Learning is a big topic and one that a lot of disagreement still exists over. Unfortunately, but the time there is general agreement, we’ll already be dead, so to get practical about it, we need to use what we know now as effectively as we can.

I wrote a piece called ‘Learning to Learn‘ that I’ve made available for download. I plan to extend this to talk about Online Learning, but this is a good place to start.

Categories: Learning, Practical Applications, Skills
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One of the main points on this blog is that you need to be understood when you write or speak. This is a problem for many people whether they’re technically inclined or not. I recently came across a blog post at copyblogger.com that takes an interesting viewpoint on Persuasive Writing.

For many years, people talked about the formula AIDA in writing copy for marketing and sales. The letters stand for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. This has been a simple way to structure short, persuasive pieces when you’re trying to sell something.

Brian Clark, the author of the article “The Four “P” Approach: A Persuasive Writing Structure That Works” on copyblogger.com takes a different approach. This isn’t something new as others have been using this as well, but this article is a particularly nice discussion of the formula.

The 4P approach is Promise, Picture, Proof, and Push. Summarized, his approach is

1. Promise - the promise is your opening and has to focus on a promise that makes sense to whoever you’re trying to communicate with. What’s in it for THEM! If you can get them to see the benefit to themselves, they’ll be more disposed to following the rest of what you have to say.
2. Picture - you want to paint a picture that gets emotional involvement from the people you’re trying to convince. If you can get them emotionally involved, you’re that much closer to convincing them.
3. Proof - emotional connection is never quite enough. You need to address people’s logical mind as well by offering proof of why this works for THEM. Proof is always a part of making the case clear.
4. Push - here’s where you connect the dots and try to get a commitment to actually doing something. Do you want approval to start a project? Do you want a raise? A promotion? Whatever it is that you’re trying to convince someone about, this is where you tie your argument to their action.

A very important point made in the article is that persuasion is about UNDERSTANDING. That’s true no matter what kind of piece you’re writing. In order to persuade someone, they have to understand what you’re saying. You need to put the effort in to make it happen because YOU want THEM to understand. It’s YOUR responsibility to adjust your communication, not your audience’s.

So why should you bother reading about it? Simple, you can apply either formula when trying to put together a short, persuasive piece like an email or even use it as a structuring idea for a short talk or presentation. When you’re trying to convince someone, you’re being a marketer or a sales person. You’re not just a ‘techie’, you’re selling something, your idea, your project, or whatever. Think about formulas like this when you want to make a persuasive argument clearly.

Categories: Skills, The Basics
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If you are, then you should learn from the best. I was looking over a search today and found a blog entry at hackademia.net called “Good writing makes the difference” which pointed me a Computerworld article by John Brandon on “The top 10 best-written blogs“. I’m looking at each blog to learn how to make my own blogging better.

Reading Brandon’s article lead me to his blog about the characteristics of a good blog (”What makes a blog worthwhile?“). The keys are:

• Good writing
• Interesting points

The top-10 blog article added these points:

• Writing with humor and wit
• Thoughtful posts that are literate and worth reading
• Thoughtful and insightful writing
• A high plateau when issues are debated
• Using facts to engage you

All of these SOUND easy to do, but it takes practice to do them well. Humor and wit are more then just cracking jokes. They are finding a smile instead of a belly laugh in a situation by tying it to the human condition as others see it.

Remember too that if you’re looking for a job, your potential employer is looking for you online. They’re going to read what you write and evaluate you on what they see. Would you like to be considered in the company of the Top 10 when that evaluation is made?

Categories: Blogging, Practical Applications, Skills, The Basics
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One of the skills anyone needs to be comfortable with is taking good notes. People have many different ways to do it. Some scribble in a note book, some type into a notepad on their computer, some record them in a portable tape recorder. It doesn’t matter what way you do it, you need to be comfortable with it. Once you can take notes without thinking about it, then don’t let someone convince you to do it another way because it’s “better”. Better is very personal and what’s better for THEM might not be better for YOU.

