Presented at Barcamp Saskatoon 2010. Tips for software developers and testers to take advantage of the things non-technical colleagues can do for them, to make better products and happier work environments.
Many people don't have a clear vision about who IT person really is and what exactly they are doing. And maybe what is required to become an IT person.
Washoe County Library Monthly Report-December 2015Jeff Scott
The document contains various charts and graphs showing statistics for different library programs and locations over time, including program attendance, walk-in numbers, circulation, and computer usage for the Bel Canto Tintabulations program, Verdi Duncan Senior Center, partnership libraries, and monthly totals for July to December 2015/2016. It also charts total library circulation from 2007 to 2015 which has generally trended downward in recent years.
The document appears to be a monthly report from a public library system. It includes statistics on library attendance, circulation, and computer use for April 2016 compared to the previous year. It also lists media appearances and outreach activities conducted by the library that month. Finally, it provides an overview of upcoming events in May and planned renovations for 2016-2017, such as improving the HVAC system, remodeling the teen zone, and creating more accessible and collaborative spaces like a STEAM center.
This document appears to be a monthly report from the Washoe County Library System. It includes charts showing trends in youth and adult attendance, walk-in circulation and computer use at various library locations. Graphs depict total monthly circulation numbers from July 2014 to May 2016, with a slight rise each year. The report also lists outreach activities the library system engaged in during the month, such as a science fair/art exhibit, Spanish/English storytime, and providing information about early voting.
This document contains charts and statistics about library attendance, circulation, computer use, and programming from March 2016. One chart shows youth and adult attendance from January 2015 to March 2016, with attendance fluctuating between about 1,200 to 1,600 for youth and 1,300 to 1,450 for adults. Another chart displays walk-in circulation and computer use from July 2014 to February 2016, with circulation ranging from about 140,000 to 166,000 and computer use between 12,600 and 14,500. The last section lists upcoming library programs and events in April and May 2016 at various locations.
The Watershed Adaptive Management Option of Wisconsin\'s Phosphorus Rule: A N...mmalott
Wisconsin\'s new phosphorus rule contains an innovative new option called adaptive management, wherein NPDES permittees can address cost-effective nonpoint source pollution instead of expensive technology upgrades.
Berkeley Public Library Strategic Plan Presentation FY 16-18Jeff Scott
The Berkeley Public Library strategic plan for 2015-2018 outlines goals in 7 areas: literacy, operations, marketing, partnerships, and technology. It describes the planning process, staff and community input received, and over 60 strategies and action items to achieve objectives like expanding early literacy programs, improving spaces and collections, boosting outreach and promotion, strengthening community partnerships, and increasing access to technology resources. The plan's overall aim is to build community and close gaps through collaboration, conversations, and creative use of the library's resources.
Many people don't have a clear vision about who IT person really is and what exactly they are doing. And maybe what is required to become an IT person.
Washoe County Library Monthly Report-December 2015Jeff Scott
The document contains various charts and graphs showing statistics for different library programs and locations over time, including program attendance, walk-in numbers, circulation, and computer usage for the Bel Canto Tintabulations program, Verdi Duncan Senior Center, partnership libraries, and monthly totals for July to December 2015/2016. It also charts total library circulation from 2007 to 2015 which has generally trended downward in recent years.
The document appears to be a monthly report from a public library system. It includes statistics on library attendance, circulation, and computer use for April 2016 compared to the previous year. It also lists media appearances and outreach activities conducted by the library that month. Finally, it provides an overview of upcoming events in May and planned renovations for 2016-2017, such as improving the HVAC system, remodeling the teen zone, and creating more accessible and collaborative spaces like a STEAM center.
This document appears to be a monthly report from the Washoe County Library System. It includes charts showing trends in youth and adult attendance, walk-in circulation and computer use at various library locations. Graphs depict total monthly circulation numbers from July 2014 to May 2016, with a slight rise each year. The report also lists outreach activities the library system engaged in during the month, such as a science fair/art exhibit, Spanish/English storytime, and providing information about early voting.
This document contains charts and statistics about library attendance, circulation, computer use, and programming from March 2016. One chart shows youth and adult attendance from January 2015 to March 2016, with attendance fluctuating between about 1,200 to 1,600 for youth and 1,300 to 1,450 for adults. Another chart displays walk-in circulation and computer use from July 2014 to February 2016, with circulation ranging from about 140,000 to 166,000 and computer use between 12,600 and 14,500. The last section lists upcoming library programs and events in April and May 2016 at various locations.
