atw: Re: Dealing with SMEs?
- From: Jasmine Andrews <jasminethetrainer@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:47:50 +1100
Just take their hostility as confirmation of your need to exist. If SME's
were capable of explaining themselves in a manner that meant something to
someone on the street, then we'd all be out of a job.
2009/3/12 j.sids <sids.515@xxxxxxxxx>
> Thanks for the helpful advice everyone. I'll see if I can get a copy
> of the book. When I said the SMEs appeared hostile, I didn't mean it
> in a negative manner as such, just a general observation or vibe I
> get when I interact with them. It seems that the common advice is to
> develop research and mapping skills - will definitely look into that
> ;-) Thanks austechies
>
>
> On 3/11/09, Stuart Burnfield <slb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Good advice so far. Some more thoughts:
> >
> > - It's better to go in with a tentative understanding and get the SME to
> > correct or elaborate it. Ideally you shouldn't go into a session just to
> be
> > pumped full of new information. It's very hard to understand complex
> > material without having time to go over it in your mind.
> > - Try to develop a 'big picture' that you gradually expand and refine as
> you
> > find out more. Early on it might just be a one-page diagram or a few sets
> of
> > bullet points. As you learn more you might expand each bullet point or
> blob
> > in the diagram into a paragraph. After a while it should cover things
> like
> > the purpose of the project/product; its main features/functions; main
> > industries/markets/competitors; main users; their tasks and goals. Think
> of
> > this as the overview or plan of attack that would have liked to have when
> > you started on the project--a survival guide for your younger self. From
> > time to time, check this understanding with your manager and the SMEs.
> This
> > will be your solid ground when you go on to drain new areas of swamp.
> > - Remember that your SMEs have probably been immersed in the project for
> > some time and they may have been grappling with complex, low-level
> details
> > when you come to see them. It's hard for anyone in that situation to step
> > back and give the to someone who's new to it.
> > - Don't try to chase down every unfamiliar concept while you're talking
> to
> > an SME. There will always be jargon that you don't understand. You need
> to
> > develop a sense of when to jot down an acronym and keep listening, when
> you
> > need to stop the SME and ask for clarification, and when something
> unfamilar
> > is probably not relevant to you so you can just ignore it.
> > - A lot of people pooh-pooh Wikipedia but it's a great resource for
> > technical concepts when you're starting from zero.
> >
> > I can recommend this excellent book:
> > _User and Task Analysis for Interface Design_, by Hackos and Redish
> >
> > Plenty of guidance on how to gather and organise information. Don't be
> put
> > off by the name--it's equally applicable to tech writers.
> >
> > Good luck.
> >
> > Stuart
> >
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