Do you or someone you know suffer from RIFS?
RIFS = Rigid Instruction Frustration Syndrome
You’re far from alone
It happens to the best of us: We embark on a new project or endeavor with the very best of intentions. We arm ourselves with a trusty instruction manual, watch dozens of videos online, and set out to tackle the steps and sequences that we’re assured will lead to a successful end result. And then we come across a step that looks like this:
“Rotate object counterclockwise, with the long side facing you. Insert Tab A into Slot B, but only to the third marking on the fourth dowel. Next, flanquéz the object by tightening it with the spindelhex, and wait for a sound that goes gnkfrzzzzt.”
After four hours of sweating, looking up definitions online, falling deeper into YouTube rabbit holes, and scavenging through bags of tiny doodads, you’re convinced of one of two things:
I’m being set up to fail; or
I’m no good at this.
This is what we at Larabee call RIFS, or Rigid Instruction Frustration Syndrome – a common affliction in our modern world of overly dense instructions, flat pictographics, or deceptively straightforward videos.
Symptoms of RIFS
The symptoms of RIFS are only too familiar. They can include:
Growing resentment towards the instructions, the company behind the instructions, or colleagues or family members that ask “Aren’t you done yet?”
Mild to severe foul language
Deranged laughter
Desperate web searching of definitions
Deep, existential despair and feelings of inadequacy
Who is at risk?
Anyone can suffer from RIFS, but some populations are particularly vulnerable:
First-Time Operators who are tasked with learning a hands-on skill for the first time for their jobs and are told, “It’s not that hard.”
DIY enthusiasts and homeowners who just want crystal clear guidance on assembly, installation, or home projects without losing their mind.
Children learning basic tactile skills like shoe-tying.
Home Cooks who were promised that their dinner recipe was really only going to take 30 minutes.
Anyone learning to tie a bow tie minutes before their event begins.
As a byproduct of RIFS, there is another subset of people who suffer, albeit for different reasons:
Product Makers who field irate calls from people saying “Your product doesn’t work!”
Organizations who lose time and money due to lengthy training cycles and employee mistakes.
Brands for whom “user error” results in costly returns.
Treatment Options
DO NOT attempt to treat RIFS with more rigid instructions, descriptive words, and happy illustrations. This is a common misconception, but, like pouring cooking grease on a flame, it will only exacerbate and lengthen symptoms.
Another misconception is that there is simply no cure for RIFS. Unfortunately, many people who suffer from RIFS resign themselves to lives of ineptitude and walk around with their heads hung low in shame, making apology after apology for their own incompetence. “You need my help?” they ask, before saying, “I’m sorry, but I’m just bad at [X].”
Fortunately, there is a highly effective form of treatment for RIFS, and that is highly scalable, crystal clear instructional guidance that moves at the learner’s pace, anticipates their needs, and scaffolds them on their way to near-certain success. This is called Larabee, and we are ready to take your calls.
