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| Image by Felix Wolf from Pixabay |
As consultants and industry professionals, we often take for granted the terms we use every day. But what seems like common language to us can be a whole different story for others outside our industry. One such term is “granularity”. Granularity refers to the level of detail or precision within a particular context. It can be applied across various fields.
As a Competency Development & Assessment Consultant, I used the term in a recent workshop within the context of mapping existing courses to the Occupational Competency Profile and highlighted the importance of identifying the "right level of granularity" for the mapping exercise.
What impressed me was how quickly my (very excellent) client team took the initiative to clarify the term. They not only sought a better understanding but also asked for additional resources and tools to truly grasp how to use the idea of “level of granularity” in practical ways. So, we went one layer deeper to discuss how to map different components of a course with specific pieces of information in the competency profile. Should we map topics, lessons, or entire courses? And should those be aligned with competency areas, key competencies within each area, or the specific knowledge and performance requirements within each competency? It became a very nuanced and valuable conversation. And based on that, we came up with usable and workable tools and templates that reflected the level of granularity we were looking for.
That conversation reminded me of how vital it is to clarify industry jargon. What’s simple for us can be vague or ambiguous for someone new to the conversation. By breaking down these terms, we not only help establish shared understanding but also create opportunities for richer discussions and insights.
So, the next time you dive into a conversation, remember: clarity can turn confusion into connection and collaboration!
What’s an industry term or jargon that you’ve explained recently?
As a Competency Development & Assessment Consultant, I used the term in a recent workshop within the context of mapping existing courses to the Occupational Competency Profile and highlighted the importance of identifying the "right level of granularity" for the mapping exercise.
What impressed me was how quickly my (very excellent) client team took the initiative to clarify the term. They not only sought a better understanding but also asked for additional resources and tools to truly grasp how to use the idea of “level of granularity” in practical ways. So, we went one layer deeper to discuss how to map different components of a course with specific pieces of information in the competency profile. Should we map topics, lessons, or entire courses? And should those be aligned with competency areas, key competencies within each area, or the specific knowledge and performance requirements within each competency? It became a very nuanced and valuable conversation. And based on that, we came up with usable and workable tools and templates that reflected the level of granularity we were looking for.
That conversation reminded me of how vital it is to clarify industry jargon. What’s simple for us can be vague or ambiguous for someone new to the conversation. By breaking down these terms, we not only help establish shared understanding but also create opportunities for richer discussions and insights.
So, the next time you dive into a conversation, remember: clarity can turn confusion into connection and collaboration!
What’s an industry term or jargon that you’ve explained recently?
