Month: January 2014

Making remote teams work:

our communication is no less real for its delivery via pixels rather than sound waves, and the remote-by-default habit ensures no one is disenfranchised.

They’re Watching You at Work. A look at how people analytics are affecting hiring practices within companies.

10 things I expect new hires to know on day one. Neat list of things Cameron Moll tells those joining Authentic Jobs.

The Future of Education Is Not What It Used To Be:

There must be a loud call—not to make teachers better at teaching, not to quantify student success, but simply to encourage all students to be better thinkers and learners.

Morning Beach 5k

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Took advantage of the beautiful sunshine this morning and got a great run in on the beach. Flying home from Charleston this afternoon.

Charleston Waterfront

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Charleston BBQ

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Barbecued steaks, asparagus, and portobello mushrooms. Great first dinner in Charleston.

Portland to Charleston

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Getting 2014 travel started right with a free upgrade to first class. On the way to Charleston, SC for a hiring-focused meetup.

Task-centered support

In the past I’ve written about focusing on the particular task a customer is stuck on. Reading The Design of Everyday Things reminded me of that mindset. Donald Norman writes:

In their work, designers often become expert with the device they are designing. Users are often expert at the task they are trying to perform with the device.

Norman’s description is apt, I think. It got me thinking about the role of support, too. In many ways the support experience starts when a customer’s ability to complete a task breaks down.

A product is more than the sum of its menus and settings. A product is ‘Hello World’, not the code which generates that. A lot of what defines support is how you take someone from being stuck to finishing whatever it is they wanted to do.

People are unlikely to poke through every setting just because they are there. You do that when you are mastering a device, not when you are completing a task.

Nerds are great at digging through the layers of a product. Customers are unlikely to be nerds. Rather than understand an entire system they want to get something done. Less time with a product means more time for their project.

Next time a customer writes in and is stuck, try to stop yourself from wondering what about the product they missed. Instead, think about what task they are trying to complete. Think about how your product helps them get there. Your customers will thank you.

The Expendables: How the Temps Who Power Corporate Giants Are Getting Crushed. In-depth look by ProPublica at the temp worker industry. Includes some geographic and socioeconomic breakdowns of the impact of temp work.