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The Ultimate DIY Learning Design Toolkit
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8-step Design Plan
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8-step Design Plan

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Identify Issue & Sponsor

Choose one key performance-related issue to focus on and an executive sponsor


Start by listing 2-3 key performance-related issues you think your organization needs to address. Then, identify an executive sponsor who’ll help promote and support the training program. Direct alignment with organization-wide priorities and strong leadership support is key to ensuring a successful launch of any training initiative.
Work with the sponsor to select one issue the training program will attempt to tackle, then develop a clear vision for what you want the training to achieve.

SiNing’s Pro Tips

It’s usually not too difficult for teams or organizations to come up with a list of performance-related issues to address. There are always opportunities for people to learn and improve so they can be more effective and productive as employees or customers.
What’s most challenging is:
Knowing which one of the many performance issues to focus on
Identifying what the performance goal—the ideal state—what we think people should be doing or should be able to do

Use the worksheet on this page to help you identify an issue to focus on and describe the
⁠
you’d like the training to address.
Performance Issue & Goals - Identify a sponsor who not only can help you identify the focus and the goal of your training, they have the authority to provide you the budget, resources, advocacy, and exposure you’ll need when you launch the learning experiences.

Reasons For’ or ‘Reasons Against’ - These are your pros and cons. Consider factors such as:
Impact: The number of people a fix/improvement may impact (the more people impacted, the higher the priority)
Data: Is there existing data/research to support your reasons?
Effort: Has there been significant effort/progress already being made? Existing champions/sponsors already in place?
Alignment: Is the issue directly related to a top company/organization priorities at the moment?

Instructions
1. Write down up to 3 ‘Performance Issues’ your business/org should fix (or improve)

2. Describe ‘Performance Goals’—visible, concrete changes you’d expect to see if the issue no longer existed.
Pro Tip: ‘Performance Goals’ should be so concrete that you should be able to evaluate/measure whether or not the outcome has been achieved or not.

3. For each Issue listed, jot down any reasons for why you think they are (or aren’t) a priority right now
Pro Tip: When weighing the options, consider the following 'Reasons For’ or ‘Reasons Against’ one Issue over another:
* Impact - The number of people a fix/improvement may impact (the more people impacted, the higher the priority)
* Data: Is there existing data/research to support your reasons?
* Effort - Has there been significant effort/progress already being made? Existing champions/sponsors already in place?
* Alignment - Is the Issue directly related to a top company/organization priorities at the moment?

4. Decide on ONE Issue to focus on
* If deciding the focus Issue on your own: Rank all the Issues from 1-3 with a checkmark, where ONE Checkmark = 'Priority’ #1, TWO Checkmarks =’Priority’ #2, etc.
* If deciding as a group: Schedule a meeting with 1-3 other leaders or stakeholders, quickly describe each Issue, then go around and ask them where they would cast their TWO VOTES, and use the ‘Vote Up’ and ‘Vote Down’ thumbs to capture their responses. The ‘winning’ Issue will appear at the top of the list once once you’ve finished voting.

5. Select 'Top Issue’ box associated to the ‘Priority One’ Issue or the Issue currently at the top of the list (with the most votes).

6. Add the name of a ‘Sponsor’. This ensures you’ll have the budget, resources, advocacy, and exposure you’ll need when you launch the learning experiences.

Performance Issues and Goals Worksheet
0
Performance Issues
Performance Goals
Reasons For
Reasons Against
Key Sponsor
Select Issue
1
Account Executives are struggling to close accounts, thus falling short on quarterly sales targets.
Account Executives close 30% of their sales qualified leads.
The companies ARR is directly tied to our quarterly sales.
...

We should invest in retention before we bring in more new customers
...

​
2
We’re currently losing customers on the bottom of the funnel due to recent customer support inefficiencies.
​
Why a priority now
...

Why it can wait
...

​
3
Issue 3
​
Why a priority now
...

Why it can wait
...

​
There are no rows in this table
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Ready for the next step?
Assemble your team
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