The Watershed Adaptive Management Option of Wisconsin\'s Phosphorus Rule: A N...mmalott
Wisconsin\'s new phosphorus rule contains an innovative new option called adaptive management, wherein NPDES permittees can address cost-effective nonpoint source pollution instead of expensive technology upgrades.
Berkeley Public Library Strategic Plan Presentation FY 16-18Jeff Scott
The Berkeley Public Library strategic plan for 2015-2018 outlines goals in 7 areas: literacy, operations, marketing, partnerships, and technology. It describes the planning process, staff and community input received, and over 60 strategies and action items to achieve objectives like expanding early literacy programs, improving spaces and collections, boosting outreach and promotion, strengthening community partnerships, and increasing access to technology resources. The plan's overall aim is to build community and close gaps through collaboration, conversations, and creative use of the library's resources.
The document provides instructions for creating an educational game using PowerPoint, including storyboarding the project, creating title, game board, and question/answer slides, adding links between slides, testing and formatting the slideshow, adding specific content and graphics, and saving the final project along with any additional needed files.
Washoe County Library Budget Report 2016Jeff Scott
This document contains budget information for a library system. It shows that in 2016, 72% of the library's budget came from the county, 23% from an expansion fund, and 5% from gift funds and grants. It also breaks down that the library budget is spent on salaries (60%), benefits (25%), and services and supplies (15%). The document outlines reallocations of underused budget lines to areas like collection development, travel and training, and technology equipment. It requests an increase in county funding for collection development from $100,000 to a total of $1,000,000.
Overview of Washoe County Library System services. This presentation is provided for Entrepreneurs who may not realize how much the library has to offer them.
16 8-17 Washoe County Library System July 2016 ReportJeff Scott
The Friends of Washoe County Library held a successful book sale in July that raised over $17,000. They are planning another book sale in September. Library programs on topics like bugs and butterflies were well-attended over the summer. The Washoe County Library system is preparing for upcoming events like a reading challenge and author talks. System statistics show an increase in areas like computer use and program attendance compared to last year.
Outages, APIs, Benchmarks and Other Atrocities of Cloud MarketingShanley Kane
The document criticizes misleading and nonsensical marketing language used by cloud computing vendors. It provides examples of buzzwords that don't actually mean anything, such as "big data" when a company likely doesn't have big data. It also criticizes poorly done benchmarks that don't resemble real-world usage. The document advocates for more honest and accurate marketing language and benchmarks that show how products perform under realistic conditions.
Jeff shares four important lessons he has learned about software development: [1] The best code is no code at all - avoid writing code when possible through alternatives like calling other departments or using existing open source/commercial solutions. [2] Code is for humans first, and computers second - code expresses the problem to humans, so write code that is clear for other humans to understand. [3] You are not as smart as you think you are - the software field is constantly changing, so continuously learn and question your assumptions. [4] Software development is 80% social and 20% technical - most of the challenges lie in understanding user needs through communication, while technical problems can often be solved through search engines.
A freelancer based in Windhoek, Namibia is looking for a generalist role at a Silicon Valley startup. They have studied computer science topics and taken programming courses. They maintain a technology blog and Twitter account. They are interested in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Their prior experience includes programming courses and they have been self-studying technology for over 1752 hours. They believe they would be a good fit for the role due to their interest in technology, experience in different industries, motivation to learn, and passion for details.
Startups and Smalltak - Presented at Smalltalks2014 Córdoba, Argentinasebastian sastre
Here are the slides of the talk I gave at Smalltalks2014 in November 2014, in Córdoba, Argentina.
It covers the basics of why startups matter and what they actually are. Then show some opportunities and challenges about them and for Smalltalk in particular. It closes with some questions and suggestions on how to raise the value of the community, hopefully resulting in increasing the chances to see more profitable portfolios.
From Intake to Engagement: Old School and New Cool Strategies and TechniquesRecruitDC
This document contains notes and suggestions from a recruiter on effective strategies for outreach emails and messages to candidates. It discusses ideas for the subject line, first line of text, ways to use self-deprecation, explain the "behavioral contract" of the communication, discuss the sending company, appeal to the recipient's interests or background, explain how the recruiter found the recipient, and suggest next steps. Specific examples are provided for each element. The overall message is about crafting engaging, personalized outreach that establishes rapport and willingness to respect the recipient's preferences.
