Forget “Predict” the Future—Create the Future!
Andrea L. Ames, IBMEnterprise Content Strategist/Architect/Designer
How do you approach your career development and management? I keep an eye out for opportunities and take
the good ones I plan the work and work the plan I invent and create my path along the way I have a different approach than aboveWhat’s career development?
@aames #LavaCon
First, a question…
2
About Andrea (@aames)
• Technical communicator since 1983• Areas of expertise:
– Content experience design: strategy, architecture, and interaction design
– Architecture, design, and development of product-embedded assistance – Content and product usability– User-centered process for content development and experience design
• Senior Technical Staff Member on corporate Client Technical Content Experience team, IBM CIO
• University of CA Extension Technical Communication program chair and master instructor
• STC Fellow, past president, former member of Board of Directors, and Intercom columnist (with Alyson Riley) of The Strategic IA
• ACM Distinguished Engineer3
@aames #LavaCon
• Start with a story…• Recap Vici’s journey (LavaCon 2013 keynote)• A new career-approach theory• What is your type?• Becoming fluent across the continuum• The unique value of this field of practice
@aames #LavaCon
Agenda
4
It happened while brainstorming for this keynote…
the text book definition of “entrepreneurial”
@aames #LavaCon
A story
5
• She knew what work she wanted to do• She knew what people wanted to pay for• She expanded her skills to match her
passions and core values• She became a recognized expert• She embraced the lessons from her
perceived failures
@aames #LavaCon
Recap: Vici’s journeyfrom “Expanding the Role of Content Professionals” (LavaCon 2013 keynote)
6
Approaches to career: A new theory
@aames #LavaCon
Entrepreneurial
TargetedOpportunistic
• She knew her own passions, strengths, and core values
• She knew what people wanted to pay for• She expanded her skills to match her
passions, strengths, and core values• She became a recognized expert• She embraced the lessons from her perceived failures
• And when the right opportunity presented itself, she became targeted to seize it
@aames #LavaCon
Opportunistic: Vici
8
Opportunistic: Strengths and weaknessesStrengths• Opportunities seldom
missed (but might be turned down)
• Expertise within the “opportunity space” is very high
• Flexible and agile
Weaknesses• From a different
perspective, might look like a lot of activity for little to no gain
• Potentially lots of surprises
• Less susceptible to significant consequences (less risk) due to environmental issues
@aames #LavaCon9
• His father wanted him to become a doctor• He knew his own passions, etc., wanted to
become a doctor, and set out to do so• He worked high school like a career, setting
himself up for the right college, then the right grad school, etc.
• He became a doctor, including securing the best residency in his chosen specialty
• And when an opportunity with a charitable medical organization crossed his path, he seized it, even though it was not in his “plan”
@aames #LavaCon
Targeted: “Peter”
10
Targeted: Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths• Follow a well-defined
path• Planful and conscious• Few surprises• Less susceptible to
significant consequences (less risk) due to environmental issues
Weaknesses• From a different
perspective, might look rigid
• Opportunities not discovered or left on the table
@aames #LavaCon11
• Biology major, computer science major, finally landed on English + grad school Tech Comm
• Jobs and projects in government, chemicals, supply chain management, game development, computational science, software development, database technology, telephony, IT
• Skill development and expertise in writing, IA, business analysis, user experience, content strategy & experience design, leadership, career development, org change mgmt
• “I solve problems…”
• And when there’s a business need…new paths are blazed, new “species” are born—just until systematized
@aames #LavaCon
Entrepreneurial: Andrea
12
Entrepreneurial: Strengths and weaknessesStrengths• When an appropriate
entrepreneurial opportunity presents itself, targeting behavior leveraged toward a vision
• Once opportunity is selected, path toward vision is created, tested, refined, etc.
• Embraces change—beyond staying flexible and agile
Weaknesses• From a different
perspective, might look high-risk, frightening, or intimidating
• Seeks out and drives change, which can be seen as disruptive without a good reason
@aames #LavaCon13
• We all fall somewhere on the continuum—no one is one type alone, but we do have preferences
• Which type do you best relate to? Which feels most comfortable?
OpportunisticTargetedEntrepreneurial
@aames #LavaCon
Your “type”
14
• Discover your strengths…but don’t stop there: find the business need that matches those strengths.
• Commit to the journey—the long-term investment in yourself and your career. In any type, you won’t get there overnight.
• The targeted approach is very useful:– Have some idea about where you’re going– If you aren’t sure what skills to develop outside
of your core skillset, strengthen those skills.– When in doubt, straight ahead works!
@aames #LavaCon
Want to become more fluent across the continuum?Or “How to attack this conference…”
15
• Opportunism is a also a very valuable approach in the current economy—and the economy for the past 10-15 years—consider adopting the flexibility and agility of this type.– Build broad and deep skills– Develop transferrable skills & knowledge– Follow trends—in content, technical, and
business industries—and build deep expertiseto maintain relevance
@aames #LavaCon
Want to become more fluent across the continuum? (cont.)Or “How to attack this conference…”
16
• Entrepreneurism is also valuable. Borrow behaviors from it:– Take a risk. Try something new. Improvise – say yes, no matter
how outrageous the situation sounds or seems.– Acquire, build, or maintain analytical, problem-solving skills.– When the opportunity arises, carve out the path, lead the way,
and “create” the new “species.”
@aames #LavaCon
Want to become more fluent across the continuum? (cont.)Or “How to attack this conference…”
17
Our skills are SO transferrable!
– Systems thinking– Problem solving– Audience analysis– Design– Strategy development
…think of all of the places where you can use these!
@aames #LavaCon
Remember….
18
@aames #LavaCon
Thank you! Have a GREAT conference!
19
Top Related