Working with “Tech” People
February 23, 2008
I am a technical generalist, so I don’t really consider myself “technical” with quotes, although my friends all view me through that lens. I do have some things in common with truly technical people, which is why I can usually be a successful diplomat translating between the technologists and the non-techies.
I thought I’d give a few tips on how to best work with a “tech” person, but I will bet that you’ll be surprised at how many of these “tips” are things you wish people would adhere to when working with you:
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Know what you want, and don’t be wishy-washy about it, put as much of it in writing as possible and include pictures and examples wherever you can. If you leave it to our imagination, chances are you will be disappointed. We understand technology – we are not mind readers.
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If we submit something to you to look at, and you begin editing and providing additions, we will assume that you have accepted the overall piece – whether that is a website or an application. We will be surprised if later on you are upset and tell us that we are way off from your vision. If you don’t like the way it looks, or behaves – say so immediately so we can get that part in line with your thinking. Making one big change at the start is easier than having to do it via the “torture by a thousand cuts” method.
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If you want something done by a certain time or in a time frame, say so. Ask “when will this be done?” rather than “How long will this take?” – these are two very different questions. The first one pins us down to a date when something will get done, the other is asking how long it will take us to do when we get around to doing it – in other words without a perspective of start and end time. It might take 2 minutes, but it also might take us several weeks to get to that two minutes.
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Don’t ask “can it be done?” – nearly everything can be done if you are willing to pay for it or can wait several months for it to get done… if you are interested in possibilities we can talk forever. If you want to know if it is in your price and time range - ask that question – “Is doing ‘xyz’ in my price and time range – if I want to keep this project under $1K and done by March 15th?”
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Technology is constantly changing – no one person can stay on top of all aspects of it. If you are talking to someone who is a programmer, do not expect them to be able to answer questions on hardware, or esoteric technology used in quantum physics… they might know, but it isn’t a requirement for their field of expertise. While it is okay to converse about such things, it makes us nervous if you expect us to know everything. It would be like asking your mechanic to also diagnose what’s wrong with your washing machine…or your spleen, he/she might have an idea, but that isn’t his/her specialty and you would be foolish to accept the opinion in lieu of a true specialist in that area.
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If your friend or family member is in technology – try to remember that while they may be willing to help from time to time, they normally get PAID to do this work.
As a technical generalist and manager, I often have to refer parts of a larger project to someone with that expertise. I try to adhere to the above list of tips to keep things under control and save everyone time and energy. I hope you find them helpful too.
Just say “no”.
February 22, 2008
As a consultant, it is often the case that friends refer potential clients to me. In the past I always felt obligated to work with these referrals, regardless of my own instinct about them or what they were asking of me. I believe many consultants, especially in a cash flow crunch, feel or have felt the same. Work is work, isn’t it? Well, yes and no.
I have learned that I should listen to my “gut” about some people and their projects, because experience has shown (and I am talking about my personal experience) that when all is said and done, I wind up feeling put upon and/or ripped off at the end of a gig that I didn’t have good feelings about at the start. Now some may say that is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and to that I can only shrug and say “I tried and came away with a bad taste in my mouth”. And usually it cost me more than I successfully was able to charge for – though I suppose that is sometimes the cost of doing business, it is also the cost of wisdom.
My advice to consultants out there, is to just say “no”. Sometimes it is the better part of valor to back off from a project or client from which we have bad vibes. It is a difficult thing to do, no mistake, but it is far easier than being stuck with a $15,000 invoice that is unpaid (and subcontractors that you pay out of your own pocket because of it) or spending over 40 hours on someone’s “vision” to find that what they asked for is nothing like what they actually wanted.
My colleagues and I share these horror stories with good humor over a glass of wine, but truth be told I would greatly prefer not to have such stories to share. So remember, if it hurts when you do that, don’t do it.
Communication versus COMMUNICATION
February 19, 2008
Every once in awhile I get sideswiped by a communication stream gone awry. Perhaps because I am sincerely trying to be forthcoming with facts and options, it can get lost in the interpersonal translation – I forget sometimes that the other person is not necessarily thinking the way I think or interpreting the way I interpret and without meaning to – I have given them an incomplete picture of intent and that leads to assumptions flying all over.
I am hoping I am not the only person who feels suddenly neanderthal-like when someone with whom we think we are communicating well , suddenly melts down and tells us we are obviously not on the same page. I really do analyze and rethink most of these experiences to see where I went wrong, because I don’t enjoy the emotional explosion of frustration when someone finally says they are lost or not happy or not getting what I have been saying. Usually they are a result of emails going back and forth… and I admit that in an email conversation where I may be answering questions I may focus on the question and forget the pleasantries.
For those of you out there that may do this, trust me when I say – it always goes wrong. I do not pretend to understand the mechanics of this in its entirety – I only know that if I answer questions without a cushion of the kind of conversation I might have in person, the reader/recipient will always interpret things with an emotional overtone that catches me by surprise. I know this, and yet it still happens – though thankfully not as often as in my younger years.
The less comfortable someone is with technology in general, the more reliant they are on conversation-like markers in the communication. “Hope things are going well for you” isn’t exactly what they need, but something more like – “This is just a suggestion or an option -” and “I am telling you this because: fill in the blank” . Also, too much information is – well – too much information.
Again, I know this, but I forget it. If the information is too complex, it becomes a target for emotional interpretation rather than logical interpretation. Bullet points are good, but talking is better. Too complex for email should always turn into a phone call. This is especially true because not everyone processes reading the same way they process talking.
While it is good to have a reminder, it isn’t always pleasant. Take it from me. We are all “works in progress” and I guess I need some remedial practice.