I have been fortunate to have worked with some geeks with incredible coding skills. I felt amazed at how they can play games with compilers, perform magic with their incantations on the shell, and solve some insanely complex algorithm problems with ease. I naively assumed that they are going to achieve greatness in near future. Alas, I was wrong. Really wrong. [Read the rest of the article ... ]
How To Leverage AI to Triple Your Marketing Newsletter ReadershipLearnhomebusiness.com
How creators should be thinking about a world with generative AI. An AI tool that shows people how to create email newsletters that shape them into something truly awesome.
Be Empathetic, Brave, and Curious: Know Technology or It Will Eat YouDigiday
In this quick discussion, Allison Kent-Smith will highlight some of the lessons she has learned peeking inside large organizations and reviewing the state of talent in the industry. She'll review a few of the most important skills to develop - including empathy, bravery and curiosity - and challenge the campers to a walk swiftly towards greater technology understanding throughout their career.
The document advertises an upcoming MSDN Developer Conference that will cover Microsoft's cloud computing platform, Windows 7, and .NET skills. It will take place in multiple cities and early registration costs $99. The conference will include sessions on soft skills like managing your career, communication, and creativity as well as organizational dynamics, strategies for success, and a presentation by Philip Wheat from Microsoft.
The document discusses challenges recruiters face when recruiting technical talent and assessing coding skills. It provides advice on how to think like a technical mind when recruiting. It warns against not providing enough details about roles, asking candidates about technologies not on their resume, and asking candidates to spam their friends. It also provides "coding wisdom" sayings for recruiters to consider and discusses how to effectively engage candidates, conduct assessments, and challenges recruiters may face.
The article criticizes the language commonly used in help wanted ads, arguing that phrases like "hands-on", "shirt-sleeve", and "aggressive" do not accurately describe desirable leadership qualities. It also argues that job requirements listed are often unrealistic and narrow, reflecting limited thinking by companies. The author calls for ads that value well-rounded, humane personalities instead of only short-term profits.
The document provides instructions for creating an educational game using PowerPoint, including storyboarding the project, creating title, game board, and question/answer slides, adding links between slides, testing and formatting the slideshow, adding specific content and graphics, and saving the final project along with any additional needed files.
Washoe County Library Budget Report 2016Jeff Scott
This document contains budget information for a library system. It shows that in 2016, 72% of the library's budget came from the county, 23% from an expansion fund, and 5% from gift funds and grants. It also breaks down that the library budget is spent on salaries (60%), benefits (25%), and services and supplies (15%). The document outlines reallocations of underused budget lines to areas like collection development, travel and training, and technology equipment. It requests an increase in county funding for collection development from $100,000 to a total of $1,000,000.
Overview of Washoe County Library System services. This presentation is provided for Entrepreneurs who may not realize how much the library has to offer them.
16 8-17 Washoe County Library System July 2016 ReportJeff Scott
The Friends of Washoe County Library held a successful book sale in July that raised over $17,000. They are planning another book sale in September. Library programs on topics like bugs and butterflies were well-attended over the summer. The Washoe County Library system is preparing for upcoming events like a reading challenge and author talks. System statistics show an increase in areas like computer use and program attendance compared to last year.
Outages, APIs, Benchmarks and Other Atrocities of Cloud MarketingShanley Kane
The document criticizes misleading and nonsensical marketing language used by cloud computing vendors. It provides examples of buzzwords that don't actually mean anything, such as "big data" when a company likely doesn't have big data. It also criticizes poorly done benchmarks that don't resemble real-world usage. The document advocates for more honest and accurate marketing language and benchmarks that show how products perform under realistic conditions.
Jeff shares four important lessons he has learned about software development: [1] The best code is no code at all - avoid writing code when possible through alternatives like calling other departments or using existing open source/commercial solutions. [2] Code is for humans first, and computers second - code expresses the problem to humans, so write code that is clear for other humans to understand. [3] You are not as smart as you think you are - the software field is constantly changing, so continuously learn and question your assumptions. [4] Software development is 80% social and 20% technical - most of the challenges lie in understanding user needs through communication, while technical problems can often be solved through search engines.
A freelancer based in Windhoek, Namibia is looking for a generalist role at a Silicon Valley startup. They have studied computer science topics and taken programming courses. They maintain a technology blog and Twitter account. They are interested in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Their prior experience includes programming courses and they have been self-studying technology for over 1752 hours. They believe they would be a good fit for the role due to their interest in technology, experience in different industries, motivation to learn, and passion for details.
