This workshop equips participants with planning tactics for laying out your next content change initiative. Participants will leverage a planning framework and participate in an interactive process of identifying key project opportunities and risks as well as exploring their own project roadmap. In this workshop, the project scenario focuses on how a content management system can be leveraged to facilitate content collaboration with subject matter experts. The topic will be approached using the familiar board game of Snakes and Ladders.

1. IXIASOFT all rights reserved  Confidential
Snakes & Ladders:
Collaboration with SMEs in the Real World
Sharon Figueira | LavaCon Portland | November 5, 2017

2. 2017
Agenda
• The Whys & Wherefores of Content Collaboration
• Snakes & Ladders Game
The Gamification of
CM Project Planning
The parts & purpose of
the Game Board
• Selecting & Creating Snakes & Ladders
• Designing a Project Game Board

3. 2017
Snakes and Ladders: Detailed Agenda
• 09:00 – 09:15 Intros
• 09:15 – 10:15 Setting the Stage
• 10:15 – 10:30 Identifying the Players
• Activity Creating Personas
• 10:30 – 10:45 BREAK
• 10:45 – 11:00 Introducing Snakes & Ladders
• Activity Identifying Snakes & Selecting Ladders
• 11:00 – 11:45 Designing Game Boards
• Activity Making a Game Board
• 11:45 – 12:00 Feedback & Wrap-up

4. 2017
Workshop Lead
Sharon Figueira
• 18 years in the technical communication
domain
• Based in Vancouver, Canada
• Now on the Pre-sales team for IXIASOFT
• sharon.figueira@ixiasoft.com
@sharonFigueira #lavacon

5. 2017
Why a workshop? Some context…
• Ongoing Effort:
• We will collect, consolidate, and share a collection of
Snakes & Ladders descriptions
• This will facilitate the growth of a knowledge base about threats & best practices
constructed from the experiences of content practitioners like yourselves
• We will share with you what you share with us
• Try it out and share your experiences
5

6. 2017
About You
Let us know a little about you
• Name
• Where you come from
• Your organization
• Your objectives

7. The Whys and
Wherefores of Content
Collaboration
• Setting the Stage
7

8. 2017
Content Defined
Content Defined:
• Content is potential information
• It is what we prepare in order to deliver guidance
• It is directly bound to what we do & who we do it for
• It transcends any one delivery format
Organizationally, content:
• Assembles knowledge from across an enterprise
• Establishes a vital link to external stakeholders
• It demands & enables collaboration across silos
• It provides a common asset for teams to draw upon

9. 2017
Collaboration Defined
• The contribution of work
from two or more people
to a common product
• This means that there is shared
responsibility for the result

10. 2017
Content Collaboration
• Content collaboration must
cross functional boundaries to
produce content that is
accurate and complete
• Content collaboration mobilizes
the knowledge of specialists
working across the enterprise
to produce useful & reusable
content

11. 2017
Let’s Take a Survey
You need to collaborate with others to prepare a document.
In your organization, what would be your primary pain
point?
• Poor Process (Complex, Long, Strict…)
• Inadequate Tools (Access, Availability…)
• Lack of Communication Channels
• Unclear Information Plan / Structure
• Other
#1: 27%
#2: 26%

12. 2017
Content Collaboration Common Pain Points
Key Takeaway:
Over 50% of challenges flow
from weak guidance provided
to collaborators

13. 2017
Broken Content Collaboration
• Leads directly to a broken customer experience and inevitably to a
broken organization….
Course Materials
Documentation
Specifications
Collateral
Requirements
Uncoordinated
ContentSilos
Uncoordinated
CustomerExperience
Knowledge Base
Proposals
Training
TechComm
Engineering
Marketing
Product Mgt
Support
Sales

14. 2017
Some Known Problem Sources
• Collaborating on large,
monolithic information
products is hard
• Will be limited to
 Sequential editing & review
 Long approval cycles
• Demands modular content
• There are usually weak avenues
for back-channel communication
• There will be little experience in cross-silo collaboration or with
modular, structured authoring…

15. 2017
What is to be done?
• Introducing Content Management is the first step
• This involves modernizing both the content & processes
• This establishes the foundation for Content Collaboration
• A SME Content Collaboration project will seek to:
• Engage SMEs in content creation & validation
• Streamline work activities across silos
• Integrate content assets with data sources
• Coordinate the contributions of different SMEs
• Integrate all contributions into a single, authoritative,
easy-to-understand, client-centered message

16. 2017
The Gamification of CM Project Planning
We use games to explore future
possibilities
• Games can be a good
way to work out problems
• Games are perfect for exploring your
CM Project
• Games help us to stay out of the details
that can bog down planning efforts

