by Jim Slaight, STC Student Member
You just about have your last help panel wrapped up, but a few nagging questions remain. The only thing between you and meeting your deadline are the SMEs (subject-matter experts).
You've already crafted a careful list of questions. This article picks up where questions leave off. What we're discussing is the relationship side of interviewing. Here are some helpful suggestions for building chemistry and rapport with your technical team members:
Find out what's going on in your SME's professional world before you arrive.
Jobs, titles, and companies are dynamic objects. Things change. Maybe your SME has been assigned to a new product or a different department. Maybe he or she just lobbied long and hard for a product revision that management did or didn't agree to. Events like these can affect your SME's attention span, focus, and willingness to cooperate. Knowing what's going on in your SME's world and tactfully letting them know you're in touch with their world can help make a connection.
Offer to send a few questions in advance. Not all, just some.
Some people are better thinking "on the fly." Others like to ponder their answers. Offer to send a few questions prior to your actual interview. If your SME likes the idea, they may be a pondering type personality and will appreciate the chance to think things over before you arrive. If they pass on the offer, they may be more comfortable working "on the fly." Either way, making the offer expresses courtesy and consideration for your SME.
Be as knowledgeable as you can be before you show up and reflect your knowledge in your questions.
Consider these two questions:
- Why does our thingamabob change when the thermafluzy turns green?
- I was comparing our thermafluzy with our competitors' thermafluzy and I noticed our thingamabob changes when the thermafluzy turns green, and theirs doesn't. Why is that?
The second question expresses greater knowledge and may earn you a much more informed answer … at least in theory!
Ask for permission to tape record--Ask in advance if possible.
The fastest stenographer on the planet could record every word in a conversation but probably not remember the finer points of what was being said. The mechanics of note taking interfere with your ability to listen. Nor can notes capture the tone, nuance, and energy of the human voice. By tape recording your interviews, you can give your SME your undivided attention. This can help you better understand the topic and retain more information at the same time! In almost every interview I've ever conducted, I've learned something new by listening to the recorded conversation a second time around.
Get outside their busy zone.
How good are you at redirecting your attention away from the memos, phone, e-mail, and other work reminders in your office, to a lengthy interview-like conversation. It's hard to do! Sometimes, a change of location can be your best path to a strong interview. Alternative places to conduct interviews include:
- A company break room;
- A local lunch spot;
- A conference room; or
- The great outdoors during the 11 sunny, warm days we have a year!
Ask for your SMEs perspective beyond the immediate topic.
Do you have an opinion about something your company recently did? Do you have thoughts about what features should be added to release 4.3 of your companies' thingamabob? Does the recent corporate realignment really make sense? You have opinions. So does your SME. Often, the common ground that creates long-term interviewer/SME rapport can be found in conversations outside the immediate topic at hand. Starting with questions from left field sometimes makes the trip to right field much more enjoyable and informative.
Have calendar integrity. 30 minutes means 30 minutes.
30 minutes=30 minutes. Enough said.
Open the door for follow up e-mails, calls.
We all need time to reflect on what was said and what we learned. Before ending any interview, open the door to follow up questions. You're sure to have them!
Run it by your SME for review.
It's all about getting the product guide, tutorial, instruction sheet, training manual, or Web page correct. Running your written interpretation by your SME prior to publishing helps make sure the facts are straight, shows a lot of respect for what your SME knows, and is a great long-term rapport builder. Your SME may or may not take you up on the offer. It's the asking part that is most important.
Send a thank you note.
Of all the SME rapport-building techniques this article discusses, this is the greatest of all. Say thanks with a handwritten thank you card. A good old-fashioned, handwritten thank you card can be a magical thing. E-mail, e-attachments, memos, or a quick handshake in the hallway do not take the place of a thank you card. I've sent genuine thank you cards to co-workers, managers, vendors, and clients for years. The key word here is genuine. If you really mean it, send it. Enjoy the results!
Jim Slaight is Manager of Client Services for Ace Communications and a dinosaur from the early days of personal computing who has risen from his pre-PDF slumber to find his way in this bold new Internet age. You can contact Jim at jim@ace1.com.
