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Clark Quinn’s Learnings about Learning

My Personal Knowledge Management Approach

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Last week, in our Learning Development Accelerator You Oughta Know session, we had Harold Jarche as a guest. Harold’s known for many things, but in particular his approach to continual learning. Amongst the things he shared was a collection of others’ approaches. I checked and I hadn’t made a contribution! So with no further ado, here’s my personal knowledge management approach.

First, Harold’s Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) model has three components: seek, sense, and share. Seeking is about information coming in, that is, what you’re looking for and the feeds you track. It can be in any conceivable channel, and one of the important things is that it’s  your seeking. Then, you make sense of what comes in, finding ways to comprehend and make use of it. The final step is to share back out the sense you’ve made. It’s a notion of contributing back. Importantly, it’s not that necessarily anybody consumes what you share, but the fact that you’ve prepared it for others is part of the benefit you receive.

Seek

Most seeking is two-fold, and mine’s no exception. First of all there’s the ‘as needed’ searches for specific information. Here I typically use DuckDuckGo as my search engine, and often end up at Wikipedia. With much experience, I trust it.  If there are multiple hits and not a definitive one, I’ll scan the sources as well as the title, and likely open several. Then I review them until I’m happy.

The second part is the feeds. I have a number of blogs I’m subscribed to. There are also the people I follow on Twitter. On LinkedIn, a while ago I actively removed all my follows on my connections, and only retained ones for folks I trust. As I add new people, I similarly make a selection of those I know to trust, and ones who look interesting from a role, domain, location, or other diversity factor.  An important element is to be active in selecting feeds, and even review your selections from time to time.

Sense

Sometimes, I’m looking for a specific answer, and it gets put into my work. Other times, it’s about processing something I’ve come across. It may lead me to diagramming, or writing up something, frequently both (as here). Diagramming is about trying to come to grip with conceptual relationships by mapping them to spatial ones. Writing is about creating a narrative around it.

Another thing I do is apply knowledge, that is put it into action. This can be in a design, or in writing something up. This is different than just writing, for me. That is, I’m not just explaining it, I’m using it in a solution.

Share

To share, I do things like blog, do presentations and workshop, and write books. I also write articles, and sometimes just RT. Harold mentioned, during the session, that sharing should be more than just passing it on, but also adding value. However, I do sometimes just like or share things, thinking spreading it to a different audience is value. If you’re not too prolific in your output, I reckon that the selected shares add value. Of course, in general if I pass things on I do try to make a note, such as when sharing someone else’s blog that I thought particularly valuable.

So that’s my process. It’s evolving, of course. We talked about how our approaches have changed; we’ve both dropped the quantity of posts, for instance. We’re also continually updating our tools, too. I’ve previously noted how comments that used to appear on my blog now appear on LinkedIn.

To be fair, it’s also worth noting that this approach scales. So workgroups and communities can do a similar approach to continually processing. Harold’s done it in orgs, and it factors nicely into social learning as well. One attendee immediately thought about how it could be used in training sessions!

So that’s a rough cut at my PKM process. I invite you to reflect on yours, and share it with Harold as well!

I discuss PKM in both my Revolutionize L&D book, and my Learning Science book.

Learning or Performance Strategy

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Of late, I’m working in a couple of engagements where the issue of learning and performance strategy have come up. It has prompted some thoughts both on my part and the part of my clients. I think it’s worth laying out some of the issues and thinking, and of course I welcome your thoughts. So here are some reflections on whether to use learning or performance strategy as an organizing concept.

In one case, an organization decreed that they needed a learning strategy. Taken with my backwards design diagram  from the learning science book, I was tasked with determining what that means. In this case, the audience can’t be mandated with classes or tutorials. So really, the only options are to support performance in the moment and develop them over time. Thus we focus on job aids and examples. I think of it as a ‘performance strategy’, not a learning one.

In the other case, an organization is executing on a shift from a training philosophy to a performance focus. Which of course I laud, but the powers-that-be expect it to yield less training without much other change. Here I’m pushing for performance support, and the thinking is largely welcome. However, it’s a mindset shift for a group that previous was developing training.

I general, I support thinking that goes beyond the course, and for the optimal execution side of a full ecosystem, you want to look at outcomes and let that drive you. It includes performance consulting, so you’re applying the  right solution to performance gaps, not the convenient one (read: ‘courses’ ;). Thus, I think it makes more sense to talk performance strategy than learning one.

