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SST 2014; The Reluctant SME

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Elisa Sawyer
Elisa Sawyer

What happens when a subject matter expert won’t or can’t provide required information to the person whose job it is to write about it? All is not lost! Drawing on their experiences, the presenters will cover identifying and addressing issues technical communicators face with reluctant SMEs.

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The  Reluctant  Subject  Ma0er   Expert   or   Helping  people  work  effec/vely  with  you   1   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
For  many  of  us,  our  success  as   professional  communicators  depends   on  how  successfully  we  work  with   SMEs.   2   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
The  ideas  in  this  presenta/on  are   based  on  wri/ng  techniques,   however,   they  are    valid  for  use  in  other   professions.   3   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
Always  remember:   ProducLve  relaLonships  with  SMEs   don’t  happen  by  accident.   4   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
The  acquisiLon  of  informaLon   is  managed  for  some  writers.   5   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
Situa/on  normal  in  some  departments   and  companies:   Providing  informaLon  to  the  tech   writer  is  low  priority.   (But,  what’s  up  with  that?)   6   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
With  shy  and  elusive  SMEs,  we  find   that  their  bad  behaviors  oIen  fall   into  two  categories:   • Avoidance   • Antagonism   7   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
We  resort  to  hun/ng  SMEs.   8   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
SME  hunLng  by  tech  writers  tends   to    fall  into  three  categories:   •  Stalking   •  Using  clever  lures  to  draw  them   into  traps   •  Making  offers  they  can’t  refuse   9   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
What  if  you  could  get  SMEs  to  seek   you  out  in  order  to  give  you  info?   ! I’d  die  of  surprise.   ! I  wouldn’t  know  what  to  do  with  all  the   Lme  I’d  be  saving.   ! I’d  know  for  certain  that  I  was  dreaming.   10   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
OK,  let’s  dream  about  some  reali/es:   •  Most  people  like  to  talk  shop.   •  Most  people  like  to  tell  their  stories.   •  Good  storytellers  always  have  audiences.   •  Almost  everyone  wants  to  be  an  author.     11   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
Here’s  a  key  convenient  truth:   Almost  no  one  wants  to  do  the   hard  work  of  wri/ng,  and  that’s   where  we’re  the  experts.   ☺     12   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
SME  Hunter  vs.  Knowledge  Partner   SME  hunter   Knowledge  partner   Short-­‐term  focus:  Concerned  with   immediate  project.     Long-­‐term  focus:  Builds  knowledge   base  for  later  projects  and  expands   your  influence.     Quick  fixes:  Driven  by  necessity,   results  can  be  uneven.   Able  to  address  problems  at  their   source:  results  are  higher  in  quality.   Seen  by  others  as  necessary  evil,   annoyance,  obstacle,  or  roadblock.     Seen  by  other  as  a  contributor  and  part   of  the  team.   Not  integrated  into  project.   Fully  integrated  into  project.   Ogen  excluded.   Ogen  invited  and  included.   13   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
The  magic  elixir:   We’ve  got  story!   The  art  and  crag  of  wriLng  gives  us  an   amazingly  powerful  set  of  tools…   14   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
We  writers  are  astute  observers.   Within  our  roles  as  writers,  we  make   careful  observaLons  with  respect  to:   • Sekngs   • Characters   • Dramas   15   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
Working  as  knowledge  partners,  we:   •  Set  the  stage  for  collaboraLon.   •  IdenLfy  SME  “red  flag”  behavior  and  deflect  their   pull  into  unproducLve  dramas.   •  Realize  that  we  control  our  own  acLons  and  not   those  of  others.     •  Respect  others:  listen  carefully  to  their  stories,   show  appropriate  empathy,  and  stay  flexible.   •  Recognize  that  communicaLon  skills  are  useful   beyond  the  page  and  use  them  to  build  mutually   beneficial  relaLonships.   16   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
Observe  your  work  sekng.   Ques/ons  about  your  company  culture     to  answer   and  revisit  occasionally:   •  Is  the  work  environment  informal  or  formal?   •  Is  the  power  structure  hierarchical  or  is  power   shared,  implicitly  or  explicitly?   •  What  are  the  spoken/unspoken  rules?   •  Are  there  hidden  agendas?   17   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
SME  roles  (character)  within  sekng   An  SME  responds  as  a  character  within  a  sePng.   Sco0  Myer’s  five  character  archetypes:     Protagonist   Nemesis   A0ractor   Mentor   Trickster        How  do  you  see  your  SME?        How  does  your  SME  see  you?   18   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
An  essenLal  “how  to”  for  creaLng   drama:   What  a  character  wants  is  at  odds   with  what  they  need.   So,  how  do  we  reduce  office  drama?   19   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
Dealing  with  unintenLonal  sabotage   •  Recognize  when  our  SMEs’  well-­‐intenLoned   efforts  cause  problems.   •  Recognize  when  our  own  well-­‐intenLoned   efforts  cause  problems.   You  can  usually  get  your  project  back   on  track  aIer  an  incident  of   uninten/onal  sabotage.   20   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
More  on  unintenLonal  sabotage   •  Special  case:  the  talented  SME  with  character   flaws   •  Special  case:  when  you  as  a  writer  discover   that  a  situaLon  is  pushing  you  beyond  your   limits   21   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
While  most  sabotage  is   unintenLonal,  occasionally  it’s   not…   22   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
Expanding  on  strengths,   both  ours  and  others:   We  can  make  everyone  look   be0er.   23   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  

