Did you ever make a big public mistake?
What did you do to make it right?
This presentation looks at mistakes I have made in Technical Communication and what I did to
[2024]Digital Global Overview Report 2024 Meltwater.pdf
Saying Thank You. Saying I'm Sorry. When #TechComm goes all wrong
1. Saying Thank You. Saying I'm Sorry.
When #TechComm goes all wrong
Viqui Dill
TechComm Leader at American Woodmark
6/19/2015 1| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
2. Icebreaker
• Who is this?
What did she do?
• Did you ever make a big public mistake?
What did you do to make it right?
http://www.ted.com/talks/monica_lewinsky_the_price_of_shame
6/19/2015 2| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
3. Tech rules our lives
• Tech rules our lives
• Tech can be big
• Tech can be fragile
– When technical things go wrong, they often go
wrong in big, public ways
– System users deserve an apology
– System users deserve a sincere gesture of thanks
for risking a continued relationship
6/19/2015 3| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
4. Hooray for #TechComm
• The voice of a technical organization
– Training: “I’m sorry it’s hard to do right.”
– Online help: “I’m sorry it’s confusing.”
– Release notes: “I’m sorry it was broken.”
6/19/2015 4| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
5. Problems with the doc?
• Promptly correct the problem
• Give gushing thanks for the feedback
• At least somebody is reading it
– 1 troll = 99 non-trolls
6/19/2015 | @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 | 5
6. Problems with the system
• List the problems fixed
– Be specific
• Apologize for the inconvenience
– Express thanks for the business relationship
6/19/2015 6| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
7. The “I” Message
• State how you feel (the message relationship
or meaning)
– “I feel _________________________.
• State the content of your message
– because _______________________
– which resulted in ________________________.
– What I want is __________________________.”
http://americanwoodmark.com/
6/19/2015 | @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 | 7
8. True Confessions
• I’m a screw up survivor!
• I learned!
• I made amends for the
whole organization.
– Admit we caused a problem
– Thank the folks for their
patience with us while we
worked out a solution
– Give a concrete token of our
appreciation, and make it an
awesome stress-relief toy!
6/19/2015 8| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
https://viquidill.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/thank-you-note/
9. 9-1-1 Dispatch
• What’s the worst thing a phone system can
do?
– Call the cops
– Scare the callers
– Upset the dispatcher
• My job: check up on 368 phone users
– Acknowledge the problem
– Thank them for their patience
– Win back their trust
6/19/2015 9| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
10. 9-1-1 Dispatch
• What’s the worst thing a phone system can
do?
– Call the cops
– Scare the callers
– Upset the dispatcher
• My job: check up on 368 phone users
– Acknowledge the problem
– Thank them for their patience
– Win back their trust
6/19/2015 10| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
11. Who moved my cheese?
• Who moved my cheese?
– Give the stretchy mice and cheese to clients and
teammates when you've changed processes,
interfaces, or objectives over and over.
– Thank them for being like the second mouse who
didn't freak out when the cheese moved.
– Make it public!
http://www.officeplayground.com/Stretchy-Mice-and-Cheese-P279.aspx
6/19/2015 11| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
12. Who moved my cheese?
• Who moved my cheese?
– Give the stretchy mice and cheese to clients and
teammates when you've changed processes,
interfaces, or objectives over and over.
– Thank them for being like the second mouse who
didn't freak out when the cheese moved.
– Make it public!
http://www.officeplayground.com/Stretchy-Mice-and-Cheese-P279.aspx
6/19/2015 12| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
13. When pigs fly
• I dropped the ball on a project and a teammate
covered for me
• Flying pig
– Give the flying pig to clients and teammates who are
especially committed, even in times of conflict.
– Tell the Agile story about the pig and the chicken.
http://www.officeplayground.com/Slingshot-Flying-Pig-P1200.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chicken_and_the_Pig
6/19/2015 13| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
14. Roses are red
• Documentation gets in the way of
development
– When I found software bugs, nobody was happy
about it
– My test data was overwritten
• Rose above it
– Give the solar rose toy when a teammate has
persevered through a tough season.
http://www.officeplayground.com/Solar-Dancing-Flower-Rose-P2362.aspx
6/19/2015 14| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
15. Roses are red
• Rose above it
– Give the solar rose toy when a teammate has
persevered through a tough season.