17. 2017
Playing the Game
• Once a Project Game Board
has been laid out, you can play it.
• Introduce the Element of Chance
• Rolling the Dice
• Mirrors an important quality of reality
• Use only 1 Die (to slow things down)
• Like a Monte Carlo scenario, play it several times
to experience possibilities

18. 2017
Game Board Example
Scenario: DITA CMS Project

19. 2017
Report
Progress
against Key
Indicators
Monitor
processes,
templates, &
reuse
DITA CMS
Production
Ready
Train Writers
on Revised
Processes &
DITA CMS
Train Reviewers
in Revised
Processes
Report
Progress
against Key
Indicators
Start Publishing
Information
Products
Present Pilot to
Management
Capture DITA
CMS needs
from all
Stakeholders
Analyze further
reuse
opportunities
Collect Inputs
on CMS Pilot
Conduct CMS
Pilot Set Writing
Guidelines
Measure Pilot
Success
Analyze &
Model Content
Set Content
Templates
Debrief
Involve
Managers &
Contributors in
project
Analyze current
Processes &
Formats
Articulate
benefits of
moving to DITA
Set key
indicators &
starting
baseline
Demo
Changes to
DITA CMS
Writers
Complain
Set Clear
Pilot
Objectives
Editing Tool
is too
Difficult for
Writers
Validate
Output
Stylesheets
Pilot Fails
Success
Start
Discove
ry
Planni
ng
Analysi
s
PilotImpleme
nt
Transiti
on
Discove
ry
Planni
ng
Analysi
s
PilotImpleme
nt
Transiti
on
Use
Use
Project Game Board Example: DITA CMS Implementation
Game Designer: Nolwenn Kerzreho
Management
Halts Project
Train Writers
& Set Clear
Expectations
Content is
Inconsistent
Validate
New Content
Processes
IT Objects to
DITA CMS
Selection
Management
Halts Project
Select
editing tool
with Writers
Revised
Processes
not followed
by Reviewers

20. IDENTIFY THE PLAYERS
• Understanding what drives
your SMEs

21. 2017
Who do you have to deal with?
21

22. 2017
Some Tactics for Improving Collaboration
• Understanding your collaborators
• Establishing personas
• Making connections
• Enabling collaboration
• Establishing the framework for working together
• Encouraging progress
• Specifying and streamlining processes
• Making things easier for everyone
Let’s
focus
here

23. 2017
Who is your SME? A casual / occasional author
• Has a primary job – a support engineer, a subject specialist, a researcher, a trainer…
• Has a distinct work environment
• Uses different tools, languages, speech levels, colloquialisms, jargon…
• Responds to other tasks and processes
• Has a distinct perspective on authoring tasks

24. 2017
The Usual Suspects

25. 2017
Step One: Ask questions, for example…
Where is it easier for you to author content?
 At work / at home / other
 In the office / while travelling / other
 On my laptop / my tablet (add the make):
When is it easier for you to review content ?
 At the end of the day / shift: ……
 At noon: .…..
 At the end of the week: ……
 When I receive the task notification
What tool do you use the most?
 Microsoft Word
 Open Office

26. 2017
Defining a persona
Sven, the auditor
Oslo / 40-year old
Separated, one child
-----------------------------------------------
Specialty Pipe Quality evaluator
Speaks Norwegian-English-Swedish
Work location 60% field work overseas
Devices Laptop, smartphone, iPad tablet
Connectivity Generally good but irregular when travelling
Teams Quality team
Best times for contributing
While travelling or at the end of the work day (in the field)

27. 2017
Defining a persona
Sven, the auditor
-----------------------------------------------
Favorite communication tools:
• Email & Wiki
Previous authoring experience:
• As a Reviewer only
Process knowledge & experience:
• Authoring: minimal
• Reviewing: some experience reviewing standards
• Validating: strong

28. 2017
A Reminder about Personas
• A persona is NOT a person – he/she is a typical user drawn from several actual
people (survey).
• A persona is defined by its specific needs/requirements:
• If two personas have very close requirements, they can be merged.
• If the survey shows separate requirements, two personas need to be
created.
• The persona is, however, someone you can relate to: what would Sven do?

29. 2017
Creating a Simplified Persona

30. 2017
Creating a Simplified Persona

31. 2017
Individual Exercise

32. 2017
Creating a Simplified Persona
Persona:
Label:
Family:
Background Knowledge:
Primary Objective:
Tools:
Authoring Experience & Tasks:
Work Context/Environment:

33. 2017
Time for a break!

