NCorres' Weblog

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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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?”
• 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.
• 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.