The most important question in project discovery

You gotta ask...

Hey there 👋.

I'm writing this on an unusually hot and sunny day in the north of England.

Some people call this summer, but as Brit, I'm more inclined to believe I'm in that simulation all those tech billionaires keep talking about and it's actually gloomy outside. I'm pretty sure that thought is influenced by the heavy use and interaction with AI tools this week, where I try to figure out if they, or I am, the real being 🤔 (vanilla sky, anyone).

This week we're going to explore the only important question in the learning design discovery process (and no, it's not can we use Chat GPT for this).

To build the right experience/solutions/product you must get to the core of the issue. It's easier said than done, but hopefully, today's words will make it easier for you.

Get your tea or beverage of choice ready, 🍵 we've lots to discuss!

Also, not forgetting the usual dose of weird, wonderful and what I hope is helpful content from the rest of planet earth in my curated roundup.

The Big Thought

If you can’t answer this question, then you are going to fail.

What are we solving for?

I know that was awfully dramatic with me, but it is for a purpose. This is the first question that should be asked in meetings. Not how's the weather or what did you do at the weekend - what are we solving and why!

Surprisingly, it’s the one that gets the least attention. I never understand this. Why hold a learning design discovery session if you don't ask what and why?

Maybe I'm the weirdo, who knows? I've sat in too many discovery meetings centred on 'how interactive should we make it' and 'we could do a quiz like...' more than I have liked to.

You need to change that!

Next time you’re in a design or project meeting, kickoff with:

• What are we solving for and why?

• Who will this benefit?

• What value do we want to deliver?

Better thinking structures provide stronger project outcomes.

Never underestimate a well-structured design session. It is the blade that sharpens the sword or whatever those wise quote people say.

Tool: The 5 Whys

One tool I find incredibly useful in pursuit of understanding why a learning experience/solution/product needs to exist is the trusty 5 Whys.

You know how we sometimes dig deep into things? Like, "Why did that happen?" and then "But why?" The 5 Whys helps facilitate this type of conversation. It's kind of a big deal in the world of Toyota — yes, the car folks!

There was this clever fella from Japan, Sakichi Toyoda, who came up with the idea. It ended up being a big part of the Lean methodology.

Here's how Taiichi Ohno, one of the main guys at Toyota, summed it up: "Whenever we run into a snag, we ask 'why?' five times over. This way, we really get to the heart of the problem, and figuring out how to fix it gets a whole lot easier."

The best people to do this are the ones who actually deal with stuff hands-on, day in and day out. I mean, who better to tell you why something is going wrong than the person who knows their job inside and out?

You gotta help me get to that realisation.

5 Whys Analysis in Action

When applying the 5 Whys technique, you want to get to the problem’s essence and then fix it.

The 5 Whys process may show you that the source of the problem is quite unexpected.

Often, issues that are considered technical problems actually turn out to be human and process problems. This is why finding and eliminating the root cause is crucial.

Content that has caught my attention and might interest you too.

🤔 How emotions and social factors impact learning

The latest episode of the Huberman Lab podcast with Dr. Immordino-Yang is not one to miss for you fellow learning nerds.

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, professor of education and psychology at the University of Southern California and director of the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education, has done groundbreaking research on emotions, self-awareness and social interactions and how these impact the way we learn and change across our lifespan.

This episode covers how we learn, and human development in children and adults, as well as those generally interested in education, psychology or neuroscience.

💡 Goodbye LMS/LXPs, hello AI-Copilots

AI-powered copilots will eliminate corporate learning as we know it, not learning itself 😱.

I bet that made you stop scrolling...

I channelled my inner Josh Bersin in this one as I build upon his thoughts with 'learning in the flow of work' and unpack why AI copilots are the true heir to this movement in 2023.

Dive into the Matrix with me, friend.

👏 Missed Generative AI for L&D Explained? Catch-up 👇

In L&D and find yourself wondering WTF all this AI talk is about?

In my first LinkedIn Live, we spent 20 minutes unpacking the answer to the question "What is generative AI and why should L&D care?".

No fluff or doomsday predictions, just facts and research to understand new technology. Get all the free learning resources mentioned on the blog 👈.

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