Post on 11-Jan-2016
Personas: The Person Behind the Glass
SLA Annual Conference, June 8, 2004Stephen Abram, VP Innovation, Sirsi Corporation
Can personas help deliver great information
experiences?
Designing for desktops vs. understanding the person
behind the glass
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Information Engagement Levels
Read/View
Argue/Defend
Present/Teach
Stimulate/Live
Act on/ Discuss Content
Source
Situation Dr. Thomas Davenport
Intelligence and Learning Styles
• Visual/Spatial (Picture Smart)• Verbal/Linguistic (Word Smart)• Musical/Rhythmic (Music Smart)• Logical/Mathematical (Number Smart)• Bodily/Kinesthetic (Body Smart)• Interpersonal (People Smart)• Intrapersonal (Self Smart)
– Piaget, Bloom, Gardner, etc.
Information Literacy
• Standard Curriculum Components– Mathematics / Arithmetic– Science, Biology, Physics &
Chemistry– English, Languages– History, Geography, Politics,
Sociology– Music, Art, Phys ed.– Guidance, Religion
Information Literacy
• Information literacy is integrally tied every aspect of the curriculum:– Mathematical logical thinking skills - Math and
Arithmetic– Scientific method - Sciences– Criticism, interpretation and comprehension - English
and languages– Analytical thinking - History, Geography– Interpretive and imaginative- music, art & phys ed.– Inter and Intrapersonal skills - Religion, Guidance, etc. – There is an imperative for people to have a lifelong curriculum - a
personal learning strategy
Taking The Knowledge Positioning
Data====>
Information=======>
Knowledge======>
Behaviour======>
Apply Stand-
ards Store
&Move
Display Chart Graph Publish Picture Format
Knowing Learning Filtering Evaluating
Gerunds
Do Decide Choose Apply Enact
ActionVerbs
Personality and Searching
• “Five personality dimensions and their influence on information behaviour”
• Jannica Heinstrom, Abo Akademi University, Finland (Oct. 2003)
• http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper165.html
• Central Question: “How does personality influence searching behaviour?”
Personality and Searching
Dimension
Neuroticism
Extraversion
Openness
Agreeableness
Conscientious
High Level• Sensitive,
Nervous• Outgoing,
energetic• Inventive, curious• Friendly,
compassionate• Efficient,
organized
Low Level• Secure,
confident• Shy, withdrawn• Cautious,
conservative• Competitive,
outspoken• Easy-going,
carelessVS
VS
VS
VS
VS
Sample Conclusions
• Extraversion was related to informal information retrieval as well as preference for thought provoking documents over documents which confirmed previous ideas.
Sample Conclusions• Openness to experience was related to
broad information seeking, incidental information acquisition, critical information judgement, preference of thought provoking documents instead of documents which confirmed previous results. Conservativeness was related to problems with relevance judgement and preference for confirming documents.
Sample Conclusions
• Competitiveness was related to lack of time being a barrier to information retrieval, problems with relevance judgement and competence in critical analysis of information. Low levels of agreeableness forms a base for skeptical and critical thinking.
Sample Conclusions• Conscientiousness was related to
preference for thought provoking documents instead of documents that confirmed previous ideas and use of effort in information seeking. Carelessness, on the other hand was related to problems with relevance judgement, feeling that lack of time was a barrier to information retrieval and preference for documents that confirm previous ideas.
Assumption
• All organizations who are market leaders excel in one of three primary dimensions* and perform well in the other two: • Customer intimacy• Product leadership• Operational excellence
• AND they fully exploit knowledge, expertise and ideas.
*The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow Your Focus, Dominate Your Market by Michael Treacy, Fred Wiersema 1995 ISBN 0-201-40648-9 Addison-Wesley.
Knowledge Conscious Management: Core Knowledge Actions
Expertise
Directing cross silo collaborative working
Encouraging learning and insights
Building external networks
Turning good practice into common practice
Ensuring that expertise can be located
Information
Providing an appropriate architecture
Preventing information duplication and filling gaps
Mobilizing customer, market and competitor intelligence
Developing processes to capture intellectual capital
Ideas
Encouraging creative communities
Supporting idea sharingand application
Facilitating the identification of relationships
Providing the time and permission for reflection
Valuing diversity and fresh eyes on problems
and processes
Connecting people to people and people to contentFrom the Knowledge Proposition, TFPL, 2004.
