As I was taught back in August 1979, Instructional Development efforts (T&D/L&D) should start with a focus on the Ideal (but actual) Outputs of Performance, their Measures, then the Tasks, and then the Knowledge and Skills required.

And then the Current State Gaps from the Ideal State.

Later on, I started to look at the Cognitive Tasks separately, after anchoring my Analysis Data in Phase 2 to the Behavioral Tasks – those that can be observed and counted, measured, etc. Cognitive Tasks cannot be observed – and the research shows that people can only tell you about 30% of their Cognitive Tasks – as that knowledge is non-conscious – having been automated.

I usually deferred identifying the Cognitive Tasks – the Thinking Tasks that went along with the Doing Tasks – until I got into the Development Phase in Phase 4 of my structured methodology and project planning & management framework.

I deferred the hardest part of Analysis – the Cognitive Task Analysis – until Phase 4 – as my experience taught me that my client & stakeholders might narrow my focus to only the most critical aspects of Performance – I could avoid wasting my time AND Analysis Paralysis if I deferred and spread out my Analysis across all 6 of my Project Phases (but mostly Analysis occurs in Phases 1-5).

I needed just enough Analysis Data coming out of Phase 2 for the Project Steering Team’s Gate Review Meeting (the upside-down Traffic light) for the PST to make informed Business Decisions about continuing as planned, narrowing the plan, or pivoting the plan away from Instruction (Performance Guides and Learning Experiences) – OR DOING BOTH INSTRUCTION AND NON-INSTRUCTIONAL INTERVENTIONS – such as change the Process, change the Tools, change the Consequences, etc.

If the PST is after Performance Improvement and not just Instruction (Training, or Learning Content), then they’d appreciate being in the Command & Control position my approach puts them into, to help me help them make that Performance Improvement happen.

It also Empowered me to do their bidding with the Right People doing the Right Things at the Right Times. A struggle for many in our profession.

It’s Not All About Learning.

It’s All About Performance.

See all of my books on my Amazon Author’s Page – here.

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