ISV Kaizen Strategy of continuous improvement for software business

[Editor's Note: This post comes from Craig Prichard, a Technical Communicator. He has provided beta and usability testing for Dr.Explain, wrote the sample project (GUI) that is distributed with the latest version, and is the "voice" of this video.]

Dennis has generously provided me enough rope to hang myself. I hope to make a hammock and just hang out a little instead. We’ll see.

This post comes from the perspective of a Technical Communicator. 25+ years of software development, business analysis, beta and usability testing, and technical communication in its many forms have confirmed to me that these principles are universal to anyone faced with creative problem solving.

Technical Communication (TC) has many facets but at the core of every effort, deliverable, meeting or other task is the challenge to solve a problem. Whether the task is to write or otherwise communicate an explanation of how to do or use something, convince a client to use your services, resolve an interpersonal conflict between yourself and someone else or between others, or determine the best content delivery medium for a specific scenario, you will always have two challenges: clearly identifying the problem and producing a satisfactory solution to it. Sometimes the problem is cognitive, e.g. learning and explaining. Sometimes the problem is emotional, e.g. conflict resolution. Sometimes the problem is spiritual, e.g. conflict of interest. Sometimes the problem is physical, e.g. constrained by available resources. And most of the time the problem is a lovely blending of components that taxes body, soul, and spirit. The remainder of this article will be based on two (1) assumptions (I know what they say about “assume”, thank you):

1. You have identified the problem. This would make a good topic for another post.
2. You believe a satisfactory solution can be achieved. I believe there is an achievable satisfactory solution to every problem, which would make good topic for another post.

How do I get from point #1 to the end of point #2? I don’t have any idea how to solve the problem. Or, more likely, I have some idea of how to solve the problem but there are pieces missing that need to be filled in.

First, let’s modify our taxonomy. Do not refer to this as a “problem” any longer. It may seem trite or contrived to call it a “challenge” or “opportunity” when the terms are synonymous. But actually they are not. Would you refer to training for a 10 KM run as a “problem” or a “challenge”? It’s a matter of choice. You choose to participate in a 10 KM run and know that without training first, your results will likely be less than satisfactory. You refer to the effort with a term that, in your mind, is less negative than “problem”. For motivation sake you choose a term that encourages rather than discourages. For motivation sake you need to think of the TC effort now facing you in terms that do not discourage. One reason you might be having difficulty crafting a solution to the challenge is that your mindset regarding it is unnecessarily negative. Turning the corner from “Woe is me” to “I shall overcome” (thank you Martin Luther King Jr.) can help the creative juices to flow again.

Challenge Types and Suggestions:

• Cognitive: I have the problem of learning a new program and writing a Getting Started Guide for it. No, I have the opportunity to expand my repertoire of computer programs AND demonstrate my excellent communication skills in producing a quality Getting Started Guide.
• Emotional: For the next project I’m paired with the most obnoxious team member in the group. No, I have the opportunity to combine my expertise with another team member who, while challenging to work with, still have valuable contributions to make. That which does not kill me makes me stronger.
• Spiritual: The changes to this policy manual are going to make people around here upset and might cost some their jobs if they don’t change before it goes into effect. The problem is I can’t talk about it. No, the challenge is I need to honor my professional commitment to non-disclosure and confidentiality, remember that I don’t make the policies, and hope the example I set will help others by exemplifying corporate policy.
• Physical: The problem is the video is too large for web-based distribution. No, the challenge is to either reduce the video file size or modify the distribution mechanism in some way.
• Blended: The boss wants another chapter in the Training Manual ready for review Monday and I promised my wife we would take the kids camping this weekend. No, the challenge is to manage my time and resources as efficiently as possible and insure my boss understands what reasonable expectations are.

