Zoom Out. Zoom In.

A few weeks ago, I shared a reflection inspired by Trevor Ragan’s [tag] idea that if someone can get better at it, it’s a skill. 

That framing has stayed with me, because once you see work through a skills lens, you start asking better questions. 

Trevor talks about the importance of “zooming out” and “zooming in”. 

Zoom out to see the broad direction. Zoom in to make it actionable. 

Let’s take something many organisations prioritise: 

“We need stronger stakeholder management.” 

That’s the zoomed-out version. 

It’s directionally right, but it’s not yet actionable. So, we zoom in. 

Stronger stakeholder management might actually mean: 

• Asking better diagnostic questions before proposing a solution 

• Summarising decisions clearly at the end of meetings 

• Following up with written confirmation to avoid ambiguity 

• Navigating pushback without becoming defensive 

• Clarifying expectations early instead of assuming alignment 

Now we’re in skill territory. Now we have something people can practise. 

This is the shift skills-based organisations are making. Instead of designing learning around broad capabilities, they design around behavioural specificity. 

At Learnopolis, this is exactly how we approach customised learning. 

Start with the business goal. Zoom in to the behaviours that will make the biggest difference. Design learning that allows people to practise those behaviours in context. 

Not fluffy capability statements. Practical, observable skills. 

Because “better stakeholder management” isn’t something you can train. 

But asking sharper questions in your next meeting? That’s a skill you can build tomorrow. 

Jen