Startups and Smalltak - Presented at Smalltalks2014 Córdoba, Argentinasebastian sastre
Here are the slides of the talk I gave at Smalltalks2014 in November 2014, in Córdoba, Argentina.
It covers the basics of why startups matter and what they actually are. Then show some opportunities and challenges about them and for Smalltalk in particular. It closes with some questions and suggestions on how to raise the value of the community, hopefully resulting in increasing the chances to see more profitable portfolios.
From Intake to Engagement: Old School and New Cool Strategies and TechniquesRecruitDC
This document contains notes and suggestions from a recruiter on effective strategies for outreach emails and messages to candidates. It discusses ideas for the subject line, first line of text, ways to use self-deprecation, explain the "behavioral contract" of the communication, discuss the sending company, appeal to the recipient's interests or background, explain how the recruiter found the recipient, and suggest next steps. Specific examples are provided for each element. The overall message is about crafting engaging, personalized outreach that establishes rapport and willingness to respect the recipient's preferences.
I have been fortunate to have worked with some geeks with incredible coding skills. I felt amazed at how they can play games with compilers, perform magic with their incantations on the shell, and solve some insanely complex algorithm problems with ease. I naively assumed that they are going to achieve greatness in near future. Alas, I was wrong. Really wrong. [Read the rest of the article ... ]
How To Leverage AI to Triple Your Marketing Newsletter ReadershipLearnhomebusiness.com
How creators should be thinking about a world with generative AI. An AI tool that shows people how to create email newsletters that shape them into something truly awesome.
Be Empathetic, Brave, and Curious: Know Technology or It Will Eat YouDigiday
In this quick discussion, Allison Kent-Smith will highlight some of the lessons she has learned peeking inside large organizations and reviewing the state of talent in the industry. She'll review a few of the most important skills to develop - including empathy, bravery and curiosity - and challenge the campers to a walk swiftly towards greater technology understanding throughout their career.
The document advertises an upcoming MSDN Developer Conference that will cover Microsoft's cloud computing platform, Windows 7, and .NET skills. It will take place in multiple cities and early registration costs $99. The conference will include sessions on soft skills like managing your career, communication, and creativity as well as organizational dynamics, strategies for success, and a presentation by Philip Wheat from Microsoft.
The document discusses challenges recruiters face when recruiting technical talent and assessing coding skills. It provides advice on how to think like a technical mind when recruiting. It warns against not providing enough details about roles, asking candidates about technologies not on their resume, and asking candidates to spam their friends. It also provides "coding wisdom" sayings for recruiters to consider and discusses how to effectively engage candidates, conduct assessments, and challenges recruiters may face.
The article criticizes the language commonly used in help wanted ads, arguing that phrases like "hands-on", "shirt-sleeve", and "aggressive" do not accurately describe desirable leadership qualities. It also argues that job requirements listed are often unrealistic and narrow, reflecting limited thinking by companies. The author calls for ads that value well-rounded, humane personalities instead of only short-term profits.
To succeed in a software development career, it is important to be passionate about programming and disconnect from work when not on the job. Developers should understand how the businesses they work for operate and make money. Continuous learning, practicing skills regularly, and getting involved in open source projects can help developers improve. Networking, communicating well, and writing clean, maintainable code are also valuable skills. Overall, enjoying the work and having fun are important for long-term success.
This document outlines an agenda for a workshop about keeping ideas alive and avoiding their death. The workshop aims to help participants gain confidence in pursuing new ideas, save future ideas from being lost, and foster conversations between people. The agenda includes introducing participants to their teams, reviewing a checklist of questions to consider for ideas, solving a sample problem together, and presenting and defending their solutions. Participants are given prompts to discuss how their ideas align with business goals, the target audience, and potential issues related to implementation, technology, social media, and more. They are then instructed to quickly come up with an idea and address several aspects of it within 30 minutes using the checklist for guidance.
The document provides tips and advice for being passionate about one's career as a programmer. It discusses the importance of taking control of one's career path rather than letting it happen passively. Some key tips include investing in new technologies and business domains, overcoming fear-driven decisions by taking risks, finding a mentor, becoming a mentor oneself, automating tasks to take on new responsibilities, and continually learning and improving one's skills. The overall message is that programmers should actively work to stay relevant by expanding their skills and taking an entrepreneurial approach to managing their career development.
