The Goldilocks Zone of Context

We surveyed ~400 people to learn what they dislike about software how-to guides, and what’d we find? 

1️⃣ There isn't enough context.
2️⃣ There's too much context.

😆 We come back to this paradox every time someone asks what “good” documentation looks like. And when we think about why it matters, in the first place.

Companies ask people to learn dozens of processes across dozens of tools just to do their jobs. One unclear instruction or inefficiency has the potential to multiply across hundreds of employees and cripple productivity. Our documentation has to absolutely nail it, every time. 

So what does a home run look like? 

Good documentation:

✅  Helps people do their job faster 
✅  Saves energy for more strategic work
✅  Strikes that balance between too much and too little

We call this “just enough context” at Tango. It’s the Goldilocks Zone. No one’s overwhelmed. No one’s falling asleep. Everyone’s got (just) what they need.

When “just enough context” makes sense 

A less-is-more approach to documentation is a good idea when:

• Learning or memorizing a task won't help people be any better at their jobs (read: 99% of software procedures)
• A process and/or software UI is changing regularly
• People just need to know where to click
• The task only needs to be done every once in a while

Here’s how one top performer we spoke with feels about 99% of software procedures:

“I get that the evil overlords think it's important for me to fill in my weekly update template a certain specific way in Asana. But for every detail my brain remembers about that, I forget an important thing about our customers that actually matters.”

🎯🎯🎯

Here are a few ways to trade the novel for the CliffsNotes: 

➡️ Include a screenshot for every step in your how-to guide
➡️ Crop your screenshots and zoom in on the information that matters
➡️ Add big, clear annotations so people know where to look (and what to do)
➡️ Limit text to <10 words
➡️ Keep any videos to two minutes or less 
➡️ Embed the instructions in the tools where people are working
➡️ Create a table of content with anchor links to help people skip straight to where they’re stuck

But what about cases when less is less?

When “just enough context” doesn’t make sense 

Software training isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of deal, and we understand that sometimes, more context is actually needed. Like, when there’s a step within a process that’s make or break.

That’s where you should focus your time and effort—and the people following your lead should too. 👀

It makes sense to go deeper in documentation when: 

• There’s a decision point or fork in the road
• One part of the process is much higher stakes
• Having unique insights matters 
• People really need to use their brains 

An underrated skill

Understanding the nuances of when to go deep and when to hit the highlights is an underrated skill in IT, Operations, Training, and Enablement.

If you do documentation well, people won’t tune out, miss the important stuff, ask you a million questions, and fail to get the job done. Instead, they’ll fly through successful processes, see when it’s important to pay attention, and save time and energy for more impactful work.🕺