Tech Talk Vs Plain English
Can't we all just get along?
By Samantha Phillipe
In this high tech world we live in, it only stands to reason that some people would be more tech savvy then others and rifts would appear in work groups. This communication problem is not limited to groups online, or in a physical board room. With the crossovers between the two formats, it no longer matters if you are sitting across the table from a group member, or working via a chat room. You have to deal with these people for a common good.
The group suffers in productivity when communication breaks down. Progress is lost when people feel as if they are being talked down to some of the time, and over their heads the rest of the time. No matter what your tech level of understanding is, let us always believe that there are one or more members from each of these categories in the group you are trying to deal with:
Newbies: He just learned where the on button is for the computer. He is the easiest person to work with because he has no preconceived notions, or bad habits to break. He's also the easiest group member to lose if you don't take extra time with him.
Users: Uses a computer, can make a spread sheet, or word document, maybe both, and surf the web. He has a lot of energy and will work hard for the group unless you try to make him work beyond his knowledge.
Experienced Users: He no longer asks how a page gets on the web, because he has a vague idea. These are the hardest group members to deal with because their little knowledge may give them a tunnel vision that gets in the way of progress. Change for this person is difficult because he knows what works for himself, not always what is best for the group.
Webmasters: He can create and put a page online. Any questions he can't answer, he will be able to find online. He makes the best teacher. He is the most overworked member of the group, and he will be lost the most during a meeting, while trying to address issues from the other members in their own understandable terms.
Administrators: He keeps the group running. He does damage control when a genius ticks off a newbie, or any other two people from two different groups collide. He has few friends, but a lot of respect. He can't give the newbie the thing he wants because it isn't possible. He can't give the genius what he wants because the newbie will not understand it.
Geniuses: Can design and install a bank system with hundreds of branches. We know them as engineers, with a word or two added to the job title. At least one of these people is needed in any group to make it run. (In the absence of the Genius, your liaison with your service provider will assist the Administrator with the high tech aspect of getting your group online.) However, they should never try to teach anyone anything, unless that person is also a genius. Over time, and with education, he forgets how to speak Plain English when he is in work mode. Be patient with him, he may be a blithering idiot when the conversation turns to another topic outside of tech, like a newbies chosen profession.
If a doctor converses with a lawyer they know the other doesn't speak their language, and Plain English comes in as the basic form of communication. By keeping your meeting in Plain English, all the group members will be able to work at maximum capacity.
Don't use obvious tech lingo or shortcut words, they lead to crushed egos and feelings of inadequacy. No one is going to donate hours of their time if they have just been talked down to. Remember, your best worker may be that newbie about to take a walk.
The same sentence in Plain English Vs Tech Talk will achieve better group results:
PE: Anyone know how to update some pages?
TT: We need someone to update page code and refresh with ftp to the server.
PE: Can we move that item in the left column to the right column?
TT: Can we put that module into a block section in php?
PE: Please tell your friends about the new Yahoo group.
TT: Up load the html coded information from the source and
PE: Does anyone need a spam protector program?
TT: The new yyy is out and has a better aaa after version 123 of the ddd protocol.
PE: How many photos of the new art exhibit can go on page two?
TT: What meg do you have on the yyy system under ccc config?
PE: Can we make the background of the page green?
TT: Will a green background format fit the parameters of the yyy system under ccc config?
Points to remember:
Most importantly, stick to the topic.
Ask if the current topic is done, allow all the members to agree before moving on to the next topic with a clear definition.
If someone wants more information on a tech subject, send it to him privately. Don't make the whole group sit there captive wishing they were getting a root canal instead.
If you are a newbie and the Genius says something can't be done, just let it go. There is a really good reason for the answer, and you really don't want to hear it.
If you are lost in a conversation, announce that you are lost and someone will help you privately. Be sure to state if you need help when you volunteer to do something, otherwise a bunch of people may now be afraid to ask if you do know the material or not.
If your group is new to the web or already established, have a flow chart of who does what. This will alleviate many of the up coming battles. Who is in charge of the web page? What committee or person is doing future planning or research? Who will do what jobs to make the group successful? The member with the most positive results for the group could be the person who doesn't own a computer, but is willing to put flyers out at local stores announcing the site.
Be honest about which of the above groups you belong to. Your tech status in no way reflects your level of intelligence, or what you do outside of the workgroup. If you are a newbie, ask for help, but only if you really want it. If you are a webmaster, offer help and let members come to you. Never assume that you know how another member of the group is feeling. As long as groups are made up of humans, it is that weakest link that will determine the ability of the group, not the computers and programs you own.
Samantha Phillipe is the editor of The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter, and a past and present member of various groups.