I’ve only been a consultant for about seven months now and I’m already self-conscious about using Venn diagrams. So here’s one for people who hate Venn diagrams:
What They Hear
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Category Archives: Communication
Roller Coaster Documentation
Nobody loves documentation like an IA, and I don’t mean that in a good way: I mean nobody else gives a crap about the bulk of the stuff we create. One of the reasons for this, I think, is that as zealots we tend to over-circulate our work. Not all documents are for everybody involved in the project. In fact, I’ve found that the development and delivery of documentation works best when it emulates the beginning of a roller coaster.
Demystify Everything
As soon as we wedge the phrase “user experience” into a conversation, we make it sound like what we do is somehow exclusive and it’s interesting to watch how people respond to that. Many act like we’re trying to sell them a car with a broken speedometer. Trust us, they expect us to say, it was only driven by an old lady on Sundays.
Documents Come and Go, but Diagrams Live Forever
These examples explain it better than any blah blah blah from me:
Get Wrist Control
A colleague and I were talking about improving our presentations, specifically how best to curtail little, avoidable mannerisms that can distract the audience. (Like saying “um” before main points or talking too fast.)
The conversation reminded me of something I learned from coaching my nephew’s wrestling team.
Use Your Face Before Your Fingers
When a project goes bad and I need to talk to an individual about it, I try to follow a Pyramid for Effective Communication:
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