Visualization: My Take

It was my first project as an Instructional Designer when I was introduced to the concept of visualization and graphics. "Put on your creative hat. This is the best part of the project. We get to be all creative" said my all-excited Project Lead. My first reaction "Hey, I am not creative and won't be able to come up with graphics." "What do you mean? It is an integral part of what we do." explained the lead. "Let me demonstrate as to how simple it is." he continued picking the script.

The subject was C++. The first key element to be visualized was Class. He read the script and said "Class is a container so let's represent it as a cardboard box." Next, there were two terms Constructor and Destructor. 

"These are simple. Let me show you. See it says Constructor - so what do we use to construct something... maybe you know a chisel. For Destructor, we can represent it using a graphic for a bomb."Do you want to give a shot at visualizing?" he asked with a smile. I, completely annoyed with myself shook my head and said "No. This doesn't make sense to me. You can go ahead and visualize."

I feared visualization for it seemed like everything had to be abstract. "Oh boy, is this job even right for me?" I wondered.

And then a few months later, some of the courses were sent back for various reasons - one of them being "The graphics are too abstract and don't make sense!"

Over the years, I still find that graphics seem to be added onto a page for one of two reasons - the course needs to be attractive and/or there has to be a graphic on every page. 

"So what does make sense? Is creativity not allowed?", I am asked. My response is very simple "You can be creative within the limits of making relevant graphical representation of the content." 

Some key points that I look at when visualizing:

• Understand the content: If you understand what you are writing or trying to teach, you can visualize a lot more effectively and efficiently.
• Keep your audience in mind: The way you visualize in a course for kids is very different from a course for adults. Visualize this: Senior managers who prefer reading text and hardly even use features on Android phones! If a course has a cartoon character jumping from one milestone to another on a highway while talking through the phases. Will it be considered effective visualization?
• Focus on the key message(s) to be delivered: You will always have an objective for each content point. If it is around an application screen, use the screen instead of an abstract graphic. If you are explaining a concept, use smart graphics. 
• Don't force graphics: A picture always speaks more than words. So use it effectively! For example, a flowchart displaying the step-by-step process steps involving multiple roles is a lot more effective than using a random graphic on the corner with on-screen text talking about all the steps. How you represent the process flow chart itself could be the creativity aspect.

And yes, I could have used graphics to make this content more effective :D

Corporate Ladder: A Different Take :D

We all want to move up the corporate ladder. Recently though, I got a completely different perspective to the ladder and how experience is leveraged in a true Functional organization.

We had just started with a project overview when someone asked the Presenter: "Hey what is your role in the project?" With a smile, he responded "I started off as a Delivery Manager, then moved into the Project Manager role due to resource unavailability. If you look at my current role, I am the Technical Manager overseeing all technical aspects of the project."

"Whaaat?"screamed a senior person who recently joined the company all confused.

The Presenter continued with a smile, "Well, I won't be surprised if I soon get to the developer level for some hands-on work." 

And with some sarcasm one asked, "Don't tell me that I will have to work as a Developer!" The Presenter responded  "And why not? What is the harm in pitching in to get the team up-to-speed with things when the project most needs it?" 

"And finally, there will be times when you will feel exactly like a rookie."

"Huh!" responded the senior with a raised eyebrow while all others giggled.

Said the Presenter, "If and when the project ends up in crisis, the Senior Management shall come and give us all the gyaan around what we didn't do right! At that moment, we shall all think on how we never thought about whatever was being said. But once they are out, we continue pondering on what it was that transpired and how things can be accomplished!"

And so there it was - the Reverse Ladder - The Functional Organization 101!!

Effective Use of Subject Matter Experts in Training Projects

How many times has it happened with you that when you approach an SME, that they feel that as a training project member, you are more an overhead and too time-consuming in terms of providing support?

Here are some things that have worked for me before/when I reach out to the SME:

Start with Introductions

Touch base with the SME. While the best is to meet them in person. If not, start with a phone call. A brief call to introduce each other and set some base expectations like:

• I will probably need an introduction to the application and processes.
• I will need 1 hour everyday for the next 4 weeks. 
• Based on the time that works for the SME, block the time on their calendar.
• Ask for the relevant project documents, if any.
• If there are multiple SMEs involved, which is typically the case with large implementations, see if you can get them all in one room at least for introductions.