This document provides guidance on how to land a career in analytics. It discusses the three key skills needed: technical skill, business vision, and clear communication. It then outlines the five channels to project these skills: resume, LinkedIn profile, blog, interview, and something extra. Each channel is described in 1-2 paragraphs with tips. For resumes, it emphasizes including results, skill words, and credentials. LinkedIn should complement the resume. A blog on analytics is recommended to show passion and expertise. The interview is the culmination, and something extra can set applicants apart.
Kickstart YOUR Career in Enterprise Computing: Brought to you by IBM ZDr. Melissa Sassi
This document promotes IBM Z and enterprise computing careers. It summarizes two speakers, Melissa Sassi and Shelly Meierarend, who discuss how IBM Z powers many technologies used in daily life. The document encourages students to join the IBM Z Student Hub to learn skills, network, and be showcased for potential careers in enterprise computing.
I explore 4 moments in the last decade of my career in Design and Strategy. This is an exploration of IMPACT not INTENT. And these thoughts are my own, not those of my employer, past employers or others.
The AI Revolution - AmeriTitle Rise & Shine - Aaron Stelle WFG TitleAaron Stelle
The document summarizes how artificial intelligence is changing the real estate industry. It discusses both the benefits and risks of AI, including how AI can be used for tasks like writing copy, generating images, and providing legal advice. However, AI may also be misused for fraud and hacking or could spread biases and misinformation. The document also provides examples of how AI could be used to automate branding and marketing for a fictional real estate company called "Tailor Brands" by generating logos, social media templates, taglines, mission statements, and core values.
Similar to Caring for (and exploiting) non-technical types (20)
Joyce M Sullivan, Founder & CEO of SocMediaFin, Inc. shares her "Five Questions - The Story of You", "Reflections - What Matters to You?" and "The Three Circle Exercise" to guide those evaluating what their next move may be in their careers.
In the intricate tapestry of life, connections serve as the vibrant threads that weave together opportunities, experiences, and growth. Whether in personal or professional spheres, the ability to forge meaningful connections opens doors to a multitude of possibilities, propelling individuals toward success and fulfillment.
Eirini is an HR professional with strong passion for technology and semiconductors industry in particular. She started her career as a software recruiter in 2012, and developed an interest for business development, talent enablement and innovation which later got her setting up the concept of Software Community Management in ASML, and to Developer Relations today. She holds a bachelor degree in Lifelong Learning and an MBA specialised in Strategic Human Resources Management. She is a world citizen, having grown up in Greece, she studied and kickstarted her career in The Netherlands and can currently be found in Santa Clara, CA.
Learnings from Successful Jobs SearchersBruce Bennett
Are you interested to know what actions help in a job search? This webinar is the summary of several individuals who discussed their job search journey for others to follow. You will learn there are common actions that helped them succeed in their quest for gainful employment.
We recently hosted the much-anticipated Community Skill Builders Workshop during our June online meeting. This event was a culmination of six months of listening to your feedback and crafting solutions to better support your PMI journey. Here’s a look back at what happened and the exciting developments that emerged from our collaborative efforts.
A Gathering of Minds
We were thrilled to see a diverse group of attendees, including local certified PMI trainers and both new and experienced members eager to contribute their perspectives. The workshop was structured into three dynamic discussion sessions, each led by our dedicated membership advocates.
Key Takeaways and Future Directions
The insights and feedback gathered from these discussions were invaluable. Here are some of the key takeaways and the steps we are taking to address them:
• Enhanced Resource Accessibility: We are working on a new, user-friendly resource page that will make it easier for members to access training materials and real-world application guides.
• Structured Mentorship Program: Plans are underway to launch a mentorship program that will connect members with experienced professionals for guidance and support.
• Increased Networking Opportunities: Expect to see more frequent and varied networking events, both virtual and in-person, to help you build connections and foster a sense of community.
Moving Forward
We are committed to turning your feedback into actionable solutions that enhance your PMI journey. This workshop was just the beginning. By actively participating and sharing your experiences, you have helped shape the future of our Chapter’s offerings.
Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the success of the Community Skill Builders Workshop. Your engagement and enthusiasm are what make our Chapter strong and vibrant. Stay tuned for updates on the new initiatives and opportunities to get involved. Together, we are building a community that supports and empowers each other on our PMI journeys.