Organizational Success
What a portal can do…
And what it can’t
Portal Credibility and Longevity
• Critical success factors: – Support organizational objectives in a
measurable way. – Be owned and managed by a credible,
authoritative source.– Include opportunities (as appropriate) for:
• Learning• Knowledge transfer (peer-to-peer,
experts, coaches, teachers)• Transaction or task-based activities
– Offer structured access to internal and external content that is relevant to one or more target audiences.
Defining Portal Requirements
Organizational Requirements
Technical Requirements
Portal Functionality Requirements
Organizational Requirements
Define the organizational requirements in terms of the...– Right people– Right knowledge– Right information– Right time– Right place….to improve business performance in
terms of learning, producing, marketing, selling, meeting customer and partner expectations…
Organizational Requirements
• Deliverables:– Documentation of the organizational
requirements.– Documentation of what the people in
the work process need to know.– Selection of the information sources. – Metrics that serve as targets for
performance improvement.
– Buy-in from key stakeholders.
Defining Improvement Opportunity
Business process workflow
What decisions?
What knowledge?
What information?
How used?
Wha
t p
ain?
Required process workflow
Required knowledge
Required information
Required use
Required decisions
Ana
lysi
s an
d P
rop
osa
l
Right Knowledge
– First within the context of the organizations purpose and the type of work (procedural-heuristic-executive)
– Then within the work process and their function etc.
• By knowledge needed • By source or reputation• By decision style
Align the knowledge sought in the context of decision-making. What decisions are being made and what knowledge is being sought?
Best Information Sources
Relevance
• Credibility
• Reliability
• Accuracy
• Maintainability
• Usability/reuse/format
How do you know?
Summary: Know the Portal Audience
• Work purpose (customers, products, organizational efficiency)
• Type of work (procedural, heuristic, executive)• Work processes – formal and informal • Role• Function• Demographics (geography, language, time in
organization etc.)• Decisions and decision style• Knowledge needed to make decisions• Information needed to support the knowledge
needed• Motivation factors/value• Comfort with technology (ies)
People and Portals
Brendan Brian
PattyDianne
Henry Heath
Look at your Ecology . . .
View the Relationships
How is learning happening?
Innovation and
Creativity occur when?
Where are ideas turned into action?
Pre-Boomer1934-1945
• Traditional work ethic• Work first• Born to lead• Loyal to employer• Independent by conventional• Value working well with others• Technically competent• Believe in mission• Strong chain of command• Want to win
Workplace Character
Boomer1946-1959
• Money / work ethic• Work first• Expect to lead• Loyal to employer• Care deeply what others think• Want others to work for them• Technically challenged• Lip service to mission• Chain of command• I win, you lose
Workplace Character
Cusper1960-1968
• Money / principle• Work and lifestyle• Lead and follow• Loyal to employer and skills• Ambivalent about what others
think• Want others to work for them• Technically challenged• Care about mission• Mixed about command and
individual• Want to win
Workplace Character
Buster1969-1978
• Principal / Satisfaction• Lifestyle first• No need to lead• Loyal to skills• Don’t care what others think• Prefer to work alone• Technically savvy• Must have mission• Individual first• I win, you win
Workplace Character
Nester1979-1984
• Principal / Satisfaction• Lifestyle first• Lead of necessary• Loyal to skills• Care little what others think• Like small groups• State of the art technically• Must have mission• Individual first• I win, you win
Workplace Character
Pre-Boomer1934-1945
• Money• Responsibility• Public Recognition• Accomplishment• Desire to lead• Control• Organizational Loyalty
Motivation
Boomer1946-1959
• More Money• Promotion• Public Recognition• Peer recognition• Desire for subordinates• Control• Loyalty to self
Motivation
Cusper1960-1968
• Do well by doing good• Meeting organizational
goals• Recognition from boss• Bonuses• Stock options
Motivation
Buster1969-1978
• Time off• Meeting own goals• Recognition from boss• Skills training• Stock options• Mentioning
Motivation
Nester1979-1984
• Time off• Portable skills training• Meeting own goals• Stock options• Mentioning• Prepare for self-
employment• Sales training
Motivation
Younger Worker Summary1960-1980
• “I work best alone”• “I need . . .”• Blunt style “Just do it.”• Abrupt speech patterns• Care little what others think• “Just tell me what you want done and I’ll do
it”• Don’t participate, attend meetings or need to
hear others’ opinions• Recognition doesn’t work and isn’t needed.• Want results quickly and success in stages.