– This works great when someone is willing to come
to work when they're sick with something non-
contagious like stress related migraines or
digestive trouble.
http://www.officeplayground.com/Solar-Dancing-Flower-Rose-P2362.aspx
6/19/2015 15| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
16. Metamorphosis
• I changed the plan
– Redo everything
– Same deadline
• Butterfly
– Give the butterfly solar toy
when a project starts out
ugly and then turns
beautiful after a dormant
season.
http://www.officeplayground.com/Solar-Power-Motion-
Toy-Dancing-Butterfly-P6066.aspx
6/19/2015 16| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
17. Slay the dragon
• I love my teammates
• Dragon
– Give the dragon squeeze
toy when someone helps
you work through a
particularly tough
situation, like slaying a
dragon.
http://www.officeplayground.com/Poppin-
Peepers-Dragon-P5741.aspx
6/19/2015 17| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
18. Slay the dragon
• Dragon
– Give the dragon squeeze toy
when someone helps you
work through a particularly
tough situation, like slaying
a dragon.
– Users who are willing to
participate in early usability
or beta tests will appreciate
the metaphor.
http://www.officeplayground.com/Poppin-
Peepers-Dragon-P5741.aspx
6/19/2015 18| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
19. I’m sorry. Here’s proof.
• People love a heartfelt apology
• People love toys
– By combining the two, Technical Communicators
will be able to rebuild relationships with
customers in a concrete, humorous way
6/19/2015 19| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
20. Connect with me
• Bio
http://wdcb.stcwdc.org/about-us/chapter-bios/dill-bio/
• Blog
https://viquidill.wordpress.com/
• Email
social_media@stcwdc.org
• @viqui_dill
https://twitter.com/viqui_dill
• Linked In
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/viqui-dill
• Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/viqui.dill
6/19/2015 20| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |
Notes de l'éditeur
When technical things go wrong, they often go wrong in big, public ways. System users deserve an apology and a sincere gesture of thanks for risking a continued relationship.
Technical Communicators are often the face or the voice of a technical organization. When users are in trouble, they go to the online help. When we admit we had a bug and have to fix it, users find out about it in the release notes. Whether we need to say "I'm sorry it's confusing" or "I'm sorry it's broken", we need a Technical Communicator to carry the message. This presentation will discuss some of my personal experiences when technical things go wrong and several meaningful yet fun ways I found for saying "I'm sorry" and "thank you for your understanding".
I have survived a number of technically sticky situations and have learned a meaningful process of making amends with negatively impacted users.
Admit we caused a problem
Thank the folks for their patience with us while we worked out a solution
Give a concrete token of our appreciation, and make it an awesome stress-relief toy!
Here are a few examples of the toys I have given out:
Who moved my cheese? Give the stretchy mice and cheese to clients and teammates when you've changed processes, interfaces, or objectives over and over. Thank them for being like the second mouse who didn't freak out when the cheese moved.
Here are a few examples of the toys I have given out:
Who moved my cheese? Give the stretchy mice and cheese to clients and teammates when you've changed processes, interfaces, or objectives over and over. Thank them for being like the second mouse who didn't freak out when the cheese moved.
Flying pig: Give the flying pig to clients and teammates who are especially committed, even in times of conflict. Tell the Agile story about the pig and the chicken.
Rose above it: Give the solar rose toy when a teammate has persevered through a tough season. This works great when someone is willing to come to work when they're sick with something non-contagious like stress related migranes or digestive trouble.
Rose above it: Give the solar rose toy when a teammate has persevered through a tough season. This works great when someone is willing to come to work when they're sick with something non-contagious like stress related migranes or digestive trouble.
Butterfly: Give the butterfly solar toy when a project starts out ugly and then turns beautiful after a dormant season. The metamorphoses message will not be lost with this token of thanks.
Dragon: Give the dragon squeeze toy when someone helps you work through a particularly tough situation, like slaying a dragon. Users who are willing to participate in early usability or beta tests will appreciate the metaphor.
Dragon: Give the dragon squeeze toy when someone helps you work through a particularly tough situation, like slaying a dragon. Users who are willing to participate in early usability or beta tests will appreciate the metaphor.
People love a heartfelt apology and people love toys. By combining the two, Technical Communicators will be able to rebuild relationships with customers in a concrete, humorous way.
Viqui would love to connect with you. Email her at social_media@stcwdc.org, follow her on twitter @viqui_dill https://twitter.com/viqui_dill, connect with her on Linked In http://www.linkedin.com/pub/viqui-dill/15/79/7a5, or make her your friend on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/viqui.dill.