What WMTI Does
Walk Me Through It is a structured prompting protocol that triggers deliberate cognitive processing by requiring workers to narrate planned task execution in current conditions. The phrase "walk me through it" activates narrative cognition, forcing the worker to mentally simulate the task sequence rather than providing a cached yes-or-no response.
Binary questions like "Are you ready?" or "Did you do your JSA?" can be answered on autopilot. A worker can say "yes" while thinking about lunch. A WMTI prompt cannot be answered on autopilot because it requires the worker to generate a narrative. The response must be constructed in real time, drawing on the worker's actual understanding of the task, the equipment, the conditions, and the hazards present today.
How It Works
A supervisor approaches a worker before task execution and delivers a prompt constructed according to the Specificity Principle:
"Mike, walk me through how you are going to execute the hydraulic line replacement on Unit 7 today."
That single question contains four required elements: the worker's name (personalizes the exchange), the WMTI trigger phrase (activates narrative cognition), the specific task (prevents generic responses), and a temporal marker ("today" anchors the response to current conditions). It deliberately excludes the hazards the supervisor noticed, the conditions the supervisor observed, and the answer the supervisor hopes to hear.
The response reveals whether the worker has mentally rehearsed the task. A cognitively engaged worker provides specific, condition-aware details. A worker operating on autopilot provides generic, procedural recitation that could apply to any site on any day.
The Cognitive Pause Marker
One of the most valuable moments in a WMTI exchange is the pause. When a worker hesitates briefly before answering, looks away or up, or says "ummm" before responding, this often indicates a shift from automatic processing to deliberate thinking. The worker is mentally simulating the task rather than reciting a memorized answer.
Supervisors learn to wait through the pause rather than jumping in. The instinct to fill silence is strong, but the pause is where thinking begins. Interrupting the pause defeats the purpose of the prompt.
Echo and Expand
When a worker's response reveals a gap, the supervisor does not correct, lecture, or discipline. Instead, the supervisor uses a technique called Echo and Expand: repeat back what the worker said, acknowledge it, and ask them to go a little deeper.
"Okay, you mentioned the hydraulics. Walk me through what specifically you checked on the hydraulics today."
The worker fills in the gap themselves. The thinking becomes theirs. This is critical because externally imposed corrections create compliance. Self-generated thinking creates ownership. The supervisor may only reference what the worker has already generated.
Duration
The entire WMTI conversation takes 60 to 90 seconds. No new forms. No additional paperwork. No documentation burden on the worker. Just a different kind of question that makes thinking visible before exposure to risk.
Next: The Specificity Principle. The rules governing how WMTI prompts are constructed.