Even then, the question becomes what does such a strategy really entail, whether learning  or performance. Really, it’s about having a plan in place to systematically prioritize needs and address them in effective ways. It’s not  just design processes that reflect evidence-informed principles, though it includes that. It’s also, however, ways to identify and track problems, attach organizational costs and solution costs, and choose where to invest resources. It includes front-end analysis, but also ongoing-monitoring.

It also involves other elements. For one, the technology to hand; what solutions are in use and ensuring a process of ongoing reviews. This includes both formal learning tools including the LMS and LXP, but also informal learning tools such as social media platforms and collaborative documents. Another issue is management: lifecycle monitoring, ownership, and costs.

There’s a lot that goes into it, but being strategic about your approach keeps you from just being tactical and missing the forest for the trees. A lot of L&D is reactive, and I am suggesting that L&D needs to be come proactive. This includes going from courses to performance, as a first step. The next step is to facilitating informal learning and driving innovation in the organization. Associated elements include meaningful measurement  and truly understanding how we learn for a firm basis upon which to ground both formal  and informal learning. Those are my thoughts a learning or performance strategy, what am I missing?

Courtesy, shopping carts, and the organization

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There’s a popular meme on the internet that I think is kind of apt. It asks whether you’re the type of person who returns your shopping cart. I think this is an important concept, because it illustrates to me one of the facets that make societies, and organizations, work. So let me talk about courtesy, shopping carts, and the organization.

The meme is basically saying do you return the cart, or leave it near your car. You’ve seen the results: parking spaces blocked by an abandoned cart, carts pulled up on curbs into planters, etc. This, to me, is like whether you bring a bag to clean up after your dog (and place it an appropriate receptacle). Or dump your ashtray and car trash on the side of the street. It’s about recognizing a) that there aren’t necessarily folks who have this as a job, and b) it interferes with innocent others, and c) therefore it undermines a pleasant environment. It may have to do with what your cultural expectations are, but I’ll suggest it’s worth the small effort.

Why does this matter? Because it seems to me that societies work better when folks are courteous. When folks respect one another, they find ways to make things work. When they don’t have that respect, they find or stumble into ways to aggravate situations. Now, I get that sometimes being discourteous is a way to get revenge against a real or perceived injustice. Yet, I suggest there are better ways to register your discontent that more accurately target the perpetrators of the injustice. Random acts of discourtesy can lead to perceptions that you’re just a jerk. Because some of it is people thinking that they don’t have to care about other people. I fear it’s getting worse.

The issue I want to address here, rather than a general societal rant, is about what this means in organizations. What does courtesy have to do with working life? I suggest it has to do with creating an environment in which people can work together for organizational success in an optimal way. That is, if we’re helping make the workplace pleasant, we’re making it effective. This means things like offering to help when you’ve useful information to provide. It means paying attention to the organizational norms. I suggest it also means pointing out when those norms aren’t best for positive interaction. Others: Refilling the printer paper tray when you’ve used the last. Taking notes for someone who  has to miss the meeting. Mot missing a meeting if you’ve no real excuse. Keeping meetings on time and on point. Not holding a meeting when there’s a better way.

There are a lot of little courtesies in everyday life. You may have a grudge or grievance, but deal with it appropriately. A lack of courtesy because you’re upset about something else isn’t appropriate or helpful. I reckon it just makes you look like a jerk. That’s my take, what are your thoughts on courtesy, shopping carts, and the organization?

Happy New(s) Year!

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It’s the new year, and I’ve been hinting for a while that something’s up. Well, now I can announce it. The new year seems like the right time for news, so Happy New(s) Year!

While Quinnovation will continue, I have joined another initiative as well. If you’ve been paying attention, and I hope you have, two summers ago Will Thalheimer & Matt Richter ran a new and different event, the L&D Conference. It had two sessions of things, so it could reach most of the globe, and they were recorded so you could watch after the fact. There were also some asynch workshops. There was an emphasis on evidence-informed speakers and content.

It was successful enough that it convinced Matt and Will that there was the opportunity for a society promoting the same values. At the beginning of 2021, they began this initiative, the Learning Development Accelerator  (LDA). The society has had regular events, articles, also workshops. They also ran the conference again.

