The Big Question: How do you respond to the ‘I want it now’ demand?

On the ASTD Learning Circuits blog, they ask the question “How do you address the ‘I want it now’ demand from stakeholders.” Now I know this question went up on April 1st but I’m taking it at face value. Why? Because wanting it now is an everyday request for many people in l&d. In fact, since the shift from the classroom to e-learning got under way, the demand is more common not less, even though the lead time for self-study materials has to be greater than that for the classroom.

Or does it?

There’s absolutely no doubt that it takes a long time – in many cases, much too long – to produce half-decent interactive lessons. We can speed up the process with the right tools, training and an agile approach, but it still takes longer than many organisations can wait.

So what do you do if your client wants it now? You could say no, insisting that it simply isn’t possible to cut any more corners. Or you could get on with producing any of the following and still be home for tea:

• an audio or video interview with the subject expert (if they’re remote, record it on Skype)
• if it’s a software launch, a series of simple screencasts (press record, show you to do it, press stop, publish)
• a simple textual explanation, with diagrams and other pics for impact and memorability

But that’s not learning, you say, just information. Well guess what, providing information is a pretty good start. If you want to help make the message stick then you have some other quick-fire options:

• set up a forum for Q&A
• allow for comments, blog-style
• prepare some short and simple worked examples or case studies
• create a quick quiz

TV stations and newspapers have a plan B. If a big story comes in, they don’t hold it for the day after next, they spring into action and put something together now. They don’t get bogged down in documentation. They just build it and use any remaining time to refine this as best they can.

Does your design team have a plan B?

BTW: This posting took 15 minutes