Recently, I was interviewing a client about their needs and talking about how a software system could support their needs. I was taking notes as I went along in my journal in a mind map. About 1/2-way through the interview, the person asked me about the notes I was taking. She had never seen a mind map and was interested because I seemed to be moving around on the page.

I explained the basic process

FIRST - up front I do my preparation for the interview. The Subject is at the center of the page and on one side, I list issues I want to be sure I cover. I may expand some of these with specific questions or facts.

SECOND - I make a list of questions I’d like to get answered while I’m with the interviewee.

I try not to over-prepare, but I do make sure I’m familiar enough going in that I can talk about it easily. The preparatory notes are all very condensed and are reminders, not the detail of what I’m going to say.

When I start the interview, I have a very basic mind map which has reminders of the things I want to cover, the questions I want to ask, and any relevant material about the interviewee and/or their company I need to remember:

I usually start out with black ink and use one side for the information. As the interview goes on, I’ll add notes in a contrasting pen color. I might have notes taken from a phone interview in blue and from a face-to-face interview in red:

I also usually start on the LEFT page of a two page facing set so I have room to expand into on the right side if more happens than expected.

As I’m noting issues, I try to summarize them in short phrases, single words, and so forth. I try to link issues together and get as much down as I can. As each new idea gets added to the web and linked into place, my picture gets better and better, so I start reflecting back my understanding, discussing what I’m hearing and asking for corrections so that I’m sure I’ve got it right before we finish.

As soon as possible after we’re done, I sit down with the notes and try to expand them. If possible, transcribing them into another form in my computer. I might use a mind mapping software package or an outliner to enter the information in a structured fashion and to allow me to expand on each idea and issue in more detail.

Once I’ve got a computer readable summary in some form, I write a Thank You letter with a summary of the conversation and the important points raised. This does wonders for confirming commitments and clarifying information.

Categories: Skills
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No matter what you’re writing or speaking about, if it’s more than a few lines, it deserves some attention and some planning. That’s basic emphasis of my whole approach. it doesn’t require Microsoft Project or similar software and doesn’t require full-blown project management or a specialist like a certified PMP. You need something that I call ‘Everyday Project Management’

What is Everyday Project Management? It’s an approach between time management and project management that uses tools and techniques of both to deal with projects too big for a todo list, but too small for project management tools. I’ve discussed many of the principles in my paper Notes on Time and Project Management. You can also find some applicable information in my introduction to Project Management ‘Project Management 101′

Let’s consider an example.

Assume you need to make a presentation to the executive committee in your company to provide technical justification for a project that you believe in. There’s a business manager who will handle the financial justification, but you need to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the project. You’ve got to make the presentation in a week, so how will you use your time to be ready when your turn comes up to speak?
When I’m going to make a presentation, I start by doing some simple things:

1. I open a tab in my day planner for the presentation and put related notes there.
2. I make a list of everything I know that I’ll have to do to get ready, working through what are generally called planning and visualization
3. I assign dates to the items in the list and put them on the appropriate task list in my day planner. If I have an automated calendar that I’m using for a group collaboration, I’ll enter the items there and set alarms.
4. I open my day planner to the day of the presentation and start a list of last minute things (charge my laptop battery), things I want to make sure are ready, and things to bring (water, power cord, handouts, etc.).

Planning and Visualization are two parts of almost any project, but for Everyday Projects, we do an abbreviated version. For myself, I like to get the goal sorted out and written down. I find it helps me to define the goal in writing. To define the goal, I use the old SMART thumbrule:

• Specific
• Measureable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timed

These are really thinking points to make sure I haven’t left something without thinking about it. My goal is my end point, so I’ll start with the end, my presentation, and what I want it to me like.

My most important list is what I need to do to get this done, my task list. For an everyday project, I set it up in the back of my dayplanner behind a colored tab.

