Leading the respondent by the hand
Assessments are rarely made to get a photo … and then leave it at that. Usually, the photo shows some imperfections and deficiencies that need to be corrected. In organizations, it often means setting the work floor in motion. And also, usually, assessments are done for something non-routine that needs extra attention. If something is non-routine and affects the work floor, the work floor needs to be taken by hand. Setting a target is not enough: the work floor is not capable nor experienced enough to handle that target autonomously.
Luckily, PRAIORITIZE uses multiple-choice questions using the Guttman-Poll scale, where each next answer is better than the previous one. The Guttman-Poll scale is a continuum from wrong to right, from not-acceptable-anymore to the-target-that-needs-to-be-achieved. The target setting, often done using maturity levels, indicates which Questions - and by how much - a respondent has to improve. Because the Guttman-Poll scale favors concrete, verifiable answers from worst to best, it is possible to describe the steps it takes to move from one answer to another. For example:
Text and references
In the example above, users are taught to improve from having no team objectives to having generic ones. There is context, specification, don’ts, and do’s. Yet, these one-liners are not sufficient instructions. There is much more to read. Hence, in PRAIORITIZE, the step-by-step improvement suggestions contain a short text, usually one or two sentences, and a reference to online content. This online content may vary from news websites (e.g., the Harvard Business Review) and white papers to best practice databases and online configurators. The introductory sentences give the respondent a feel for what he/she may expect. Here are some examples of crisp and informative sentences that invite respondents to click further.
The 10 – 4 – 1 rule (for consultants)
The possibilities to link to online content are enormous. Think about linking to a.o. activation requests, contact lists, configurators, instruction videos, LinkedIn pages, product brochures, quizzes, support posts, testimonials, Twitter feeds, and whitepapers.
Usually, consultants have more than enough content themselves and with that comes the temptation to promote the consultant's other services as well. Yet, applying the 10 – 4 – 1 rule is good business practice. For every ten references to external content, add four references to the consultant's content and one sales message. That mix keeps the improvement suggestions professional and ‘value-free’ and will be perceived as true help rather than as a concealed sales message.