However, Will got a full-time job with Tier 1. Thus, trying to keep up with demand was, well, trying. After one unsuccessful attempt, they settled on a second choice to replace Will. I’ve agreed. Thus, I will now be working with Matt (who’s heroically shouldered most of the work) to keep the society going. It’s started, and continued, as all virtual. Which helps support the goal of being quite global. The other emphasis continues, to be evidence-based. I can align with that. I think it’s our obligation as professionals. We need to promote those who are translating research into evidence-informed practices.

There’s a second initiative of LDA as well. Matt thinks LDA should publish, and had offered me the chance to serve as initial publisher (more like Editor-In-Chief). So LDA Press is kicking off. We’re going to have to start slow to grow, but stay tuned for initial publications. The goal is to fill in the gaps of the books we should have, and provide a better relationship with authors. We’re already talking to some folks.

That’s pretty much it. I’ll continue to speak, write, run workshops, and assist clients as Quinnovation as well, but I’ll also be putting energy into what I think is an important contribution. Of course, it’s also about learning, stepping out of my comfort zone. My focus will be on trying to help introduce members to people and ideas they should know. The more we know, the better we can do our job! So that’s my Happy New(s) Year, and wishing you and yours all the best for the coming year.

Levels of Organizational Alignment

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Several years ago, I was pushing the notion of the Coherent Organization. While I still feel it’s relevant, perhaps the time wasn’t right or I wasn’t convincing enough. However, as I continue to consider the issue of alignment of what we do in L&D (and organizational) practices, I realize there’s more. One way, then, to think about the coherent organization is as achieving levels of organizational alignment.

Starting from the top, I think of the alignment with the organization and society. Normally, and probably most importantly for survival, organizations need to think about alignment with their market. (In appropriate ways; I’m reminded how the freight business got upended when companies thought they were in the train business and not the transportation business.) However, there  is a level above the market, and that is whether the org is serving the market in a society-appropriate way. For instance, if you’re helping your customers rip off their clients, it may be lucrative but it’s not a scrutable way to do business. I like the notion of benefit corporations  (though they may not go far enough). Don’t do well by doing ill.

Which is the next level of alignment, of employees with the organization’s mission. They’ll be more engaged if that mission is appropriate!  Further, I like the notion of ’employee experience’. I’ve heard it said that you can’t have a good customer experience if you don’t have a good employee experience. That’s plausible. I think Dan Pink’s  Drive says it well, you want your employees to have Mastery, Autonomy, and Purpose. Which means having a clear raison d’être, goals and the freedom to pursue them, and support to succeed.

Accompanying that is a workplace culture that’s supportive of success. I like Jerry Michalski’s focus on trust; start from there. Then have transparency, e.g. ‘show your work’ and ‘learn out loud‘. I’m also a fan of the Learning Organization Dimensions of Garvin, Edmondson, & Gino. I like how Amy Edmondson has gone on to advocate for including both safety and accountability as complementary components of success.

Of course, this carries down to the individual level. For instance, including a focus on having performers prepared up front and developed over time. This includes a shift to coaching and mentoring, as well as learning experience design grounded in the sciences of learning and engagement.  Going further, we should havie people not just knowing their purpose but getting feedback on how they‘re doing to achieve it. Recognition matters, with positive recognition of accomplishment or support to improve. Against an objective metric, of course, not comparative to others.

There’s more, but most importantly, it’s aligning all these from bottom to top. For instance, you could be creating a great culture to serve a bad purpose. Alternatively, you could have a great purpose but use industrial era methods to get there. I have to admit that, having served in orgs of various sizes, and seen the pockets of inefficiency that can emerge, I wonder how any business makes any money! Still, there’s evidence that the better you’re aligned, the better you do. (See the Toward Maturity Top Deck results or Laurie Bassi’s work on the link between people approaches and org success.

Achieving success at all  levels of organizational alignment is a path to success. No one’s saying it’s easy, but it  is doable. Further, it’s your best investment in the future. Just as with designing learning, get the core right before you add shiny objects, the same is true for organizations. There’s a transformation in practices to be done before you then apply the digital transformation. However, once you align these, as well, you’re on an upward path. Shall we?

By the way, this is aligned :) with the theme of what I’ll be  talking about in my opening keynote for the ATD Japan Summit.  