More Related Content

SST 2014; The Reluctant SME

  • 1. The  Reluctant  Subject  Ma0er   Expert   or   Helping  people  work  effec/vely  with  you   1   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 2. For  many  of  us,  our  success  as   professional  communicators  depends   on  how  successfully  we  work  with   SMEs.   2   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 3. The  ideas  in  this  presenta/on  are   based  on  wri/ng  techniques,   however,   they  are    valid  for  use  in  other   professions.   3   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 4. Always  remember:   ProducLve  relaLonships  with  SMEs   don’t  happen  by  accident.   4   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 5. The  acquisiLon  of  informaLon   is  managed  for  some  writers.   5   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 6. Situa/on  normal  in  some  departments   and  companies:   Providing  informaLon  to  the  tech   writer  is  low  priority.   (But,  what’s  up  with  that?)   6   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 7. With  shy  and  elusive  SMEs,  we  find   that  their  bad  behaviors  oIen  fall   into  two  categories:   • Avoidance   • Antagonism   7   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 8. We  resort  to  hun/ng  SMEs.   8   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 9. SME  hunLng  by  tech  writers  tends   to    fall  into  three  categories:   •  Stalking   •  Using  clever  lures  to  draw  them   into  traps   •  Making  offers  they  can’t  refuse   9   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 10. What  if  you  could  get  SMEs  to  seek   you  out  in  order  to  give  you  info?   ! I’d  die  of  surprise.   ! I  wouldn’t  know  what  to  do  with  all  the   Lme  I’d  be  saving.   ! I’d  know  for  certain  that  I  was  dreaming.   10   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 11. OK,  let’s  dream  about  some  reali/es:   •  Most  people  like  to  talk  shop.   •  Most  people  like  to  tell  their  stories.   •  Good  storytellers  always  have  audiences.   •  Almost  everyone  wants  to  be  an  author.     11   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 12. Here’s  a  key  convenient  truth:   Almost  no  one  wants  to  do  the   hard  work  of  wri/ng,  and  that’s   where  we’re  the  experts.   ☺     12   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 13. SME  Hunter  vs.  Knowledge  Partner   SME  hunter   Knowledge  partner   Short-­‐term  focus:  Concerned  with   immediate  project.     Long-­‐term  focus:  Builds  knowledge   base  for  later  projects  and  expands   your  influence.     Quick  fixes:  Driven  by  necessity,   results  can  be  uneven.   Able  to  address  problems  at  their   source:  results  are  higher  in  quality.   Seen  by  others  as  necessary  evil,   annoyance,  obstacle,  or  roadblock.     Seen  by  other  as  a  contributor  and  part   of  the  team.   Not  integrated  into  project.   Fully  integrated  into  project.   Ogen  excluded.   Ogen  invited  and  included.   13   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 14. The  magic  elixir:   We’ve  got  story!   The  art  and  crag  of  wriLng  gives  us  an   amazingly  powerful  set  of  tools…   14   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 15. We  writers  are  astute  observers.   Within  our  roles  as  writers,  we  make   careful  observaLons  with  respect  to:   • Sekngs   • Characters   • Dramas   15   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 16. Working  as  knowledge  partners,  we:   •  Set  the  stage  for  collaboraLon.   •  IdenLfy  SME  “red  flag”  behavior  and  deflect  their   pull  into  unproducLve  dramas.   •  Realize  that  we  control  our  own  acLons  and  not   those  of  others.     •  Respect  others:  listen  carefully  to  their  stories,   show  appropriate  empathy,  and  stay  flexible.   •  Recognize  that  communicaLon  skills  are  useful   beyond  the  page  and  use  them  to  build  mutually   beneficial  relaLonships.   16   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 17. Observe  your  work  sekng.   Ques/ons  about  your  company  culture     to  answer   and  revisit  occasionally:   •  Is  the  work  environment  informal  or  formal?   •  Is  the  power  structure  hierarchical  or  is  power   shared,  implicitly  or  explicitly?   •  What  are  the  spoken/unspoken  rules?   •  Are  there  hidden  agendas?   17   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 18. SME  roles  (character)  within  sekng   An  SME  responds  as  a  character  within  a  sePng.   Sco0  Myer’s  five  character  archetypes:     Protagonist   Nemesis   A0ractor   Mentor   Trickster        How  do  you  see  your  SME?        How  does  your  SME  see  you?   18   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 19. An  essenLal  “how  to”  for  creaLng   drama:   What  a  character  wants  is  at  odds   with  what  they  need.   So,  how  do  we  reduce  office  drama?   19   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 20. Dealing  with  unintenLonal  sabotage   •  Recognize  when  our  SMEs’  well-­‐intenLoned   efforts  cause  problems.   •  Recognize  when  our  own  well-­‐intenLoned   efforts  cause  problems.   You  can  usually  get  your  project  back   on  track  aIer  an  incident  of   uninten/onal  sabotage.   20   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 21. More  on  unintenLonal  sabotage   •  Special  case:  the  talented  SME  with  character   flaws   •  Special  case:  when  you  as  a  writer  discover   that  a  situaLon  is  pushing  you  beyond  your   limits   21   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 22. While  most  sabotage  is   unintenLonal,  occasionally  it’s   not…   22   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney  
  • 23. Expanding  on  strengths,   both  ours  and  others:   We  can  make  everyone  look   be0er.   23   The  Reluctant  SME;  ©  2014  Elisa  Sawyer,   MS  and  Ann  Marie  Queeney