Can We Apply TAGTeach
Methodology & Principles to
Remote Teams?
What is TAGTeach?
Theresa McKeon started TAGTeach in 2003 as a way of teaching her gymnasts to gain a competitive edge.
- TAGTeach slices behaviors or tasks into concise "tag points" that highlight successful execution of a task with clear and immediate feedback.
- "Tags points" are clear and simple communication: there is no question about whether the goal was met or not.
- The word "tag" in "tag point" is a verb - the learner is tagged at the point of successful execution.
- The tag becomes a "conditioned reinforcer" through association with tangible rewards or as a result of the good feelings that are come from success and improvement and praise.
- TAGTeach has numerous applications, which will allow us to extend it beyond a "teaching" tool.
Focus on Success
TAGTeach methodology slices behavior and focuses on attainable wins and success, allowing us to ignore failure (for the most part).
In TAGTeach, often success alone motivates the learner but additional R+ can also be given.
Motivation and Learning
Training is the same, and works equally well, for all species, whether training an earthworm or a Harvard graduate.
Ken Ramirez
Classical Conditioning
Pairing a previously neutral stimulus with something the learner already has an emotional response to
Operant Conditioning
Behavior leads to a consequence.
Operant Conditioning
Behavior leads to a consequence.
TAGTeach: Funnel
How Tag Points Define Success: WOOF
Tag Points are:
TAGTeach Slices and Dices
TAGTeach slices tasks and behavior into small, achievable goals and focuses on success.
TAGTeach Has Numerous Applications
TAGTeach is used all over the learning spectrum: business, shipping, classrooms, sports coaching, physical therapy, and medical training are just a few.
- Improve your golf swing
- Stand up straight
- Ensure safety standards are met
- Remember your keys
How Does This Work?
How Can We Implement This for Our Remote Team?
Obviously, we're not "clicking" our teammates and we're not "teaching". But we can create our own "focus funnel" to attain success.
- Slice projects into tasks and attainable milestones via Asana.
- Improve how we communicate goals and benchmarks.
- Self tag: TAGTeach allows for "self tagging", which we can use on our team to indicate success on our tasks.
1. Slice tasks and projects into attainable milestones
Every task sets the team member up to succeed when:
- The task has all the info needed to perform the task.
- The assignee knows how to do the task.
- The task is part of a larger project or task board that is clearly prioritized into sections and organized to reflect priorities.
This way everyone is working on the most important thing
and most likely to succeed.
Laundry List
Task List
2. Clearly communicate goals and benchmarks
Each task (or issue or request, etc.) should:
- Define what "success" looks like for this task or project. What is the goal or outcome we need to achieve to earn a tag?
- Where the assets are, what the content is, check Notion, etc. etc. (new employees)
- Give clear instructions.
- Prioritize tasks (like PDQ) and give deadlines.
- Intermix communication tools appropriately.
Examples of Using Asana as Our Focus Funnel
Example 1 - How We Can Think about Tasks in Terms of our Task Focus Funnel
- The Task/Project is - We need to put social media buttons on JenGermann.com because the marketing team needs to increase social engagement and click rates.
- Instructions - Using the existing social media component in the JAMStack-Seed repo, add social media buttons to this list of pages by tomorrow.
- The Tag Point is - "Add social media to JenGermann.com".
Example 2 - Terminology
- The Task/Project is - Slack, Meetings, Asana Comments, Asana Task Description - JenGermann.com needs the proper version of the SSR widget.
- Instructions - Asana Task Description (clearly denoted) - Find the document in Notion for SSR Widgets for JAMStack sites, determine the proper version of the SSR widget JenGermann.com needs, and add it to all pages.
- The Tag Point is - (Click Complete on Asana Task) - Add SSR Widget to JenGermann.com.
Example 3 - Using Asana as our "focus funnel"
Self Tagging
Instead of someone "clicking" us, we can tag ourselves to indicate successful execution and notify our team leader when tags have been attained. "Tags" could be:
- Clicking the complete button on an Asana task (by deadline)
- Merge a PR
- Close an Issue
- Notify a Channel
- Send Post-mortem
- Any action we need to take to indicate "problem solved" or "task done".
Reinforce
TAGTeach focuses solely on reinforcing success. This happens in a few ways:
Adult human learners are often alone reinforced through receiving the feedback of the tag and attaining success. No external, tangible reinforcement may be needed.
External Reinforcement
Can reinforce each tag or combine "tags" to earn greater reinforcement:
- Complete 5 tasks by due date per sprint and get to leave one hour early on the last Friday of the month.
- Merge a large project into the master branch by the deadline and get a special outing at the next team meetup.
- Achieve 50 tags and get special recognition of effort from the boss's boss.
- Do a fantastic presentation on adapting TAGTeach for remote teams and get a $5 Starbucks card. :D
Individual or Team Goals? Both?
Setting team goals can encourage comraderie, increased communication, and learning partnerships.
Start with an easily attainable goal to ensure the learner has early success, and gradually increase the goal as success is attained.
Focus on Success
TAGTeach focuses on successes because the learner already knows when she failed by the absense of a "tag". This keeps everyone in a "win" frame of mind, fosters learning and curiosity, and makes attaining goals fun.
So What, Then We Just Let Slackers Slack?!?!
Of course not!
By focusing on wins (attaining tag points), team leaders have object benchmarks to measure performance.
TAGTeach provides managers, teachers, and leaders benchmarks for success
Because the groundwork has been laid through clear communication and slicing behavior (tasks/projects) into distinctly attainable goals, the team leader can objectively quantify success.
Because there is one way to succeed - achieve the tag point - the leader knows if the learner understands and is performing the skill accurately.
TAGTeach methodology takes what was once subjective measures and objectifies goals.
Leaders Gonna Lead
It is incumbent on the team leaders to ensure the team knows how to win, breaking down projects or tasks into reasonable chunks, setting distinct tag points, and taking ownerships of failures.
If a team member fails, the leader must first check if the team member was set up to succeed and adjust where needed.
But, if the team member isn't up to scratch, cannot attain reasonable goals, does not self-assess or self-correct, and does not learn, then the team leader has the benchmarks to show this objectively and the team member is cut from the team.
Adapting TAGTeach for Our Remote Team
- Teacher => Team Leader, Managers
- Learner => Team Member
Focus Funnel:
- Lesson/Objective => Project/Task: This is the conversation and noise surrounding the task.
- Instructions: This is the description in the Asana task or Github Issue. This needs to clear, concise, and actionable.
Tag Point:
- This is the final point where the task is complete. We have to be VERY CLEAR on what the "tag" is: Asana task complete, PR merged, channel notified, etc.
- The "tag": Self Tagging (most often), Peer Tagging (new team members and Cafeto).
Action Items
- Set up our Asana tasks using our "focus funnel", sectioning project boards, adding deadlines, prioritizing tasks.
- Give clear instructions with indications of where to find assets.
- Decide on our "tag points" and how we talk about this to the team.
- Set reinforcers.
Tagging Works
TAGTeach for Remote Teams
By germanny