A new common tragedy?

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Recently, my kids (heh, in their 20s) let me know that they don’t use Yelp. That actually surprised and puzzled me. Not specifically because of Yelp, but instead because there’s a societal benefit that’s possibly being undermined or abandoned. I may be naive, but I think that we may be missing an opportunity. So here’s my exploration of a potential new common tragedy.

The idea of the commons is simple, though also somewhat controversial. There’s a shared resource. In the traditional economic model, it’s limited. Thus, everyone taking advantage of it ends up ruining the resource (the infamous ‘tragedy of the commons’). In this case, however, the potential tragedy is different.

Information, as has been said, wants to be free. With the internet, it’s almost that way, and there are almost zero limits on the information (for better or worse). We can take advantage of the information for little more than the cost of a browser-capable device and an internet connection (which can come just with a cup of coffee ;). We can also contribute. That’s social media.

That’s been the premise of some of the more powerful ideas of the internet. If we share information, we can all benefit. Thus, we should offer up information and in return get the benefit. We don’t have to offer it, but if we do we all benefit. It’s cooperation. Social media has led to many great wins. My colleague and friend, Paul Signorelli, has a new book just on that! In his Change the World Using Social Media, he says “social media platforms can…produce positive change”. Of course, there are also problematic uses. The ways in which certain platforms (*cough* Facebook *cough*) have been used to spread misinformation is a caution. Yet, I believe these are problems that are solvable.

Now, Yelp is a service where people can share reviews of almost any service: repairs, meals, … And it’s just an example, there are other ways people share information, such as Wikipedia, NextDoor, etc. Yelp got off to a somewhat idiosyncratic start, owing to claims of favoritism. However, it’s now relatively reliable, I believe. (Am I wrong?)

The possibility is that if everyone fairly uses such as service, that everyone benefits. You do have to offer your own input, but you gain from others. Of course, the service itself must be principled, including a way to self-repair any problems. There can be more than one, though one tends to end up being dominant.

What’s problematic, to me, is why people  wouldn’t participate. For example, my kids. For one, there’s a belief that people only write negative reviews. Yet we do see businesses with ratings from 3 to 5, so clearly there are positive reviews (I’ve done both).  Yelp has helped me find good places to eat and get valuable services. I’ve likewise shared my experiences, to help others.

However, what may not be solvable is getting people on board with the idea of the benefit. If we turn away from this opportunity, we end up losing 0ut. Yes, I can be an idealist, but I’d hope that we can see the ultimate benefit that can be obtained. Across many platforms, ideally. I’d like to avoid a new common tragedy. I’m also willing to be wrong, so I welcome feedback.

 

Jay Cross Memorial Award 2021: Sahana Chattopadhyay

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Jay Cross was a deep thinker and a man of many talents, never resting on his past accomplishments.  Following his death in November 2015, the partners of the Internet Time Alliance — Jane Hart, Charles Jennings, Harold Jarche, and myself — resolved to continue Jay‘s work. The Internet Time Alliance Award, in memory of Jay Cross, is an annual presentation. We award it to a workplace learning professional who has contributed in positive ways to the field of Informal Learning. The  Jay Cross Memorial Award  is one way to keep pushing our professional fields and industries to find new and better ways to learn and work.

Recipients champion workplace and social learning practices inside their organization and/or on the wider stage. They share their work in public and often challenge conventional wisdom. We look for professionals who are convincing and effective advocates of a humanistic approach to workplace learning and performance. Recipients also continuously welcome challenges at the cutting edge of their expertise.

We announce the award on 5 July, Jay‘s birthday. The Internet Time Alliance Jay Cross Memorial Award recipient for 2021 is Sahana Chattopadhyay.

Sahana is the founder of Proteeti — a Sanskrit word meaning learning that transforms — which describes the spirit of the award. She has written extensively about learning and development and has been active on social media for many years.

I first met Sahana through #lrnchat, and she maintained a steady support of Jay and the Internet Time Alliance‘s work. She‘s continued to be a voice for making sense of an uncertain world, which overlaps substantially with some of our own work.  

At her site, she talks about moving to “a world where many worlds fit” through acceptance of others, interconnection, and living with emergence. She applies these principles to organizations and leaders to facilitate shifting to more effective and humane ways of being.

