March Meeting Review:
The Writer & the SME
[Editor: We have two great reviews of last month's program. Read what Jo Byrd and Mel Haughton each said about the Poe's "The Writer & SME" presentation.]
Jo Byrd Reviews "Writer & SME"
Kathryn and Stephen Poe performed their “The Writer and the SME” presentation at the March 19 th Lone Star Community meeting. Their presentation itself was often funny, yet the issues addressed are serious ones. How does the technical writer extract the needed information from the subject matter expert’s (SME’s) brain? It’s not always easy. Frequently, the SME is overworked and has very limited time--or it’s transparent to the SME yet the SME simply doesn’t grasp why it’s not transparent to the user. SMEs, if they’re programmers, tend to be literal. If you’re not careful how you phrase the question, you’ll get the answer to the question you asked but not the answer you need. Kathryn demonstrated this, and you felt her frustration (probably because we’ve all been there!) and Stephen’s patient, “why are you asking me this?” thinking.
Getting the information out of the SME is sometimes the easiest part of the task. The hard part is the SME not only having the time to talk to you, but being willing to talk with you. This is where social engineering is helpful. Learn about the SME: the spouse’s name, the names of kids and pets, favorite activities. What’s a favorite goodie you can bribe the SME with: chocolate chip cookies, brownies, Krispy Crème donuts…? It also helps to realize and understand that some interruptions are unavoidable. Stephen demonstrated by ignoring his cell phone the first time it rang, then taking the second call. After completing the call, he asked the audience how many of us thought he was rude. Far too many of us held up our hands. He then explained why taking this call was necessary. By taking a few minutes out of the time allotted to the technical writer (and he graciously apologized for doing it), he saved his team at least half an hour of time.
During the presentation, Kathryn demonstrated the techniques she uses to drag the information out of the SME: active listening, mirroring, validation and empathy, plus the fine art of keeping the SME on topic so that you don’t lose valuable time talking about things completely unrelated to the project.
The handout Kathryn and Stephen gave the meeting participants is a valuable guide to use when interviewing SMEs. It’s handy to have for the “tips and tricks” file.
Mel Haughton Reviews "Writer & SME
As Technical Communication Professionals (TCPs), we are the wall between the user and the chaos. Part of our jobs is to learn how to communicate well with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to obtain the information we need for our projects. But how do you talk to SMEs? They’re a different breed!
The March LSC meeting started with a role play between Kathryn and Stephen Poe, the presenters. Kathryn was the TCP who needed to get enough information to complete a manual she was writing. She needed to decipher the messages that Stephen’s program was displaying, such as “bad par” or “fatal error.” She finally set up an interview with Stephen, who was the SME for the product, but he only had 30 minutes to meet with her.
After thanking him for his time, she asked her first question: “What does bad par mean?”
Stephen replied, “Bad par means bad par.”
Kathryn rolled her eyes and tried to rephrase. “So par means parameter, correct?”
Stephen replied “Yes” very matter-of-factly.
She rephrased again, “But when would this happen?”
Stephen replied, “When they have to check the parameter.”
Finally, Kathryn said, “What does this mean to the user?”
And Stephen finally gave Kathryn the answer she wanted. “It means that the user mistyped the parameter.”
BINGO!
Kathryn and Stephen were trying to make a simple point: SMEs are very literal, and they’ll answer your questions exactly how you ask them. So in a nutshell, remember the following when interviewing SMEs:
- Set up an appointment and set an agenda for the meeting – When the SME expects you, he or she will be more willing to answer your questions.
- Keep SMEs on topic – It’s important to build relationships, but both the TCP and the SME are busy. If the SME gets off topic, invite him or her to lunch to talk about the personal topics later and keep him or her focused on the information you are trying to “extract.”
- Prepare for the interview and understand interruptions and priorities – Do your homework and expect interruptions. Sometimes the SME’s phone rings or someone else may interrupt your meeting to ask the SME a vital question for the completion of a program.
- Be clear, precise, and logicalwhen asking your questions – Kathryn and Stephen kept emphasizing, “Remember Literal Man.” SMEs are literal and to the point. They’re usually programmers who may know little about the user experience.
- Be an active listenerand use the mirroring technique – Ask open-ended questions and repeat what you think you heard.
- Thank the SMEfor his or her time and show empathy – Make sure the SME knows that you appreciate the time he or she is giving you.
In summary, Kathryn and Stephen recommend that you learn to ask the correct questions. Stephen mentioned that TCPs should frame questions from the point of view of the user of the document and explain the audience to the SME. Always ask yourself if the SME answered the question you asked. If not, clarify, clarify, clarify.
This high-energy, fun meeting taught attendees the importance of clear communication. Although SMEs are a different breed, TCPs just need to learn to ask the right questions and be prepared to improvise and extract the information they need.
Thanks to Stephen and Kathryn Poe for this eye-opening presentation.