34. Snakes & Ladders
The Building Blocks
• Identifying Risks & Planning
Responses

35. 2017
The Snakes
• The Bad Things that can happen
• Threats
• Risks
• Set-backs
• Identifying possible Snakes is the best
preparation
• Will be specific to each organization
• Will be specific to each project
• Some can be avoided, others tamed

36. 2017
Incomplete
Tool
Requirements
Incomplete
Content Technology Requirements
Signature
Image
The failure to adequately define
your content technology
requirements will introduce a
content solution that falls short of
your needs or worse directly
obstructs them.
Any shortcomings in the acquired
technology will frustrate users &
provide enemies with dangerous
ammunition.

37. 2017
IT
Blocks
CM Project
Information Technology (IT) Group
opposes CM project
Signature
Image
IT groups will often oppose or
obstruct CM projects on the
grounds that it introduces
unfamiliar technologies.
The opposition can appear as
direct confrontation, the indirect
withholding of technical support,
or more subtle techniques, such as
not providing useful feedback on
plans.

38. 2017
PM
Overwhelmed
PM Overwhelmed by Pressures
Signature
Image
Project Manager (PM)
finds that the pressures that come
with a CM project are more than
can be handled.
Emerging from a documentation
background, the PM is suddenly
thrust into a harsh world of political
adversaries and dangerous
opponents.

39. 2017
The Ladders
• The Good Things that can be done
• Best Practices
• Proven Tactics
• Dirty Tricks
• Should be deployed as early as possible on your projects
• Can help to sidestep known Snakes

40. 2017
Train
Power
Users
Train a cadre of power users
Signature
Image
Train key people in each
participating business area. Train
them in the new tools and
techniques that will be used to
plan, prepare, and publish content
so that they can support others.
Select these people carefully. They
will be your ambassadors.

41. 2017
Conduct Stakeholder
Briefings
Conduct regular stakeholder briefings
Signature
Image
Bring together stakeholders and
provide them with up-to-date
information about the project, and
facilitate an open discussion of any
concerns, issues, risks, and
opportunities associated with the
project.
Maintaining open communication
channels is vitally important.

42. 2017
Engage an Executive
Champion
Engage a Senior Manager
with real authority
Signature
Image
Find and engage an executive
champion who can advocate for the
project, protect the initiative at the
boardroom table, and provide the
project manager with mentoring
guidance.
Making a real connection is
challenging for CM projects.

43. 2017
Group Activity 1: Selecting & Creating Snakes & Ladders
Pooling the experience around the table

44. 2017
Activity 1: Selecting Snakes & Ladders
• Challenge Project
• Context: DITA CMS Implemented
 For Documentation team
 Migrated to modular, structured DITA authoring
• This Challenge: Enable SME Collaboration
 Goal is to engage SMEs as content contributors, reviewers, approvers
 Requires introduction of new content tools for SMEs to use
 Key SME group is product engineering
 The company has an engineering culture
 Engineering is under constant pressure to deliver new releases

45. 2017
Activity 1: Selecting Snakes & Ladders
 Choose three (3) Snakes that stand out as key threats
 Choose the Ladders that will help avoid/address those threats
 Connect the ladders to the snakes they avoid/address
Add new Snakes & Ladders if necessary - Fifteen (15) minutes


For Example


46. 2017
Activity 1 – Possible Answer: Selecting Snakes & Ladders
Key Point: Ladders will come with price tags ($£€¥)
 Choose them carefully














47. Designing Your
Game Board
• Using the Building Blocks to
Create a Project Roadmap

48. 2017
The Game Board
Game board can be as
large as necessary
This one has 49 places
arranged in 7 project
phases
 Discovery
 Planning
 Analysis
 Pilot
 Implementation
 Transition
 Use
Others are possible

49. 2017
Snakes & Ladders
Step 1:
Place your Snakes
on the board
 Try to reflect your past
experiences about
when certain
problems
typically appear
Step 2:
Deploy your
Ladders onto the
board
 Place Ladders where
they will help avoid as
many Snakes as
possible
Snakes should
not lead to
Ladders
Ladders
should not
lead to
Snakes
The size of a Snake represents its
potential impact.
The size of a Ladder represents its
potential cost.

