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Executive Snapshot
This self-initiated simulation explores how manager communication directly shapes team ownership. Based on a real workplace situation, I designed an on-demand 1:1 conversation simulator for newly hired managers to practice respectful, autonomy-supportive communication with Customer Support agents. The project demonstrates my ability to diagnose ownership problems systemically, apply Action Mapping rigorously, and design practice-based leadership learning rather than advice-driven training.
Business Context & Performance Problem
A Customer Support team serving a demanding market showed a 20% lower ownership score compared to peer teams. Leadership initially framed the issue as an “agent ownership problem” and requested an eLearning course on ownership.
Early analysis suggested a different risk:
Agents were being measured on ownership
But manager communication patterns were shaping behavior
Expectations were set bluntly
Empathy was low
Problem-solving responsibility remained implicitly centralized with managers
Ownership was not absent — it was not being invited.
Action Mapping (Diagnostic Backbone)
I conducted a full Action Mapping analysis based on my experience working for an international tech company.
Business Goal
Increase the annual ownership rating of Customer Support agents on the UK market by 10% by the end of the following year.
Critical On-the-Job Behaviors (Agents)
Agents must:
Execute tasks based on agreed priorities
Pick and resolve cases in the correct order
Arrive on time and prepared
Proactively propose solutions during team meetings
Why These Behaviors Were Not Happening
Through interviews, we identified that:
Cultural and environmental barriers existed (outside training scope)
Managers often communicated in an authoritative, solution-giving style
Empathy was limited
Expectations were set without dialogue
Agents were rarely invited to co-own solutions
What Was Intentionally Excluded
Training agents on “being more accountable”
Motivational content
Ownership theory
The root cause sat upstream: manager behavior.
Proposed Solution
Once non-training interventions were identified for cultural issues, a specific skill gap remained:
Managers needed practice in:
Showing empathy for operational challenges
Giving feedback without defensiveness
Setting expectations clearly and respectfully
Encouraging agents to generate solutions themselves
Given:
a global, fast-paced environment
limited time for synchronous training
the need for just-in-time rehearsal
I chose an on-demand eLearning simulation that managers could complete immediately before real 1:1s.
Experience the solution
Story-based 1:1 conversations
Choice-driven dialogue
Delayed, consequence-based feedback
Replayable practice
Learning Architecture (CCAF)
Context
I decided to introduce the course by a story of a relatable character. The story starts with a manager being asked by her senior manager to solve the ownership issue her team is facing. The management team could easily relate to such a context, as they were in the same situation. To make the characters more relatable, the learner had a chance to read a background story about the person they were going to have a 1:1 with.
Challenge
To keep the learners engaged, they were challenged to lead 1:1s with their team members. They needed to make the right decisions to empathise, give feedback and set expectations in a respectful way as well as encourage the individuals to find their own solutions.
Activity
To pass the challenge successfully, the learners were to choose the sentence structures that were most respectful and would lead to increased ownership on the side of the agents.
Feedback
I decided to give feedback in the form of delayed consequences, so the learners could understand themselves if their choices were correct. They received the feedback in a meaningful way - through a 1:1 feedback form sent by the agent they’ve just had meeting with.
Design Strategy & Key Decisions
Key design decisions included:
Using delayed feedback instead of immediate right/wrong signals
→ Mirrored real-world consequences of communication.
Framing feedback as a post-1:1 message
→ Reinforced empathy and perspective-taking.
Forcing learners to choose sentence structures, not concepts
→ Focused on language, tone, and intent.
Making the simulation short and repeatable
→ Supported pre-meeting rehearsal.
Constraints & Friction
This project was designed around realistic constraints:
Managers resist abstract “soft-skills training”
Feedback is emotionally loaded
Ownership cannot be commanded
Practice must feel safe and non-judgmental
These constraints ruled out lectures, frameworks, or scripted “best practices.”
Prototyping & Development
I built the solution end-to-end:
Storyboarding in Google Slides
Interactive prototyping in Storyline 360
Animated scenarios using Vyond
Variable-driven feedback logic
Iterative testing with managers and agents
What This Project Demonstrates About Me
I diagnose ownership as a system behavior, not a personal trait
I redirect training requests when they target the wrong audience
I design leadership learning as practice, not advice
I balance empathy, accountability, and realism
I build technically complex simulations in service of behavior change
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