WHITEBOARD EXERCISES

Check Your Progress

We recommend completing these sections on a desktop, printing your sheets and/or saving your work as PDFs.

Make Progress

Let’s be clear: motion is not progress. Motion is motion. Progress comes when we stop going around in circles and start making our way towards our goal, our destination. Arriving at one’s goal does not happen by accident. It cannot be overly forced, and it does not come about by relinquishing control. It requires a balance between the two, between a strong focus and a willingness to learn about your destination as you’re en route.

Think of it this way: if your team were standing on the starting line about to run a race, you want everyone moving the same direction towards the same finish.

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Key Results: Are you Making Progress?

It’s crucial that we do not mistake the work we do (activities and outputs) as outcomes of our work. Work is work. Results are results. And even then, there are the results that we were expecting and then there’s the reality of what outcomes actually took place. At this stage, it is important not to judge the gap between our expected and actual outcomes, because this gap is our key to better understanding and insights. When you complete the outcome gap canvas, be honest - you’ll be glad you were. You’ll know whether or not you’re making progress.

Instructions to Complete the Outcome Gap Canvas

OBJECTIVE:

We want to improve signups through channel testing campaigns.

ACTIVITIES:

OUTPUTS:

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

ACTUAL OUTCOMES:

OUTCOME GAP:

Test social media channels for sign-up campaign.

Side-by-side one week campaign running on Facebook and Instagram

Facebook: Reach will exceed 5,000 impressions w/ 8% conversion

Instagram: Reach will exceed 5,000 impressions w/ 10% conversion

Facebook: Reach of 7,500 w/ 2% conversion after one week.

Instagram: Reach of 4,000 w/ 15% conversion after one week

Facebook: Reach was 50% above expectations, but conversion to sign-up was 25% of expectation

Instagram: Reach was 80% of expectation, but with 5% higher conversion rate

Try This

OBJECTIVE:

ACTIVITIES:

OUTPUTS:

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

ACTUAL OUTCOMES:

OUTCOME GAP:

Measure & Shift

Knowing the gap between your expected and actual outcomes can tell you quite a bit about the progress you’re making, about roadblocks you’ve encountered, and it can also tell you much about your customer and your team. Knowing the gaps gives you power to change course, to pivot, to add resources, to simplify, or to innovate.

Before you start:

  • Gather your team around a whiteboard.
  • Draw the Measure + Shift Canvas below on a whiteboard (be careful to use a dry erase marker).
  • Make sure everyone has a pad of Post-Its.
  • Make sure everyone has a Sharpie.

Each team member is to complete each item on the canvas individually by writing their response to each prompt on a sticky note and placing it near the prompt itself. The group works on these prompts one item at a time. Discuss team member inputs for each prompt before moving on to the next.

For example, team members will write down their answers for prompt no.1 (progress) and then discuss the responses together before moving on to prompt no.2 (key moments). See the next page for an example of how this looks.

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To-Dos

Responsible

Due Date

Check NPS

Doug and Sue

6/20 (today!)

Increase Instagram $, reduce Facebook

Evelina

6/22

Check Facebook targeting; adjust for following week.

Jamil

6/24

Now it's Your Turn

Measure & Shift Canvas

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To-Dos

Responsible

Due Date

Setting Next Steps

Once you have the team’s commitment on the new objectives and key results for next week, determine what next steps are required. Be sure to prioritize these steps and assign each one a team member responsible for its completion and a deadline for completion.