facing a complex issue in our organization. It’s not just about lacking skills or knowledge; it also involves inadequate tools, motivational challenges, and some process inefficiencies.”
Studying Designer (LD): “I understand. Let’s start by identifying the core business problem. What specific performance or results are we looking to improve?”
BS: “Our main goal is to enhance overall efficiency and productivity in our project management (PM) teams. We’re falling behind on project deadlines consistently.”
LD: “Got it. What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) we should focus on? For instance, project completion rate, time management metrics, or client satisfaction scores?”
BS: “Exactly those: completion rates, adherence to timelines, and client satisfaction. We need our teams to perform better in these areas.”
LD: “To achieve this, what specific behaviors do you want to see in the teams? For example, more effective use of project management tools, or better communication within the team?”
BS: “Both are crucial. Better utilization of our project management software and more proactive communication are key behaviors we need.”
LD: “Understood. Now, let’s talk about the barriers. What’s holding your team back from exhibiting these behaviors? Is it a lack of knowledge, skills, motivation, or are there environmental factors like technology limitations?”
BS: “It’s a mix. There’s a gap in skills, especially in using the software efficiently. Motivation is another issue; there seems to be a lack of engagement. And yes, we have faced some tech limitations.”
LD: “For the skills gap, we can design training that focuses on practical application of the software. For motivation, we might explore incentives or gamification. Regarding tech limitations, we’ll need to collaborate with the IT department. Does that approach align with your expectations?”
BS: “It does. I’m particularly interested in how we can make the training engaging and directly applicable to their daily tasks.”
LD: “Absolutely. We’ll use real-life scenarios and hands-on exercises in our training. We’ll also measure the impact of our interventions on the KPIs you mentioned. This will ensure that our solution addresses the root causes effectively.”
BS: “That sounds like a comprehensive plan. I’m looking forward to seeing how this unfolds and impacts our team’s performance.”
LD: “Great! I’ll start drafting a detailed action map and get back to you with a proposed strategy soon.”
What Occurs In Actuality?
Your dialog with enterprise stakeholders will depend on 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 marketing consultant (externally). When a stakeholder requests coaching on the eleventh hour, it isn’t the time to begin constructing belief by asking a number of questions.
Be versatile with the method and present the worth, not the steps. For giant initiatives, we had one- or two-day kickoffs with purchasers, principally doing motion mapping to make sure impression. All stakeholders stated on the finish that it was value 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 appropriate folks 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 Circulate
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 facing a complex issue in our organization. It’s not just about lacking skills or knowledge; it also involves inadequate tools, motivational challenges, and some process inefficiencies.”
In actual life, BS would more than likely include a “solution” 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 way more tough, in fact.
LD: “I understand. Let’s start by identifying the core business problem. What specific performance or results are we looking to improve?”
- “My audience is very technical. They don’t do well with talking. How do I convince them to try action mapping?”
Do not do that until you already know your viewers properly, however what about this strategy: “When you see unexpected results or undesired outputs in the system, what’s one of the first things you look at on the server?” The reply is clearly the logs. Logs can determine the perpetrator. So, as soon as they agree on that, you possibly can say that this course of is like wanting on the logs: it includes figuring out the potential sources, as a substitute of making an attempt 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, specialists have one thing known as a curse of data. They know a lot, they’ve a lot experience within the area, that they cannot break it down into components anymore. They mix a number of steps, apply unconscious bias, reply questions with out even excited about it, and remove “obvious” noise that novices wrestle with.
Almost certainly, an issue like that will begin with a request for PM software coaching. Moreover, an ID can be unlikely to call all of the KPIs the enterprise is specializing in. That is so apparent for specialists that generally we actually must ask them the plain query: “how do you know they’re falling behind project deadlines?”
Generally not understanding (or pretending to not know) something a couple of course of helps you ask elementary questions that in any other case can be “too obvious.”
BS: “Our main goal is to enhance overall efficiency and productivity in our project management teams. We’re falling behind on project deadlines consistently.”
LD: “Got it. What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) we should focus on? For instance, project completion rate, time management metrics, or client satisfaction scores?”
BS: “Exactly those: completion rates, adherence to timelines, and client satisfaction. We need our teams to perform better in these areas.”
