Want to Know What DITLO and Infobesity Mean?
In the latest Women In... bonus episode, Libby DeLucien offered two standout leadership tools that hit hard—and practical. First, she introduced DITLO (“Day In The Life Of”) as a creative window into maximizing employee engagement. By mapping a typical day for team members—every task, touchpoint, and challenge—leaders can better align roles to individual strengths, identify hidden gaps, and ensure each person thrives in their optimal environment. This method is deeply rooted in practices like the DILO simulation, which comes with a structured 7-step guide, templates, and interview strategies that bring precision and clarity to workforce planning (chiefsforchange.org, wevalgo.com).
Next, Libby tackled the overload epidemic she calls “infobesity”—the relentless consumption of books, podcasts, articles, and conference content that, without action, breeds overwhelm, decision paralysis, and wasted potential. Research defines infobesity as the state where “potentially useful information becomes a hindrance rather than a help” (lumapps.com, en.wikipedia.org).
Tools to Move from Info to Impact
1. Using DITLO to Strategically Sharpen Roles
Download a DILO Toolkit: Resources exist with step-by-step workflows, templates, and simulation agendas to guide you through a full DITLO exercise (chiefsforchange.org).
Implement a 7-Step Simulation: Start by selecting personas, walking through their day-to-day, questioning every step, uncovering friction points, and iterating to improvement (mindtools.com).
Use as Communication Leverage: Sharing mapped days builds clarity and alignment—employees feel seen, and leaders gain trust and stronger cross-functional coordination.
2. Curbing Infobesity with Intentional Consumption
Define Your “Must-Use” List: Focus only on content directly tied to real, immediate goals—skip the noise and read fewer articles in favor of deeper, actionable ones.
Unsubscribe and Detach: Eliminate push-based distractions—muting email alerts, limiting news consumption, and resisting the urge to overconsume.
Rotate Your Learning Menu: Instead of saturating your brain, cycle through one source at a time—maybe a leadership article one week and an audiobook another—so each is applied, not just skimmed.
Practice the “One-Thing Application” Rule: After consuming any new insight, commit to applying a single new behavior or practice—then journal or reflect to reinforce transformation.
Sample Action Steps
DITLO Simulation: Pick one team member or role. Map their day in 30–60 minute intervals. Ask “Why?” at every step and look for role misfits or process blockages.
Reduce Infobesity: Trim sources down to 3 priority ones. Feel overloaded? Pause consuming and spend that time implementing or reflecting instead.
Reflect & Share: After reading or listening, write one actionable takeaway. Then discuss it with a peer or bring it into your next team meeting to operationalize the idea.
Takeaway: Libby’s insights pack serious punch: DITLO offers clarity on what roles need—and what people need to excel. Meanwhile, slaying infobesity is about reclaiming focus, ensuring that what we learn actually moves the needle on leadership and growth
