This is the best approach. In the early '90s, before I came over to the side of Goodness and Light, I was an SME myself. An SME does not always have the time or the inclination to teach someone the technology. It makes the job so much easier when the interviewer has a clue about what is going on. And of course, it is much easier for an SME to answer questions than to teach a subject from the ground level.
The human approach is great also. In many companies, someone who holds onto a bit of information feels threatened every time someone tries to "steal" the information from them. Connecting on a human level, through huor, children, or some other common interest turns the writer into a team member, rather than the enemy. regards --- "Jones, Donna" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I usually read up on whatever is available before > going to a SME. This > may include reading internal documentation or > surfing the internet for > more information about a particular technology (RFID > and wireless > networking in my case). Then I'm armed with > terminology and questions > that I may not have had earlier. > > Then when I approach the SME, I can say, "Do you > have a minute? Here's > how I understand xyz. Am I right? Am I missing > anything obvious? Can you > tell me anything else that I need to know?" That > approach usually gets > them talking, even if they're in the process of > running off again. At > the very least, they can understand why I need a > little of their time, > and they usually suggest a better time to talk. > > I've found that being a little silly can break the > ice with SMEs who > seem to be extremely busy. "Ah, there you are. My > stalking has paid > off!" Or ask how their kids are doing (especially > with people who have > new babies--they love to tell you about them!). Get > them to smile or > relax whenever you can, and they tend to be more > helpful. > > Donna > > - CONFIDENTIAL- > This email and any files transmitted with it are > confidential, and may also be legally privileged. > If you are not the intended recipient, you may not > review, use, copy, or distribute this message. If > you receive this email in error, please notify the > sender immediately by reply email and then delete > this email. > > _______________________________________________ > > Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? Get the > scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com Your 3D > Documentation Community. > _______________________________________________ > > Technical Communication Professionals > > To post a message to the list, send an email to > [email protected] > > To find out more about the list, including archives > and your account options, visit > http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com > > If you need assistance with the list, write to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Ezriel Yellin Technical Writer List Owner - Techshoret Carpe Aptenodytes!! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Access over 1 million songs - Yahoo! Music Unlimited (http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited) _______________________________________________ Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? Get the scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com Your 3D Documentation Community. _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals To post a message to the list, send an email to [email protected] To find out more about the list, including archives and your account options, visit http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com If you need assistance with the list, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
