Module 3: Strategic questions

Understanding Roles and Relationships

• Duration: 45 minutes
• Focus: Go beyond “how-to” by exploring how roles, policies, and relationships influence RM Compare operations
• Goal: Master the art of using LLMs to gain systems-level insight: who does what, why, and how everything connects

Key Benefit:
Strategic questioning helps you make better decisions, manage change, and design successful implementations with RM Compare.

Lessons

• Lesson 1: The Value of Strategic Questioning
• Lesson 2: The Five Key Types of Strategic Questions
• Lesson 3: Scenario Questions – Bringing Strategy to Life
• Lesson 4: Workshop – Strategic Questions in Action
• Lesson 5: Building Your Strategic Question Toolkit
• Lesson 6: Validating Strategic Insights
• Lesson 7: Module 3 Wrap-Up & Next Steps

Lesson 1: The Value of Strategic Questioning

Why Strategic Questions Matter:

• Clarifies responsibilities and expectations for all users
• Helps anticipate collaboration challenges and role-based conflicts
• Illuminates possible knock-on effects of changes or issues
• Supports smooth scaling and minimizes resistance

Types of Strategic Understanding:

• Role mapping
• Relationship analysis
• Implication forecasting
• Process design

Lesson 2: The Five Key Types of Strategic Questions

1. Role Definition Questions
   "What are the responsibilities, privileges, and limits of [role] in RM Compare?"
2. Perspective Shift Questions
   "Describe [task/workflow/feature] from the viewpoint of [specific role]."
3. Relationship Mapping Questions
   "How do [two or more roles] interact in [specific process]?"
4. Decision Impact Questions
   "What are the potential effects of [decision/change] on different roles and processes?"
5. System Design Questions
   "What’s the best way to structure [policy/workflow] for our organization’s needs?"

Question Framework #1 – Role Definition

The Template:
"What are the core responsibilities, permissions, and boundaries for [specific RM Compare role] within a [your organization type]?"

Examples:
✅ "What responsibilities and restrictions does a Licence Centre Administrator have compared to a Session Creator in a multi-academy trust?"
✅ "What can a Judge see and do in a Private Session and what can’t they do?"

Why This Matters:
Clear roles reduce confusion, ensure compliance, and foster accountability.

Question Framework #2 – Perspective Shift

"How does [process/challenge] look from the perspective of [role]?"

Examples:
✅ "How does onboarding feel from a new Session Creator’s point of view, and what ‘pain points’ might they encounter?"
✅ "What is most important to Judges when participating in cross-school Multi-Centre Sessions?"

Benefits:

• Empathy for stakeholders
• Better user training and support
• Smoother adoption

Question Framework #3 – Relationship Mapping

The Template:
"How do [Role A] and [Role B] interact during [task/process]?"

Examples:
✅ "What is the workflow between a Licence Centre Administrator and Session Creators when setting up a DataShare-enabled session?"
✅ "How do IT administrators and RM Compare administrators collaborate to maintain account security?"

Benefits:

• Reveals communication gaps
• Uncovers handoffs and dependencies
• Highlights opportunities for improvement

Question Framework #4 – Decision Impact

The Template:
"If we [make a change/decision], what are the consequences for [roles/processes]?"

Examples:
✅ "If we start using DataShare for all collaborative sessions, what changes for Session Creators and how should administrators respond?"
✅ "What happens to user access if an administrator leaves the organization?"

Benefits:

• Anticipates issues before they occur
• Helps design resilient policies
• Supports change management

Question Framework #5 – System Design

The Template:
"What’s the optimal structure for [process/policy] given [our constraints/goals/organization]?"

Examples:
✅ "Design a workflow for onboarding and supporting Session Creators at scale in a dispersed organization."
✅ "Recommend a policy for rotating administrator accounts to balance security and business continuity."

Outcome:

• Creates robust, scalable workflows
• Supports consistent, high-quality implementations

Lesson 3: Scenario Questions – Bringing Strategy to Life

Scenario Example 1:
"Describe a scenario where a Judge conflicts with a Session Creator’s decisions. What’s the best process for resolution?"

Scenario Example 2:
"In a Multi-Centre environment, how should roles and permissions be managed to balance trust and data privacy?"

Practice:
Craft a scenario question that challenges your understanding of how roles, policies, and relationships interact in your organization.

Lesson 4: Workshop – Strategic Questions in Action

Exercise 1: Role Mapping (8 min)

• Write a comprehensive role definition question for your own RM Compare environment.

Exercise 2: Perspective Shift (8 min)

• Create a question that asks for a different viewpoint on a task you manage.

Exercise 3: Relationship Mapping (8 min)

• Develop a question that explores interactions between two RM Compare roles/processes.

Exercise 4: Decision Impact (8 min)

• Construct a question examining the implications of a planned policy or process change.

Exercise 5: System Design (8 min)

• Write a system design question targeting a strategic workflow you want to improve.

Lesson 5: Building Your Strategic Question Toolkit

Save Your Best Questions:

• For each area (role, relationship, impact), keep a personalized file of high-impact questions and strong responses.
• Use these as blueprints for new hires or policy reviews.
• Update regularly as roles and the RM Compare system evolve.

Lesson 6: Validating Strategic Insights

How to Check for Sound Answers:

• Cross-reference with organization policies and RM Compare official guidance
• Seek peer or manager feedback on new process designs
• Use scenario-based testing to find unforeseen gaps
• Iterate on your question and answer set as the system or organization changes

Lesson 7: Module 3 Wrap-Up & Next Steps

What You've Mastered:
✅ Crafting questions to map roles and system relationships
✅ Seeing challenges from multiple perspectives
✅ Anticipating the impact of changes and designing effective workflows
✅ Validating and applying strategic insights

Next Module Preview:
Module 4: Analytical Questions – Diving Deep into Sessions and Data

Your Assignment:
Use at least two strategic question templates to analyze a real or anticipated challenge in your RM Compare environment. Document the questions, responses, and any resulting actions or decisions.

Related Articles

• Module 4: Analytical Questions