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Logos: The Power of the Word in IT Support 17 October 2012: 1:30pm – 2:30pm

Logos: The Power of the Word in IT Support 17 October 2012: 1:30pm – 2:30pm SIGUCCS 2012: Memphis, TN Christopher King Assistant Director, Help Desk Services. Topics. Abstract, in a nutshell Introduction Delivery Mechanisms Choice of Words Message Construction Summary/Questions.

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Logos: The Power of the Word in IT Support 17 October 2012: 1:30pm – 2:30pm

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  1. Logos: The Power of the Word in IT Support 17 October 2012: 1:30pm – 2:30pm SIGUCCS 2012: Memphis, TN Christopher King Assistant Director, Help Desk Services

  2. Topics • Abstract, in a nutshell • Introduction • Delivery Mechanisms • Choice of Words • Message Construction • Summary/Questions

  3. Abstract, in a nutshell As IT professionals, we have an obligation to inform our users • General documentation • Changes or new services • Service Desk/Help Desk • Outages (planned and unplanned)

  4. Abstract, in a nutshell The classic “techie” can give detailed descriptions on services, issues, and architecture The classic “user” doesn’t care • They want to know what something is and how it affects them • They want it in language they can understand • They want information in an appropriate form for the situation

  5. Abstract, in a nutshell: continued Communication should focus on more than the “meat” of the message Things like word choice, message construction, and delivery mechanisms matter more than most would think

  6. Introduction People often seem shocked when I say that I am a Help Desk guy with an English degree It is assumed by many that IT people all have Computer Science degrees • This is silly for many reasons

  7. Introduction: continued Why is this silly? • Plenty of IT people were thrust into their job as “additional duties”, and come from a variety of backgrounds • There are many degree programs outside of Computer Science that focus on IT Support, or have IT concentrations • As E. W. Dijkstra famously said, “Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.”

  8. Introduction, continued Users need support staff that can relate to their concerns and who can communicate on their level "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."-- Unknown (attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

  9. Delivery Mechanisms In some respects, how a message is delivered is more important than the message itself. • Some messages sacrifice immediacy for duration, while others opt to be ephemeral in favor of prompt delivery. We will discuss four categories for delivery mechanisms, each with its own uses, strengths, and weaknesses:

  10. Delivery Mechanisms, continued Print Verbal/Two-Way

  11. Delivery Mechanisms, continued Broadcast Dynamic/Online/Streaming

  12. Delivery Mechanisms: Print Print is the tried and true default for information dissemination • Flyers, brochures, cheap pens • Documentation • Signage

  13. Delivery Mechanisms: Print, continued Advantages • Lets you leave your message or contact info where the audience can find it • No server outages to worry about • Lowers the technology level needed to get the message

  14. Delivery Mechanisms: Print, continued Disadvantages • Can be expensive • It’s no Daily Prophet • Static means static • Requires a SneakerNet connection to update or remove

  15. Delivery Mechanisms: Verbal/Two-Way • Print may be the default, but verbal communication was definitely the first • Never underestimate the importance of being able to change tone, delivery, and information based on the response of your audience • Static methods were usually designed amongst techies, which means that they might not have the right target audience in mind • That can lead to FUD, which can escalate the issue further

  16. Delivery Mechanisms: Verbal/Two-Way, continued Advantages • This method is familiar to most of your audience • Call centers, chat rooms, info booths all use this method • Interpersonal communication can be soothing or, at times, cathartic

  17. Delivery Mechanisms: Verbal/Two-Way, continued Disadvantages • Puts the speaker on the spot • No time to gather data or research • Hard on resources • It becomes less useful when one person speaks to many • Usually initiated by the user

  18. Delivery Mechanisms: Broadcast • For when you absolutely, positively have to tell every person RIGHT NOW • Can occur via mailing lists, voicemail trees, or even loudspeaker • Like print, only in your face • And not as long-lasting • In fact, the opposite of that

  19. Delivery Mechanisms: Broadcast, continued Advantages • Gets attention by inserting itself into normal streams of communication • Tend to be technically easy to initiate • Complications arise as the audience narrows • Minimal cleanup afterwards

  20. Delivery Mechanisms: Broadcast, continued Disadvantages • Tend to be technically easy to initiate • Familiarity breeds contempt • Filters are easy to set up • Just ask Peter (of “and the Wolf” fame) • Keep tight controls over the triggers to your spam cannons

  21. Delivery Mechanisms: Dynamic/Online • Thanks to the Internet, mankind can project its thoughts across the planet in an instant • Dynamic means to present information can come in many forms • Web sites • Campus television • Times Square marquee