Older Worker Summary1935-1959
• “We’re invincible as a team”• “I want, would think, would like . . .”• Soft style “I’d love it if you . . .”• Long preambles.• Care deeply what other’s think.• Like process and talking about ideas and
issues.• Highly value participation and consensus• Want people to want to be involved.• Recognition means a great deal.
Another View: Veterans• Defined by WW2, Korea, Silver
Screen, unions and born between 1922-43
• Core values of sacrifice, dedication, hard work, conformity, law and order, patience, respect for authority, duty before pleasure, adherence to rules and honour.
• Personalities are conformist, conservative, spenders, past-oriented, believe in logic not magic
Ron Zemke, Training Magazine, July 2001
Another View: Boomers• Defined by their bulk, civil rights, cold war,
feminism, space race and born between 1943 and 1960
• Core values include optimism, teamwork, personal gratification, heath and wellness, personal growth, youth, work and involvement.
• Personalities are driven, soul-searching, willing to go the extra mile, love-hate relationship with authority.
Ron Zemke, Training Magazine, July 2001
Another View: X’ers• Defined by Watergate, OJ,
stagflation, single parents and born between 1960-1980
• Core values include diversity, thinking globally, balance, techno-literacy, informality, self-reliance, pragmatism.
• Personalities are risk-taking, skeptical, family-oriented, focused on job - not work hours.
Ron Zemke, Training Magazine, July 2001
Another View: Nexters• Defined by Internet, school
violence, terrorism, multiculturalism, media and born after 1980
• Core values include confidence, civic duty, achievement, sociability, morality, diversity and street smarts
• Personalities are optimistic, prefer collective action and tenacious
Ron Zemke, Training Magazine, July 2001
Ontario Public Library Market Study
• Ontario Public Library Strategic Directions Council:
• Nov. 2000
• Consulting Report by Market Probe Canada
• http://www.strategicplan2000.com
Supporters (22%)
• This segment believes the public library plays an essential social role, and one that will expand dramatically in the future, as it fulfils an increasing variety of public needs. Although relatively light Internet users, they are the most likely to agree the public library could help them use the Internet. This segment is also the most likely to believe libraries will become more important in the future. Those who don't use the library tend to say they are too busy. This is the oldest segment.
Seekers (27%)
This segment sees the public library as fulfilling a valuable role within a society
where information is available from a variety of sources. They are the heaviest
users of the public library, the Internet (with Negators) and bookstores, and the
most educated segment.
Negators (28%)This segment sees the relevance of the public library diminishing as information becomes available through
other sources. Along with Seekers, they are the heaviest Internet users, but they are much more likely to say the Internet has caused them to use the library less often, and to disagree the library could help them use the Internet more effectively. A majority say that libraries will become less important in the future. This is the youngest segment.
Tweens (% n/a)
• This segment was added to the group since school age children are such key targets for libraries (school and public). They may not have their opinions of the Internet and libraries fully formed yet and there is hope.
Portal Functionality
• In terms of the exchange of ideas, expertise and information through:– Collaboration– Communication– Publishing – Sharing – Finding– Learning– Meeting – Etc.
Sample Portal Functionality• Expertise
– People directories
– Communities of Practice
– Online training
– Knowledge bases
– Online help
• Information– Online transactions– Access to office maps– Glossary tool – Access to policies,
procedures– News delivery– Market research tools– Customer profiles– Product specification
management– Self-service tools
• Ideas– Discussions– Web meetings– Editorial features– Blogging
One could also view this in terms of the required verb: find, collaborate, communicate…
Saba
Click2Learn
SkillSoft Books24X7
Newmindsets
MS Live Meeting(PlaceWare)
Webex
Centra
Virtual Reference, IM, Chat
Video Games, PC Gamers
Goals, scaffolds and learning
Decision trees and Problem solving
It’s an Information Ocean, not a
Highway.
It’s an “Exploration Space” not a
collection space.
Context is King, not Content.
What is context?
• It’s not about the Library!• It is about . . .
•Learning•Research•Community•Workplace
Zac’s Media and ‘Zine
• 8.5 hours digital media• Downloads MP3’s• Downloads mainstream media• Assembles and publishes 1 hour
TV show with ads– But, also
• Publishes a zine in dead tree format too.
• Small Feedback loop in IM and eMail
Sydney’s Publishing
• 3,000 IM Buddies
• Small website
• Original MP3 files
• Rock Band and concerts
ThanksStephen Abram, MLSSirsi Corporation416-669-4855stephen.abram@sirsi.comhttp://www.sirsi.com