@Speaker #LavaCon

Need Information Architects? You Can “Grow Your Own”!

Best Practices forCultivating IA Expertise

Beth Thomerson

@Speaker #LavaCon

About the Speaker

• Documentation Manager & Senior Leader within Innovatia’s Technical Documentation line of business

• Over 20 years of experience in information design and development

• Agile training & ScrumMaster certification

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Innovatia Highlights

• 600+ knowledge management professionals globally

• Canadian company headquartered in Saint John, NB Canada

• Global presence

• End-to-end knowledge management company

• Committed to R&D

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Fast, effective learning that works.

Design, develop and delivery

Progressive, competency-based learning solutions where, when and how the learner needs it

24/7/365 support, with 10+ yearsexperience.

Multi-shore Workforce

Quality serviceCompetitive pricingLow attrition

Experts in making complex products & procedures simple.

Leverage standards

Architect for reuse

Simplify the content

Improve information integrity

Engage the audience

Software toolsthat make contentmanagement easier.

ProcedureFlow

Content Development Suite

Procedure Accelerator

An Innovative Solution Provider

Documentation Learning TechnicalSupport

SoftwareProducts

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Why do you need Information Architect expertise?

• Complex content• Multi-channel content delivery• Dynamic content• Sophisticated end-user requirements• Content quality no longer “enough”

And it’s only going to get more complex, interesting, and challenging in the future!

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What skills differentiate IAs?

Can Perform: Content analysis/audit Content strategy Audience analysis Competitor analysis Content architecture

Content Architecture:Content modelsTaxonomyMetadata strategies

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Hiring outside your organization

Advantages:•Fresh perspective/point of view•New skills/expertise•New ideas/new person helps

energize an organization

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Hiring outside your organization

There are drawbacks:•Company knowledge•Customer knowledge/insight•Competitor knowledge/challenges•Few Information Architect resources available; time-consuming to hire•Strategy, vision, mission

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Growing your own IA experience

Advantages:•Company knowledge•Customer knowledge/insight•Competitor knowledge/challenges•Strategic vision, mission•Existing business relationships•Retention of key talent/career path creation

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Growing your own IA experience

Drawbacks:•Time-consuming•Stale perspective

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Our situation

• Medium-size organization, multiple clients/projects world-wide

• Finding the right mix of skills to hire is challenging

• We need more IA expertise to support growth

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Our “grow your own” solution

Defined Approach: “Night school” concept Curriculum designed so

“students” can use existing project work

Focus on repeatable processes

Select candidates across project teams

Benefits:Applying IA principles benefits deliverables immediatelyAs students progress, we have pool of in-house talent when IA roles are available

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You may have some doubts…

•Too small•Too big•Too busy•No existing IA expertise / Not sure

where to start

“ Do not wait until conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.”–Alan Cohen

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Too small or too big?

Small: nimble may also equal more autonomy fewer hurdles for buy-in on a plan focus on growth opportunities/value

to the business

Big: plethora of talent (if IA role or IA expertise is in-house) career

development; if not, new career path established process for business case

recommendations

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Too busy?

•Chart a multi-phase approach to demonstrate value; start small and build

•Prove value and efficiencies; earn buy-in from stakeholders

•Incent writers for results

“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”–Tim Ferris

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No expertise or not sure where to start?

•Learn together•Network for mentors, advisors•Consider online resources

(budget-friendly)•Invest in top-talent via instructor-

led training, conferences, books

“One sure-fire way to stay creative: force yourself to learn something new.”–Harvey Mackay

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Selling the idea• Identify objectives (you can have more than one)• What problems are you trying to solve?• What benefits do you anticipate for your organization?• What changes, stays the same, or regresses if you

don’t grow IA expertise?• Do you need a full-fledged IA, or do you want to

cultivate IA expertise to grow into IA role(s)?• Be able to articulate how IA as a role or expertise can

help with top talent retention • Consider building a business case to get initial interest

and buy-in• Suggest a proof of concept project that clearly

illustrates benefits of applied knowledge• Create RACI matrix/ensure you identify the right

stakeholders for communications• Find a champion/sponsor

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Identifying the needs

•Create a checklist – look for gaps, where to strengthen existing skills, and add new skills

•Prioritize items on checklist; backlog those less-critical

•Consider expectations & be clear on:BWhat you want/value to organization.BWhat applicants want/value to their

skill sets.

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What to consider

•What approach will work best in your environment?

•Series of sessions or ongoing program or hybrid?•Do you have in-house expertise to leverage?

BInstructorsBMentorsBCoordinator

•Can you “clear the decks” to ensure program’s success?

•Plan program as a project; ensure accountability/responsibility

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Assemble the team

Important roles:• Project Lead• Curriculum Lead• Communications Lead• Instructor(s)• Mentors• Coordinators• Program Manager (optional)

Start small; add more team

members if needed

Smaller teamnimble, bias for action; but…stretched thin, no backups, multiple roles/person

Larger teamthorough planning, one role/person; but…less nimble, harder to make decisions

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Develop curriculum

•Identify foundational skills•What fills identified gaps?•What strengthens existing skills?•Does the curriculum include

multiple aspects of IA?BStrategyBAnalysisBProcess/SDLCBAuditingBModelingBCommunicating results

•Validate and iterate until curriculum meets needs

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Identify ideal student profile

Profile• Seniority level• IA activity expertise (e.g., content

modeling, auditing, analysis)• Communication expertise (across,

down, up)• Passion• Previous projects/initiatives

Create application (optional)• SharePoint• Survey applications• Word or Excel

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Plan, interview & select

Plan your approach and communicate to the organization

Interview interested candidates; standardize on base questions

Determine which candidates are the best fit for your needs

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Plan & communicate – our approach

•Create project plan; assign owners and dates•Create communications plan with milestones•Provide early information to managers•Announce to organization•Open application

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Interview applicants – our approach

• Review applications; triage most promising based upon profile wish list

• Select applicants for interviews; communicate to all applicants

• Develop scoring mechanism for interviewers

• Determine base questions; use in all interviews

• Score interviews independently

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Select candidates – our approach

•Collate interview scores after all interviews are complete

•Project team members discuss & select final candidates

•Notify managers of selected candidates

•Communicate to all candidates

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Begin program

•Regular project team meetingsBDiscuss progress BEvaluate feedbackBAdjust as needed

•Frequent/regular mentoring for all attendees

•Office hours for “drop-in” questions, discussions

•Training=lecture and hands-on•Exercises reviewed/critiqued•Formal measurement not required

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Wrapping it up

•Survey attendees•Survey managers•Schedule retrospective•Record findings/lessons learned

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General best practices

Research Whiteboard ideas What does success look like? Network! What works in other

organizations? Attend conferences Invest in training (time or budget) Create elevator pitch around value Determine metrics Cultivate executive

sponsor/champion Get buy-in from stakeholders Communicate early and often

Questions?