As a vocal advocate for mindsets that unleash possibility, Sahana embodies the ideals Jay Cross worked towards. We‘re honored to be able to recognize her work through the Jay Cross Memorial Award.

Doing Gamification Wrong

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roulette wheelAs I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of ‘gamification’. Certainly for formal learning, where I think intrinsic motivation is a better area to focus on than extrinsic. (Yes, there are times it makes sense, like tarting up rote memory development, but it’s under-considered and over-used.)  Outside of formal learning, it’s clear that it works in certain places. However, we need to be cautious in considering it a panacea. In a recent instance, I actually think it’s definitely misapplied. So here’s an example of doing gamification wrong.

This came to me via a LinkedIn message where the correspondent pointed me to their recent blog article. (BTW, I don’t usually respond to these, but if I do, you’re going to run the risk that I poke holes. 😈) In the article, they were talking about using gamification to build organizational engagement. Interestingly, even in their own article, they were pointing to other useful directions unknowingly!

The problem, as claimed, is that working remote can remove engagement. Which is plausible. The suggestion, however, was that gamification was the solution. Which I suggest is a patch upon a more fundamental problem. The issue was a daily huddle, and this quote summarizes the problem: “there is zero to little accountability of engagement and participation “.  Their solution: add points to these things. Let me suggest that’s wrong.

What facilitates engagement is a sense of purpose and belonging. That is, recognizing that what one does contributes to the unit, and the unit contributes to the organization, and the organization contributes to society. Getting those lined up and clear is a great way to build meaningful engagement. Interestingly, even in the article they quote: “to build true engagement, people often need to feel like they are contributing to something bigger than themselves.” Right! So how does gamification help? That seems to be trying to patch a  lack of purpose. As I’ve argued before, the transformation is not digital first, it’s people first.

They segue off to microlearning, without (of course) defining it. They ended up meaning spaced learning (as opposed to performance support). Which, again, isn’t gamification but they push it into there. Again, wrongly. They do mention a successful instance, where Google got 100% compliance on travel expenses, but that’s very different than company engagement. It’s  got to be the right application.

Overall, gamification by extrinsic motivation can work under the right circumstances, but it’s not a solution to all that ails an organization. There are ways and times, but it’s all too easy to be doing gamification wrong. ‘Tis better to fix a broken culture than to patch it. Patching is, at best, a temporary solution. This is certainly an example.

 

How to be an elearning expert

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I was asked (and have been a time or two before): “What’s the one most important thing you’d like to tell to be successful Ed Tech industry leader” Of course there wasn‘t just one ;). Still, looking at colleagues who I think fit that characterization, I find some commonalities that are worth sharing. So here‘s one take on how to be an elearning expert.

Let‘s start with that ‘one thing‘.   Which is challenging, since it‘s more than one thing! Still, I boiled it down into two components: know your stuff, and let people know.   That really is the core. So let‘s unpack that some more.   The first thing is to establish credibility. Which means demonstrating that you track and promote the right stuff.  

Some folks have created a model that they tout. Cathy Moore has Action Mapping, Harold Jarche has PKM, Con Gottfredson has the 5 moments of need, and so on.   It‘s good having a model, if it‘s a good, useful one (there are people who push models that are hype or ill-conceived at best). Note that it‘s not necessarily the case that these folks are just known for this model, and most of these folks can talk knowledgeably about much more, but ‘owning‘ a model that is useful is a great place to be. (I occasionally regret that I haven‘t done a good job of branding my models.) They understand their model and its contribution, it‘s a useful one, and therefore they contribute validly that way and are rightly recognized.

Another approach like this is owning a particular domain. Whether gaming (e.g. Karl Kapp), visuals (Connie Malamed), design (Michael Allen), mixed realities (Ann Rollins), AI (Donald Clark), informal (Jane Hart), evaluation (Will Thalheimer), management (Matt Richter), and so on, they have deep experience and a great conceptual grasp in a particular area. Again, they can and do speak outside this area, but when they talk about these topics in particular, what they say is worthy of your attention!

Then there are other folks who don‘t necessarily have a single model, but instead reliably represent good science. Julie Dirksen, Patti Shank, Jane Bozarth, Mirjam Neelen, and others  have established a reputation for knowing the learning science and interpreting it in accurate, comprehensible, and useful ways.  