I try break tasks out so that no single task takes too long. I usually use a mind map to build the list because my thinking is non-linear. I’ll translate it into a linear plan later. In building the list, I’ll ask myself some basic questions:

• What things do I need to DO to get ready? My tasks
• What will interfere with getting things done? My constraints
• Are there any sensitive issues I need to be aware of and handle carefully?
• Are there any logical groupings of tasks that I can use to make what I need to do easier?
• Is there one sequence that makes more sense than any other?
• Is there anyone else I can delegate some of the responsibility to or anyone whose help I need?
• What is my time limit for preparation? Not for delivery, but for preparation. I may need to leave time to review my material with my boss or get copies made, or even get approval before the presentation.
• Are there any costs associated with what I need to do? Is the money allocated to do it?

Once I have my task list in hand, I set aside a box or folder to put things in like reports, books, or anything that I might need to refer to during preparation. I’ll also setup a folder on my computer to hold files that I’ll need to refer to.

All of that is a pretty good start, but there’s more to consider. I’m writing a White Paper which I’ll post to tie it all together.

Categories: Skills, The Basics, Tools
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We all think we know how to learn, but many of the people I know have actually forgotten the skill involved. No one who is preparing to write or speak can afford to not be good at learning.

Some years ago, I wrote a piece for some of my colleagues and clients called ‘Learning to Learn‘. It was my own views on the learning process. it was very well received and most people who read it felt it helped them. I’ve posted the document as a PDF for anyone who’d like to read it. I’m working to revise it right now for online learning since I teach classes through the Connecticut Long Distance Learning Center (CTDLC). The advice though doesn’t go out of date. Even before the update, it still is practical advice for learning.

NOTE: Learning is a very individual thing. There is no one right way to learn that covers everyone. Use these ideas as suggestions, but adapt them as you need to to be effective.

Categories: Skills
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Thinking tools have always been a favorite topic of mine. I love good thinking tools. Problem is, so many of them just don’t live up to the hype. One of the major tools that has become part of my life is Mind Mapping (or Mindmapping).

I learned Mindmapping originally at a Systems Thinking Conference many years ago. It was presented as one of a series of techniques for brainstorming and thinking. I found that the more I used it, the more I wanted to use it. It’s now often the way I start thinking about something.

The most basic books on Mindmapping are by Joyce Wycoff and Tony Buzan. Buzan claims to be the inventor of Mindmapping, but you can trace things that look very much like mindmaps back to the 3rd century.

Wikipedia has a good article about Mindmaps. It’s got some historical background and a pretty decent explanation plus some good links.

I have to admit that I prefer Wycoff’s way of doing them to Buzan’s, but I’ve found that everyone I know does it with their own particular twist to the process. Some people would suggest that what I do is more of a Concept Map than a mindmap, but that’s not really true either. The critical thing for me is really more about mapping ideas. I like to think about each IDEA as a unit where Buzan works in single words. I don’t find that anywhere near as useful.

Mindscapes are a derivative of mindmapping, emphasizing visual mapping even more than mindmaps do. The technique can produce amazing pictures which become wonderful visual records of sessions facilitated by someone skilled in the technique. I first saw this at a conference and was blown away by the result! Nancy Marguiles’ web site has a number of completed mindscapes on it that are well worth looking at. I can’t say I’m good at it, but the process starts with mind mapping and eventually produces a drawing that summarizes all of the key ideas and their relationships. I’m envious of the skill it took to draw the mindscapes I’ve seen.

I mindmap with colored pencils or pens. I usually do it in my journal, but sometimes I’ll take a poster pad and do it there. At one time when I was studying a particular aspect of epistemology, I drew a series of mindmaps of the knowledge area and posted them on my walls as continuous reminders. I added to them on a regular basis as I continued to study the material.

I love colors for mindmaps and often add small drawings, but what I turn out isn’t really pretty. It’s meaningful for me which is what I want, but I usually don’t share them. Sometimes, I’ll draw a basic map in one color (usually black) and then as I consult other books or talk to other people, I’ll add to the map in different colors so I can see the interlacing of ideas from different perspectives.

When I need to make a pretty mindmap, I use mindmap software. When facilitating a meeting, a mindmap is a great summary of what’s going on. Most people need a bit of help at first to understand it, but after a few minutes, everyone knows how to read it. I start by projecting my screen with the application, I enter notes, setup links between them, and organize the output from our session. I can transform the mindmap into an outline or print it out as a mindmap for everyone as a record of what we’ve talked about.

