Fake it til you make it?

Hi Everyone!

As the end of the year approaches, I am beginning to reflect on my growth as an L&D professional. Since leaving California for Florida, I’ve met so many people and had the wildest time following my dream of becoming an Instructional Designer. Who knew it could (or even would) happen in this lifetime or the next?

Another dream and interest I’ve had is to become/learn about leadership. To me, leadership is this mysterious thing that I find fascinating. How do you inspire someone to do their best work and still provide direction/vision.

I’ve learned, so far, that it’s a combination of things. It’s less about directives and more about setting direction. Even more important is the ability to ask questions. It is important to know where you want to go and where your team should go, but taking the time to hear and listen to your direct reports is critical. Understanding where they are coming from and why they think something is crucial.

I bring all this up because my company (aka me) is developing a leadership program. My dilemma is twofold: How do you design something that you have zero experience in? How do you even design something when you’re a new designer?

It’s been very exciting, and slightly overwhelming. The deadlines are aggressive but my team is just as supportive. If anything, I’ve learned that the information that is handed to you is your foundation for content. From there, if the information needs to be developed, go back to the SME (Subject Matter Expert) and ask for more information. I’ve learned that I’m not alone in the design process. My leader is constantly reminding me to “use your resources”- whether that be another team member (like my graphic designer for visuals), tap into another ID on the Sales team, or check out online resources like E-Learning Heros. Or kick it old school and read a book- my leader gave me about Articulate Storyline. The resources are endless. And my only limit is my imagination (and time in a day).

So how do you handle designing something you don’t have experience in?

What resources do you fall back on when you are stuck, to help the design process?