Stay connected, stay engaged, and let’s continue to grow together!
About PMI Silver Spring Chapter
We are a branch of the Project Management Institute. We offer a platform for project management professionals in Silver Spring, MD, and the DC/Baltimore metro area. Monthly meetings facilitate networking, knowledge sharing, and professional development. For more, visit pmissc.org.
Success is often not achievable without facing and overcoming obstacles along the way. To reach our goals and achieve success, it is important to understand and resolve the obstacles that come in our way.
In this article, we will discuss the various obstacles that hinder success, strategies to overcome them, and examples of individuals who have successfully surmounted their obstacles.
A Guide to a Winning Interview June 2024Bruce Bennett
This webinar is an in-depth review of the interview process. Preparation is a key element to acing an interview. Learn the best approaches from the initial phone screen to the face-to-face meeting with the hiring manager. You will hear great answers to several standard questions, including the dreaded “Tell Me About Yourself”.
Make your life better: Reduce your workload; get rid of “menial” tasks; give you time to work on stuff you do like; make your products better. My experience, YMMV, heavily influenced by software dev. Not meant to be divisive, or pidgeonhole people, but to get us all thinking about diversity, less binary. And often, we non-techs tend to ask a lot of you techies, so this pres should give you some ideas of stuff you can get us to do for you.
Tech vs. non-tech is not either/or.
It’s a fuzzy, mushy spectrum. These are examples, not strict categories, mushy, with flexibility. You may recognize your peers or yourself in one or several places along the spectrum. But for the purpose of this, we’ll start at the traditionally untechie end, and meander toward technical.
Lawyer I think we can all agree that of all the people we encounter during our days, lawyers are the least technical. – source: http://kitsunenoir.com/blogimages//lawyer.jpg
HR Manager
Sales guy source: http://www.thinkflood.com/blog/images/CrazySalesguy.jpg Okay, we’re getting a little more technical. These guys at least know a thing or two about your product, maybe have even used it. But they’re still slightly less technical than …
They are users = irrational, don’t understand constraints
They talk to customers; they can help you talk to customers. There is no substitute.
They ARE users. They eat your dogfood. Source http://500hats.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/09/24/dogfood.jpg
They are reasonable hand-drawn facimiles of users: same demographics, (in-) experience with software or domain.
They ask dumb questions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrbyVDMUT10
They contribute diversity: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deestea/130262190/
I didn’t want to subject you to the images I found when I googled this one. D&C is one of the more invasive medical procedures a woman can undergo, usually exacerbated by a corresponding negative emotional, stressful and exceedingly personal event (miscarriage, abortion, etc).
Globe and Mail report: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/if-you-want-collective-smarts-include-women-in-your-group/article1736571/ On US study at Carnegie Mellon; Collectively intelligent teams are ones that have social sensitivity, promote the involvement of all members, and contain more women (a linear relationship – more women = better performance)
These are things that developers/testers in *some* companies do, today, to varying degrees of job satisfaction or actual success. I’m not saying developers should stop doing these things, but that they could, given the right mix of people and projects. And that it will make the developer’s life better to do so.
Test your use cases and stories
Write messages and error text
Improve design, sometimes by asking dumb questions, sometimes by being a neutral party, sometimes by not being constrained by your constraints, sometimes in the process of writing error messages -Sarah Packowski
Be an audience for your demos
Do your demos for you
Many of us can read code. We can comment. We can write the “this is what this really does” docs. You can review it.
We can be your eyes and ears on other arms-length related projects in the company, because usually we’re spread among several.
Richard Feynman, famous for blowing holes in technical problems by asking basic, “stupid” questions Ask dumb questions … see http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1049536.html?tag=content%3bleftCol - Why are we still using this tool? Can you explain this to me in simple terms? What does that acronym actually stand for? Who’s our best person at dealing with this kind of problem? Why is this [X] here?
Influence your test plan. Marketing plans, user docs, company blog posts can help you write and prioritize test cases, because they reveal the message the product is sending to customers (that is, the expectations you’re setting). You don’t have to re-do all that research.
Talk to users – mediate. If talking to users is time consuming, annoying, or just against your nature, get someone else to do it. It’s better than NOT doing it. The non-tech can serve as a user advocate AND as a buffer for the dev team (from sales, customers, etc). Especially if the user is also on the non-technical side of the spectrum.
Help you figure out who you WOULD hire next time. So keep notes.