I try to develop scenario-based, character-driven courses whenever possible. Consequently, I spend a lot of time thinking about where the action will be set. In fact, I allocate a large part of my development time to what I call "building the set." It's the most difficult part for me because those early decisions influence the rest of the development process. In this post, I'll provide some insight into my process.

Setting is the place and time and in which the story takes place. I choose my setting intentionally because I know they influence how the learner will experience the course.

My settings fall into three categories:

• Environmental settings are used for scenario-based modules where the action takes place in an environment similar to the learner's.
• Plain settings are simply titled slides with words and/or pictures on the screen. I usually use plain settings when I have actual images of the work environment (i.e. a gas station or a brewery).
• Decorative is similar to plain, but I choose to either add an artistic/abstract background or some other affect. I use this when there's no specific environment or using  imagary is not practical or beneficial.

In this post, I’ll focus on considerations when building an environmental setting.

I am often asked how to get started building your own consultancy. There are many articles online that claim to provide the ultimate top five steps to take. They are helpful, but not nearly as thorough as they should be. The scope of what should be considered is usually limited. Most of them focus only on the business aspects and do not cover the other challenges you'll face throughout your journey.

I created this list a few years ago for a conference. Although I am eight years into my consultancy career, many of these questions are still unanswered. It's a good list to review before you leap, but it's also worth revisiting after the jump, especially during those times when find yourself thinking, "Now, why did I do this again?"

I've divided the questions into three categories: business, work, and life.