I have facilitated meetings with mindmaps where we didn’t use software to create them. Probably the best session of this sort was one where we brought together a group of people and covered a table in large white paper (I think it was white butcher paper). Everyone got a set of colored markers, and then we went to work. Everyone was able to add to anything on the paper as we talked or build little maps close to them. As we continued, eventually, everything on the page was integrated into an overall view.

The applications I’m familiar with are:

Mindmanager - Used by a lot of consultants and other professionals. This is a polished and very useful application. It’s a great choice for facilitation.

http://www.mindjet.com/

Mindmapper - I tried this one and didn’t find it as flexible as Mindmanager, but it appears to be good enough and solid enough to use. I haven’t used it enough to know how well I can rely on it. There is a free version available which doesn’t have all the capabilities of the pro version, but I haven’t tried it. It could be good for learning the basic process.

http://www.mindmapperusa.com/

Inspiration - This was the first mindmap application I used and I’ve always loved it. It’s used by a lot of teachers, so they focus a lot of attention on the education market. A friend’s wife is a teacher in grade school and uses this all the time in class. Inspiration has announced a web-based beta called Webspiration which could be very interesting. I’ve played with it a little bit and it looks like a good place to learn. I’d recommend stopping by the Inspiration web site or going direct to Webspiration.

http://www.inspiration.com/

Freemind - I started using Freemind to see what it was like. It’s a purely text based mindmapper with a good GUI and plenty of responsiveness. I’ve been using it more and more. It’s written in Java and so portable between Windows, Mac, and Linux. Since I work in all three environments, I’ve found it convenient to use. Best of all, it’s FREE! Here is a mindmap I worked up for a project I’ve been working on about skill sets.

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Axon - I discovered this application when working with Prolog for AI applications. I was impressed enough to purchase a copy. It’s since been updated regularly and has drawn a good following. I don’t think of it as primarily a mindmapping application. It’s more for working with a wide range of graphical idea processing methods. I’d call Axon more of a Concept Mapping software package than a Mind Mapping package.

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~axon2000/index.htm

You can also build mind maps with just about any good drawing software like Visio or Omnigraffle, but part of the beauty of mindmapping software is that it allows you to quickly enter a series of ideas without worrying about links or graphics. Most of the packages have a mode you can enter where you type an idea, press a specific key that enters that idea into the map and opens for the next idea. With that, you can do 10 or 12 ideas in a minute or so, then come back and rearrange and relink them if you want.

In a facilitated session, we might zero in on a specific idea to brainstorm. I’ll enter the ideas one after another linked to a specific idea so we capture everything. Only later will we revisit what we did and consider whether they would make sense somewhere else. This rapid entry is great for brainstorming with a group of people.

Ultimately, the whole point of mindmapping is to make it easier for you to THINK and to help ‘Make Your Ideas Clear’!

Categories: Skills
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Ever heard the term ‘Freewriting’? I did it for many years before I learned what it was called. I don’t know where the term originated, but I’ve found it in a number of books and learned that English classes in many schools use it for daily writing practice.

Freewriting is a great way to get a piece of writing or a speech or in fact any communication started. Sometimes I use it to break out of a mind-lock that prevents progress, sometimes it’s just a good way to get warmed up. Freewriting for me is often a mind dump that takes me to places I’m not expecting.

The essence of Freewriting is to choose a time period, say 5, 10, or 15 minutes, and just start writing. You can start with a focus, but allow your writing to wander wherever your thoughts go. If you can’t think of anything to write, just write “I can’t think of anything to write” or anything else over and over again until your mind goes somewhere else. The point is to start and to keep writing until your time us up. Some people set an alarm and keep going until it goes off.

In a focused freewrite, start with a topic and dump everything you know or that comes to mind. Getting off topic is OK just as long as you keep going.

There are no real ‘rules’ for freewriting, but there are some guidelines:

1. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or anything else. Turn off your internal editor and just write whatever comes to mind.

