Instructional Design Philosophy

My philosophy behind instructional design can best be summarized with understand the persona of your user, do a thorough analysis of needs and cost and then implement simple cognitive strategies and multimedia design principles to engage the learner actively. When it comes to the persona, knowing your client, user, and your base is the most important starting point. Ad-hoc designers like to create front and back-end design from their vantage point but the reality is that an effective front-end analysis will lead to better product and happier users. By establishing an effective persona, a story can be developed that will be enriched with a thorough analysis of needs and cost-analysis. Educational Theory is vital in design but for potential clients, it must be balanced with cost and an ultimate ROI. Andragogical principles are additional hallmarks to my philosophy, connecting learner motivation, context, and application. When the final product is being design, applying Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia design help provide measures to avoid design creep; when design drifts into overly-complicated, over-done training content.

Coaching and HR Philosophy

When it comes to coaching and consultancy, my philosophy is built around the idea of transparency, communication with a foundation of integrity. I find most coaching situations are at the stage they are at because of a breakdown in communication and trust and individuals not having the best interests of the group in mind or an individual feeling that the other doesn’t regardless of the reality.

When I work with groups and clients I support, the focus is understanding each group’s message and intent and then finding the shared meaning and purpose. There are tools such as psychometric assessments, Coaching strategies and the litany of pop-culture positive psychology that I speak to but ultimately, my coaching style is to seek to understand, clarify, connect, and move forward.