My first point is about perspective; having a perspective about the challenge that doesn’t drain you of confidence to overcome it. The next point is also about perspective; looking at the opportunity to see what it is and what it isn’t. When I need to produce a deliverable that similar to numerous deliverables I have produced in the past, there is little need for creativity beyond the content itself. It’s when the deliverable is different in some way that the need for creativity arises. Understanding what is different is key to focusing your creativity productively. This is “thinking outside the box” and critically important in sparking creativity:

• Do I have all the facts and understand the scope? If I don’t think so I should gather the information I need from wherever or whomever I can?
• Have I discussed the challenge with stakeholders, knowledge experts, subject matter experts, or any key personnel involved in providing input to my efforts? Have they offered suggestions, no matter how ridiculous, to include in my pool of possibilities?
• Have I done some brainstorming, alone or with others (preferable) to fill my pool of possibilities? Did we step far enough back to allow the ideas to fly well beyond reasonable and practical? If one (1) in a hundred ideas is good, then I should accumulate several hundred ideas so I have a couple of good ones to evaluate and pursue. Ask any of the companies I do regular beta and usability testing for and they will report that my enhancement suggestions list is usually massive and often borderline unachievable in the extreme. Why do I continue to pour in suggestions when most are ignored? Two (2) reasons: first, I leave it to them to decide what is good and what is stupid, and, second, sometimes even stupid can lead to good. A stupid suggestion might spark a discussion leading to something valuable.

Challenge Types and Suggestions:

• Cognitive: The Getting Started Guide needs to fit on a single sheet of paper. Has the content been edited to be clear, concise, and complete? Could sentences be turned into bullet points, paragraphs combined, smaller headings employed? Does it have to be 8.5×11? Could it be 17×11 folded? Could it be rendered in a smaller font size, with fewer images and smaller margins?
• Emotional: The team member will not listen to any of my suggestions. Can I learn to communicate my suggestions in a way that doesn’t cause a defensive reaction? Can I accept the team member taking credit for my suggestions?
• Spiritual: The boss wants to include a paragraph from an uncited source. Does my boss understand what plagiarism is and how strongly I oppose it? Do I understand why he does not want to cite the source?
• Physical: The video resolution must remain high, stream, and start playing within five (5) seconds. Do I know what the latest compression technologies are and how to utilize them? Could the videos be split into shorter segments?
• Blended: The deliverable must be produced using a product I am unfamiliar with. Am I constrained to create the deliverable using this product or am I constrained to generate a specific target output that this product produces? Possibly your tool-of-choice will be acceptable if it produces the required output type. Or maybe, for archive purposes, the content can be imported into the required product at the end of the development cycle.

Next, at a more practical level, am I as prepared as I can be to be creative right now?

• Am I getting enough regular rest?
• Am I eating healthy regularly?
• Am I distracted by challenges outside the professional context that are demanding attention?
• Would a brisk walk, some other exercise, or just some calisthenics around desk help get my heart rate up and blood flowing?
• How about snack to quiet my stomach and boost my energy?
• Does standing up, pacing around, squeezing a stress ball, chewing gum, playing ping pong or some other physical activity help my focus?
• Is there someone I can talk to right now to get a fresh perspective, brainstorm with, or engage for a few minutes?
• Is there some other creative activity I can do for a while to take my mind off this challenge, e.g. cooking, musical activity, other hobby activities? Often when you engage a different part of your brain it will be easier to return to the challenge with a fresh perspective.

Here is a recap of ways to help the creative juices flow:

• Power: Don’t give the challenge power over you by thinking of it in defeatist terms. Keep a positive perspective. A solution will be forthcoming.
• Perspective: Turn the challenge over, inside out, upside down, and sideways. Changing your perspective might reveal something previous hidden from view.
• Practical: Is this machine; my body, soul, and spirit, ready to face this challenge?
• Ask for help. Discussion sparks inspiration. You can quote me. And you can contact me if you want too. I love a challenge, an opportunity to kick a problem so hard its mother will cry out.

There is no new research or startling information here. You know all this. But I hope that by putting it together as I have done, you will have greater ease in diving into, uh-oh, what’s about to walk into your office…

As always, your feedback is appreciated.

Craig Prichard
Technical Communicator
craig dot prichard AT gmail dot com
http://members.shaw.ca/craig.prichard