04/15/2023 1

Saying Thank You. Saying I'm Sorry. When #TechComm goes all wrong

Viqui DillTechComm Leader at American Woodmark

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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.”

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 6

Problems with the system

• List the problems fixed – Be specific

• Apologize for the inconvenience– Express thanks for the business relationship

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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/

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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!

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

https://viquidill.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/thank-you-note/

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

04/15/2023 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

| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |

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

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04/15/2023 20| @viqui_dill | Saying Thank You. Saying I’m Sorry. | #TechComm #STC15 |