03 — Modality Decision Matrix
Audience: Coaches and Account Managers choosing the right channel per participant or moment. Use: Quick reference during coaching session 1 and at every mid-engagement check-in.
The matrix
| Situation | Best modality | Why | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept never encountered before | Live workshop | Peer learning + lived experience cements relevance | Nudge-only (no anchor) |
| Participant has the concept, needs to apply it to their context | 1:1 coaching | Application is personal; group setting dilutes | Workshop repeat |
| Behaviour identified, needs daily reinforcement | Async nudge | Frequency > depth for habit formation | Monthly coaching only |
| Sensitive disclosure (mental health, menopause, debt) | 1:1 coaching | Confidentiality + warm handoff (Sprint 4 §07) | Group, async, or manager-visible channel |
| Participant disengaged for 2+ weeks | Account Mgr check-in call (not coach) | Removes coach-relationship pressure; reframes value | Auto-nudge escalation |
| Skill needs immediate practice (e.g. conversation framework) | Workshop role-play → coaching debrief | Practice → feedback loop | Reading only |
| Manager needs to support participant | Manager debrief (W11) or manager pocket card (Sprint 1 §03) | Skill transfer to the line | Forwarding participant's coaching notes (NEVER) |
Channel selection by participant communication preference
Ask in coaching session 1: "How do you actually read messages at work?"
| Answer | Default nudge channel |
|---|---|
| "Slack / Teams during the day" | Slack/Teams DM |
| "Email, I clear it in batches" | Email, sent 7:30am local |
| "Text — I'm rarely at a desk" | SMS |
| "I don't really check anything" | Schedule reminder inside their calendar invite for next coaching |
Record the choice in the coaching note (Sprint 4 §05 template field: nudge_channel).
Escalation paths (when modality isn't the answer)
| Signal | Action |
|---|---|
| Disclosure of suicidal ideation, abuse, modern slavery | Sprint 4 §07 warm-handoff scripts — NOT a nudge or workshop |
| Manager requesting individual participant data | Decline; offer aggregate dashboard view; loop in Account Mgr |
| Client requesting "wellbeing scores" per person | Decline; explain anonymisation rule (n ≥ 5); offer cohort confidence deltas |
| Coach feels out of depth on financial detail | Refer to MoneyHelper / StepChange per Sprint 4 §01 FCA boundary card |
Anti-patterns
- Workshop-only engagement: "We just need a 2-hour session for managers." → Decline or quote as awareness session, not behaviour change. Set expectations explicitly in the SoW.
- Coaching-only engagement: "Skip the workshop, jump to coaching." → Acceptable only for senior 1:1 engagements (exec coaching), never for cohorts.
- Nudge-only engagement: "Can we just license the app?" → MEM does not sell standalone digital. Refer the buyer elsewhere; do not dilute the model.
See: 01-hybrid-delivery-playbook.md for sequencing rules and quality gates.