One other difficulty with unhealthy screenplays is telling, not displaying. If somebody is a foul man, you do not simply put a sticker on his head saying “he’s bad.” You present the man doing one thing unhealthy. Similar with motion mapping: do not simply decide on phrases, ask for particular actions.
LD: “To achieve this, what specific behaviors do you want to see in the teams? For example, more effective use of project management tools, or better communication within the team?”
BS: “Both are crucial. Better utilization of our project management software and more proactive communication are key behaviors we need.”
Let me let you know, if you say “better communication with the team,” I assure everybody has a distinct concept of what which means. Watch out with assumptions. Ask for particular behaviors, desired and undesirable. Elicit examples once they see unhealthy communication between the crew. 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” difficulty may have tens of root causes, and every of them might require a distinct strategy. That is the purpose of motion mapping and that is the way it ensures impression: you’ll map the minimal content material folks want so as to observe sure expertise in a given situation.
Let’s Discuss Boundaries!
One of the vital revealing components of doing motion mapping is discussing why persons are not displaying the specified habits and what they’re doing as a substitute. Breaking down the enterprise downside to (at this level, assumed) root causes elicits programs considering. With out understanding the kind of barrier we’re dealing with, a course can be spaghetti on the wall: let’s examine what sticks. Nevertheless, once more, the script is unrealistic and reveals that ChatGPT has by no means executed this for actual.
LD: “Understood. Now, let’s talk about the barriers. What’s holding your team back from exhibiting these behaviors? Is it a lack of knowledge, skills, motivation, or are there environmental factors like technology limitations?”
BS: “It’s a mix. There’s a gap in skills, especially in using the software efficiently. Motivation is another issue; there seems to be a lack of engagement. And yes, we have faced some tech limitations.”
First, do not ever depend on a single individual’s view. Even when this stakeholder is an professional, and even worse, a pacesetter who used to do that job, however now they’re form of indifferent from the every day trenches! Usher in a number of views: from an professional to a novice, totally different division representatives with a stake (for instance, in a name heart: high quality, operations, supervisors, and IT). Why?
They are going to resolve half of their issues within the room! All it’s worthwhile to do is facilitate the method properly. 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 may be one trick to this, although. In the event you ask them for a barrier sort, they’ll doubtless agree with essentially the most senior individual within the room. I take advantage of a deck of playing cards to resolve that. Everybody within the room has the identical 5 playing cards (information difficulty: they should memorize; information difficulty: they should software on the job; expertise difficulty: they want observe; motivation difficulty: they want some nudge; and surroundings difficulty: issues we do not have management over (politics, authorized, tech, and so on.)). I ask them to consider an issue and, on a depend of three, present one card they suppose is the primary purpose. They by no means present the identical playing cards. The purpose will not be even the cardboard, however what occurs after:
“Tell me why you think this is an X issue?” They’ve a dialogue. As they hear to one another, they be taught new points of the issue.
Cease The Urge To Resolve!
And at last, this is likely one of the most tough 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 skills gap, we can design training that focuses on practical application of the software. For motivation, we might explore incentives or gamification. Regarding tech limitations, we’ll need to collaborate with the IT department. Does that approach align 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 (principally about content material and supply strategies).
- Your SMEs gentle up and begin speaking about content material. You have misplaced your probability to even take into consideration genuine actions.
- Your concepts might stick. Later, if you understand they aren’t the best, it’s too late.
- You are going to keep an order taker. Motion mapping is an opportunity to supply 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 objective is to filter out what’s coaching and what’s not so you possibly can say “no” to issues that aren’t coaching, that is already most likely a win. Nevertheless, this can be a probability to step out from the “if it’s not training, it’s not my problem” 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 may then ask individuals to assist categorize them. Prioritize by impression. 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 may even get up to now that some stakeholders volunteer to personal the boundaries.
A Last 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 few of the points on the checklist whilst you get into designing a method, storyboard, or no matter. Meaning you are an issue solver, not an order taker. Meaning you already offered worth to the leaders, and so they do not have to attend weeks for some course content material. Lastly, remember the “more impact” a part of the title: you additionally want a measurement and analysis plan.
References:
[1] Motion mapping: A visible strategy to coaching design
Picture Credit:
- The picture inside the physique of the article was created/provided by the creator.