The PREPARE Phase

In the PREPARE phase, you establish who your audience is, the problem they have, its root cause, and the evidence for both — so that the solutions you design bridge a real gap rather than address a topic.

The people

Who has the problem, issue, or challenge you’re going to solve?

Be specific: Name their role and where they are in it (brand-new, moving into their second year, highly experienced, etc.).

The gap

What’s the main problem, issue, or challenge your learners have?

What do they do that they shouldn’t? What should they do that they don’t? How do they act, speak, or listen in ways that hold them back?

The evidence

How do you know the problem, issue, or challenge you named is the main one your learners have?

What have your learners told you? What have you seen yourself? What do supervisors or mentors report? What do the people they serve say — customers, clients, patients? What shows up in evaluations, surveys, or feedback?

Their finish line

It’s a year from now. You’re watching someone who finished this. What do you see and hear?

What are they doing? What do you hear them saying? How do they carry themselves? How do they interact with others?

What’s in the way

Why aren’t they there yet?

If you pick a main reason that can be solved with additional knowledge or training, you’ll be guided to design a remarkable learning experience for your learners.

What will help

What’s the best way to help them?

Match the help to why they aren’t there yet — and to what you can realistically offer. If nothing on this list would truly fix it, “Not a learning problem” is a good answer, not a wrong one.

Requirements

Is any of this required by a standard, law, or policy?

The format

Then let’s make something. What do you want to create?

Your why

Why is this really important to you?

Your first answer will probably be the official reason. But you’ve already described what changes for your learners — this question is about you. Why does making that happen matter to you?

Incoming brief

The name

Every mission needs a name. What should we call this one?

The best names promise the destination — who your learners become, or what they can finally do. Short and concrete beats clever.

✦ drafting name ideas…
Your growth

Who do you become once this is built?

Picture yourself after it ships. What are you doing that you can’t do today? What do you have that you don’t have now?

The stakes

If you fail to complete your mission, what are the consequences?

What do your learners lose? What do you lose? Who else feels it?

Support crew

Who’s got your back on this one?

Someone who’ll give you an honest take, or a nudge when the work gets hard. A name or two is plenty.