  22. Delivery Mechanisms: Dynamic/Online, continued Advantages • Updates to information are easily to implement • Information can be tailored to only push to certain audiences based on need • Usually much less resource-intensive to maintain at the front-end

  23. Delivery Mechanisms: Dynamic/Online, continued Disadvantages • As information becomes more prevalent, demand increases • Dependent on technology to sustain flow of information • Usually much more resource-intensive to set up and maintain on the backend

  24. Delivery Mechanisms, continued Never forget that you do not have to choose only one method of delivery • Sometimes, more is better • But only sometimes “It is not necessary to remind you that the fact that your voice is amplified to the degree where it reaches from one end of the country to the other does not confer upon you greater wisdom or understanding than you possessed when your voice reached only from one end of the bar to the other.”– Edward R. Murrow

  25. Choice of Words Once you have determined the “how”, focus on the “what” Choosing the right word (or words), as well as dismissing the wrong words, plays as important of a role as how those words are delivered Concentrate on how your target audience will react to the message

  26. Choice of Words: Know Your Audience Communication to your audience should use that audience as its guide • Talking to Barcelonans? Try Spanish and Catalan • Language is more than just the franca lingua • Is the message for users? Focus less on IMAP and more on email • Talking to sysadmins? Reverse that • Remember that some audiences are both

  27. Choice of Words: Negatives are a No-No Sometimes, your message has to be bad • The server is down, the Help Desk is closed, there is a hurricane over our data center Instead of using negative words like “no”, “can’t”, or the dreaded “won’t”, offer alternatives or information on timelines to recovery • Also, try and determine if what they are asking for is actually what they need People never call the Help Desk in a good mood

  28. Choice of Words: Acronyms, Abbreviations, etc. The following is an actual message that was posted to NC State’s systems notification site: Subject: PSTN PRI outage Message: Multiple PRI circuits have dropped between NC State and ATT providing PSTN connectivity. Umm, what?

  29. Choice of Words: Acronyms, continued Abbreviations, especially acronyms, can easily take over the longer a person or people work in a specific environments • It speeds the communication process amongst that environment, while at the same time encrypting it for everyone else • See also: the military Easy solution: a glossary Better solution: Craft your message to be more explanatory

  30. Choice of Words, continued "I can't understand it. I can't even understand the people who can understand it.“ – Attributed to Queen Juliana, of the Netherlands

  31. Message Construction You’ve got your words, you’ve got your delivery mechanism • Now, write the actual message! Care in crafting the message is just as important as care in deciding what to use for the message

  32. Message Construction: Brevity Don’t be succinct when being short will do Don’t fall prey to tl;dr Most messages need to be short. If it needs to be longer, include a short version as well This applies to words as well • Abbreviations are OK if you’ve defined it at the first use

  33. Message Construction: Effect, not Affect Your message should focus on the area of concern that the audience cares about Basically, focus on the effect, not what’s affecting it • Never assume that your audience knows all of the relationships between your servers and their relevant services

  34. Message Construction: Effect, not Affect,continued Bad:Database server upgrade • OIT is planning to upgrade the database server authsmtp-foo on Sunday. Service will be restored as soon as possible Better:Outgoing email outage • OIT will be upgrading the database server (authsmtp-foo) that manages email sent outside of the company. During this outage, campus users will be unable to send email. However, any messages that are sent will be stored in your Exchange outbox, and will be sent after service has been restored.

  35. Message Construction: Effect, not Affect,continued This also applies to the dreaded “end of life” announcements • Focus on highlighting the service replacement, not lamenting the dead Bad:GroupWise email and calendaring to be turned off November 30 Better: Introducing new and awesome Google Apps, with Email, Calendaring, and Chocolate Puppies!

  36. Message Construction: Don’t Try to Hide “Broken” Protip: Your audience knows it’s broken. Always. Regardless, many organizations live by the “if we don’t post it, it was never broken” rule Own up to the problem, and update your audience as to how it is being fixed Contribute to (or start) an after-action process to determine root cause, and publish it Think of the Help Desk!

  37. Message Construction, continued “’Crap,’ I said. I’m quite eloquent in times of crisis.”– Harry Dresden (as written by Jim Butcher)

  38. Summary Words have power • According to the Bible, creation began with the Word, or “logos” Communication is really darn important Attention is an investment, and the more you put towards communication, the more you will get out of it in goodwill from your audience • You know, the people we support and the reason that we exist

  39. Questions? “For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground And tell sad stories of the death of kings;” (Richard II, Act 3 Sc. 2) “Think of the fellow in the play that calls out 'My kingdom for a horse‘ – it would not have been poetry at all, had he said sheep.” (Patrick O’Brian) "Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws."(Douglas Adams) Chris King chking@ncsu.edu

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