The second point is that these folks write and talk about their models and/or approaches. They‘re out there, communicating. It‘s about reliably saying the important things again and again (always with a new twist). A reputation doesn‘t just emerge whole-cloth, it‘s built step by step. They also practice what they preach, and have done the work so they can talk about it. They talk the talk and walk the walk. Further, you can check what they say.  

So how to start? There are two clear implications. Obviously, you have to Know. Your. Stuff! Know learning, know design, know engagement, know tech. Further, know what it means in practice!   You can focus deeply in one area, or generate one useful and new model, or have a broad background, but it can‘t just be in one thing. It‘s not just all your health content for one provider. What you‘re presenting needs to be representative and transferable.  Further, you need to keep up to date, so that means continually learning: reading, watching, listening.

Second, it‘s about sharing. Writing and speaking are the two obvious ways. Sure, you can host a channel: podcast, vlog, blog, but if you‘re hosting other folks, you‘re seen as well connected but not necessarily as the expert. Further, I reckon you have to be able to write and speak (and pretty much all of these folks do both well).   So, start by speaking at small events, and get feedback to improve. Study good presentation style. Then start submitting for events like the Learning Guild, ATD, or LDA (caveats on all of these owing to various relationships, but I think they‘re all scrutable). I once wrote about how to read and write proposals, and I think my guidance is still valid.

Similarly, write. Learning Solutions or eLearn Mag are two places to put stuff that‘s sensibly rigorous but written for practitioners.   Take feedback to heart, and deliberately improve. Make sure you‘re presenting value, not pitching anything. What conferences and magazines say about not selling, that your clear approach is what sells, is absolutely true.  

Also, make sure that you have a unique ‘voice’. No one needs the same things others are saying, at least in the same way. Have a perspective, your own take. Your brand is not only what you say, but how you say it.

A related comment: track some related fields. Most of the folks I think of as experts have some other area they draw inspiration from. UX/UI, anthropology, software engineering, there are many fields and finding useful insight from a related one is useful to the field and keeps you fresh.

Oh, one other thing. You have to have integrity. People have to be able to trust what you say. If you push something for which you have a private benefit, or something that‘s trendy but not real, you will lose whatever careful credibility you‘ve built up. Don‘t squander it!  

So that‘s my take on how to be an elearning expert. So, what have I missed?

When do you team?

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Ideally, we’d have teams doing all our design and development. There are benefits to working together, not just for the innovation and creativity, but also for process. We can watch out for other’s mistakes and limitations just as they can look for ours. However, it can be costly to run teams when an individual will do. So, the question becomes, when do you team? And, for learning experience design I’ll suggest there are a couple of key places.

DivergeConvergeProblemSolutionNow, we want to team when we want diversity for creativity, for sure. As ‘design thinking‘ tells us, we want to diverge before we converge. Further, on both identifying the problem, and when designing a solution. The typical representation is the ‘double diamond’ that graphically represents divergence and convergence at both stages.

Who you use in each phase may differ, of course. When doing analysis, you’re likely going to want to pull in subject matter experts (SMEs) as well as potential audiences. That can include not only experts in the theory, but also those who observe the actual performers, e.g. managers or supervisors. You want to triangulate not only on the principle, but the practice, because they don’t always agree(!).

Then, you’re likely to want to pull in team members to review what’s been seen or known before you proceed.  We brainstorm, come up with some ideas, and they get taken away to be developed to the next level. Depending on the scope of your team and what you’re working on, that might be still with a smaller team, or an individual. However, if we iterate (and we should) we should converge again to check on the interim stages before moving on.

This includes for development as well. So, when you’ve got something to test, you’re going to want to bring in individuals with greater and greater representativeness to the final audience as you get closer to a final design. (BTW, there’s a lot packed into that sentence.)

We also want to minimize disruptions to our process. The goal is to find the minimal points that offer the greatest benefits to the outcome.  It’s painful to totally redo a process, and typically is unnecessary. In general, most processes try to follow a sensible process. Thus, only small tweaks can lead to large improvements in quality.

So, the answer to “when do you team” is when the benefits of the collaboration outweigh the costs of the coordination. And that’s typically where you want diversity to improve the outcome. Creating ways to ‘show your work‘ is a shortcut to some of this input, but actively generating times to coordinate into design processes ensures that you’re getting the benefits.