2. Don’t stop, keep going for the whole time you’ve chosen.

3. Don’t worry about what you’re writing, write anything whether you’re going in a specific direction or not

4. Don’t look at this as a draft or any sort of predecessor to a piece of writing. Consider this a throw away. It doesn’t mean you can’t use it or part of it, but don’t expect to. If you get something you can use, that’s great, but that’s not the objective.

5. If your mind goes blank, just start writing something, anything “blank … blank … blank” or “I can’t think of anything” or “the quick brown fox … ” or ANYTHING

Is it valuable? I can’t speak for you, but I know it’s useful to me. Linked to a technique like Mind Mapping, freewriting is a great way to just let the flow come out. Not only does it loosen me up and get me moving, but sometimes it uncovers the most amazing things.

Often, I’ll do my initial information dump into a mind map. Add additional information from reading and other research, and keep adding material until I feel I’ve got a pretty good handle on the subject. Before I start a draft or convert this information into an outline, I’ll use a freewriting exercise to see what I come up with.

To freewrite the project, I start with the core idea in mind and just start writing about it. I usually do this into a text editor and not a word processor because I find editors more responsive. Once I’m done with the freewrite, I’ll let it sit for a while then come back and reread it. You’d be amazed at some of the insights that come out in the process.

Much of my best writing started as a freewrite. Sometimes, my freewrite becomes my project after I’ve edited out the stuff which doesn’t fit. Take this blog post for example, would you believe that it originated in a 10 minute freewrite session. I had already worked on the idea, mind mapped it in my journal, and reread some of the books and web sites that talk about it. A couple of days later, I sat down and just starting dumping my thoughts into the text editor. I HAD to stop because a 5 year old climbed up on my lap and said “Papa … you said you’d come and build with me!” You don’t refuse that kind of invitation. So I saved what I’d written and left. Several hours later I came back, reread it, and found I was close to what I wanted to say. I added some new thoughts, dropped some that did hit the mark, cleaned it up, added references, and now it’s ready to post.

What more could I ask for?

To see a sample Freewrite, check out

http://www.techiwriter.com/wordpress/a-freewriting-sample/

I hope my old English teacher will forgive me!

If you want to learn more about how to do it, there are several books that mention Freewriting. There’s not much in any of them about it, but these are pretty basic references.

Peter Elbow Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process (1981)

Julia Cameron The Artist’s Way (1992)

Natalie Goldberg Writing Down the Bones (1986)

If you don’t want to bother buying a book just to get a few pages on Freewriting, then take a look at these web sites. Each page has good information about how to do it. There’s not much there, but there doesn’t need to be.

Freewriting: A way around Writer’s Block

Getting Started: Freewriting

How to Freewrite

Categories: Skills
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Short written communications are so common, that many people treat them as unimportant. They’re anything but. They are often one of the things people use to assess your abilities. How trusted you are depends on what they see in your writing. Writing which is clumsy, disorganized, or loaded with misspellings will lead to the impression that you are the same.

Because I’ve been writing for many years and have been an editor on magazines and newsletters, I’ve been asked to put together short courses for clients to help their people write better. My style is informal and tries to be informative. I focus on getting a series of ideas understood. Most people like that. Some people consider me to be too informal or too personal, but I’m going to suggest throughout this series of blog entries that more writing should be that way. Overly formal or impersonal writing is harder to understand and puts up unnecessary barriers between you and your readers.

Consider customer service, If you’re writing to reply to a question from a customer and you’re not clear, you’re only going to frustrate that customer. If you’re on a help desk and responding to a user request, you could make the situation worse. If you’re trying to get funding for an important project and you’re answering questions from executives in email, you might lose the funding. There are many places where doing a good job on Short Written Communications is important.

I’ve posted the slides from one of my short courses in the Documents folder. The file, ShortWrittenCommunications.pdf, contains all of the slides used for the lecture. There was additional practical coaching which went on during each engagement after the lecture to help each participant become familiar with the techniques involved. Over time, I’ll be expanding on every technique addressed there as I go further into writing and how I think it should be done.

It’s important to recognize that all of the techniques aren’t suggested for EVERY communication. They’re a toolbox you can use as needed to help make your ideas clear.

Categories: Skills
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