Be prepared before you reach out to the SME

"What can I be prepared with if I have no clue of the subject?" you might ask.

• To start with, figure out the project basics.
• Determine if there are any similar project within the team and talk to those team members.
• Do your research. Read about the technology and/or the process documentation that the SME might have shared. Don't worry about failing to understand. Make the attempt to at least assimilate something.
• If you have access to the application, try to at least log in and navigate through it. 
• Be ready with your questions. Let them not be very generic like "What is SAP?" Maybe a good question might be "It appears from the process documentation that there are about x transaction codes. Is this understanding correct?"

When you meet the SME

• Respect their time.
• Go with a agenda. For example, let's cover the basic end-to-end process today and if time permits, let's walk through some steps in the application.
• During discussions, try to reiterate what the SME is saying in your own words in the beginning. This will ensure that you are understanding the basics.
• Don't be afraid to ask the SME to repeat something that is not clear.
• If the SME goes off into the technical details that are not relevant (for example, an SME may have the tendency to go into the configuration details and program code, which might not be relevant for a process-based course), get them back on track by saying something like "Is any of this visible to the end user?"
• Ask "Are there any specific data sets that we can  use for training exercises? Is there something that you will need to prep for me to view the data?"
• Build a rapport with the SME. Make small talk if required.

Post the SME meeting

Explore the application. As much as we want to depend on the SMEs, we need to acknowledge that they too are working on their tasks on the project.

If you get stuck, try different things before you go back to the SME. 

When you understand the content, you design the training better. Else it is just another project where all you have done is format. 

Remember: The SME can provide you with all the technical and process aspects of the project. However, you are the training expert. It is your job to put the content in a way, which is simple for a user to understand. 

Double-check with the functional SME though on whether you have oversimplified. 

Raving Fans

When I first joined an educational organization, I learned about Raving fans and how it is important to create raving fans to retain and develop relationships with customers.

What Raving Fans means is creating an exemplary service that the customer will love. It is about giving the customer that bit more than what they have asked for and at times to amaze them.

Most of us from that era strived for creating raving fans. It was about pushing the limits. We would push each other to get the best out of each other. Of course, with this came a sense of personal accomplishment. We learned together - sure there was competition but it was also about building with each other. If there were tough times, we would all pool in to get things done! It was fun to be at work.

Business came in because we were doing the right things of course at the right time!

WORK = When Outcomes Result from Knowledge

During a conversation with my mentor, I happened to mention how work was getting repetitive/routine and no longer exciting.

His response "Work is never exciting. It is what work results in that's exciting." He continued on with:

WORK = When Outcomes Result from Knowledge

This made me wonder... doesn't it mean that we should constantly look at increasing our knowledge base? Gaining and using knowledge to better the output constantly, a passion to improve... and suddenly it seems like work can never be mundane or routine! for we will always look at different approaches to better the outcome time and again.

With knowledge, its easy to take risks... rather the confidence levels are higher to manage risks. I may fail, and yet that's an experience I gain to add to my knowledge base.

It is only when I limit my knowledge, that I limit myself from bettering an output. This most times is the cause for "Work is no longer interesting."

And of course, there are some (specially in the Govt. offices).... I have loads of knowledge... but sorry - I don't intend to use it! It's not going to get me anywhere. And those who do want to apply their knowledge feel humiliated and miserable.

The flip side to this may be underutilization/inappropriate use of available knowledge. For example, one may have an excellent knowledge in financials but may end up getting into some really manual/basic work with rigid processes that cannot be changed. Such a situation again calls for "Work is not challenging enough." This seems to stand true with most MNCs that are setting up their offshore offices in developing nations like India....

Of course when you ask someone to increase their knowledge base, the response almost always is "You want me to spend money and enroll into classes? Yeda samajh rakhkha hai kya (Am I a moron?)..." Its not always about enrolling into courses or training programs... it is about reading books, it is about learning from your own experiences, it is about learning from the experienced souls around you (as someone once rightly pointed to me... I have about 35 years of experience in this field, you can take this from me and add another 10 years of yours making it 45 years of experience altogether... why do you want to reinvent the wheel!)