50. 2017
Designing Your Game Board
Project
Initiation -
Laying the
ground
work
Requirements
Acquisition -
Clarifying
the goals
Capability
Realization -
Harvesting
the Benefits
Snakes appearing in this area
will be the most dangerous
Ladders deployed in this area
will have the biggest
positive impact

51. 2017
Game Board Example
Scenario: DITA CMS Selection

52. 2017
Conduct
CMS Pilot
Train writers on
CMS
Identify
reuse
patterns
Define
project
Scope
Model
Content &
Metadata
Analyze current
situation
Make the case
for modular
content
Identify
collaboration
goals
Success
Start
Discove
ry
Planni
ng
Analysi
s
PilotImpleme
nt
Transiti
on
Discove
ry
Planni
ng
Analysi
s
PilotImpleme
nt
Transiti
on
Use
Use
Project Game Board: CMS Selection Project
Game Designer: Nolwenn Kerzreho
Select
editing tool
with writers
Create
content
guidelines &
examples
Engage
Executive
Champion
Train Power
Users
Prioritize
new
information
services
Define new
content
processes
Widely
solicit
CMS
needs
IT limits Pilot
hosting
options
IT identifies
alternative
approaches
IT questions
project
scope
Writers add
more
requirements
Writers
continue to
change
requirements
CMS Pilot
struggles to
keep up with
changes
Executive
champion
changes
One of two
power users
leaves
Writers
override
CMS
requirements
Management
questions
benefits
Subject CMS
to rigorous
testing
Reinforce
writer
training

53. 2017
Group Activity 2 – Build Your own Project Game Board
• Challenge Project
• Context: DITA CMS Implemented
 For Documentation team
 Migrated to modular, structured DITA authoring
• This Challenge: Enable SME Collaboration
 Goal is to engage SMEs as content contributors, reviewers, approvers
 Requires introduction of new content tools for SMEs to use
 Key SME group is product engineering
 The company has an engineering culture
 Engineering is under constant pressure to deliver new releases

54. 2017
Activity 2 – Build Your own Project Game Board
• Exercise Tasks:
• Take the Challenge Project as the scenario
• Work as a Team (per table)
• Use your Game Board Worksheet to:
 Add the Snakes you identified in Activity 1
 Add additional Snakes if necessary
 Add the ladders you will need to make the roadmap less daunting
• In 15 minutes, we will:
• Discuss our Game Boards – rationales & special merits
• Discuss your experience collaborating as a team

55. 2017
Project Game Board: SME Collaboration

56. 2017
System
Acceptance
Authoring Tasks
Too Complex
Operational
Review
Management
Halts
Project
Operational
Testing
Project
Review
Train Power
Users
Legacy Practices
Over-
emphasized
Engage
Executive
Champion
Collaborators
Reject Tool
Involve
Collaborators
on Tool Selection
User Acceptance
Testing
Deploy
Authoring
Templates
Initiate
Collaboration
Tool Pilot
Present Plan to
Management
Management
Questions Value
Collaborators
Question Value
Present to
Stakeholders
Collaborators
Too Busy
Document
Requirements
Ensure
Win-Win
for
Collaborators
Identify
Pain
Points
Emphasize
Customer
Benefits
Success
Start
Discove
ry
Planni
ng
Analysi
s
PilotImpleme
nt
Transiti
on
Discove
ry
Planni
ng
Analysi
s
PilotImpleme
nt
Transiti
on
Use
Use
Project Game Board: SME Collaboration – Sample Answer
Game Designer: Joe Gollner and Nolwenn Kerzreho

57. 2017
Group Activity 2 – Review Questions
• What were the key Snakes that you chose for your Game Board?
• What Ladders did you think were most important to deploy early
in your project?
• What level of consensus did you reach on the design of the Game
Board? Was it easy?

58. 2017
Group Activity 2 – Review Questions
• What were the key Snakes that you chose for your Game Board?
• What Ladders did you think were most important to deploy early
in your project?
• What level of consensus did you reach on the design of the Game
Board? Was it easy?
• How many think that this should be converted into a drinking
game?

59. 2017
Wrap-up
• Games are a useful way to explore the future
• Snakes & Ladders for Content Management Projects
• Used to brainstorm on the risks & responses to consider for their project roadmaps
• Helps teams to stay above low-level details initially
• A precursor to detailed project planning
• Content Collaboration is a challenging goal
• Use the game model to find the best path forward

60. 2017
Next Steps - Recap
Ongoing Effort:
• We will collect, consolidate, and share a collection of
Snakes & Ladders descriptions
• We will facilitate the growth of a knowledge base about threats & best practices
constructed from the experiences of content practitioners like yourselves
We will share with you what you share with us
Try it out and share your experiences
Contact info: Sharon.Figueira@Ixiasoft.com

61. 2017
Reflections

62. 2017
Reading list
• Joe Gollner (@joegollner) co-creator to the workshop aka
The Content Philosopher:
http://www.gollner.ca/
(including Secrets to Content Management Success)
• Article: Playing your way to better content management projects:
http://www.tcworld.info/e-magazine/content-strategies/article/playing-your-
way-to-better-content-management-and-collaboration/e-magazine/
• Collaborating with Casual Authors:
http://dev.infomanagementcenter.com/publications/best-practices-
newsletter/2013-best-practices-newsletter/collaborating-with-casual-authors/