Code of Conduct – Code Ninja version

Welcome aboard. Here’s a project for you.

When I first joined this organisation I’m with, one of the first tasks I was given was to review the e-learning version of our Code of Conduct (aka. The Code).

→ It begins with a learning project that had stalled for over a year. Rather than just redesigning screens, I went to the sponsor, clarified why the project had stalled, established what had to change, redesigned the solution and got it published.

This project was started by another designer, more senior, they had been in this back and forth with the subject matter expert (SME) for around 18 months. At some point, the project is parked. It lands on my desk with the instruction, “see what you can do”,  but no high expectations. 

Let’s roll back a little. Code of Conduct, put simply, is the rules of the house. In such a large organisation you have several divisions, branches, units, teams and thousands of employees – and getting SMEs from all business units to agree on what should be included in the learning program proved to be a challenge. After struggling with unclear instructions for months, I asked to see the sponsor. My plan was to get straight to the one leader that would decide whether this project was going any further.

She was frustrated! The CEO was putting pressure to develop a more updated version and after over an year, they had nothing. Feeling like tip-toeing on a mine field, I flagged she did have something; she chose to bin the project and start over, despite how close it was to be finished. I listed the reasons why that project was parked and I asked, “if I address these issues, would you approve the project?”. The CEO would be happy, she would tick that box, and employees would have an updated, more engaging version of the training. With a sound yes, I thanked her and left – quickly.

Tell me, how much do you already know?

The original instructional designers had done a great job putting the content together. My job then was to make it more engaging and easier to digest such dry content. The plan was simple:

1. Check existing knowledge.
2. Gamify the learning program.

I literally ask, right at the beginning: how much do you already know? There are thousands of employees that work in the organisation for many years. They already know the Code by heart. So, here’s the deal: If you said you already know the Code, you are given a code ninja status and go straight to the scenario-based questions. Get them right, and you are good to go. However, if you get one wrong, you revisit the relevant section of the Code. Get two questions wrong, and you lose your Ninja status and go through the entire content. Fair, right?

Configuring the new version was a lot of work, but the course was approved and published in the same week. 

The proof is in the pudding.

In the first quarter after the e-learning program was launched, the report showed:

1. The vast majority approved the new version (98.7% said good or excellent);
2. They thought the knowledge gained would be useful (94.1%) and
3. They liked the format it was delivered in (88.8%).
4. Also, I embedded the satisfaction survey right in the slide, raising the average response rate from 7% to 56%!

Hooray, happy ending. Good night, you can go now. Or can you? Little did I know, there was more to come – but that is a story for another post.