Forget “Predict” the Future—Create the Future!

Andrea L. Ames, IBMEnterprise Content Strategist/Architect/Designer

How do you approach your career development and management? I keep an eye out for opportunities and take

the good ones I plan the work and work the plan I invent and create my path along the way I have a different approach than aboveWhat’s career development?

@aames #LavaCon

First, a question…

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About Andrea (@aames)

• Technical communicator since 1983• Areas of expertise:

– Content experience design: strategy, architecture, and interaction design

– Architecture, design, and development of product-embedded assistance – Content and product usability– User-centered process for content development and experience design

• Senior Technical Staff Member on corporate Client Technical Content Experience team, IBM CIO

• University of CA Extension Technical Communication program chair and master instructor

• STC Fellow, past president, former member of Board of Directors, and Intercom columnist (with Alyson Riley) of The Strategic IA

• ACM Distinguished Engineer3

@aames #LavaCon

• Start with a story…• Recap Vici’s journey (LavaCon 2013 keynote)• A new career-approach theory• What is your type?• Becoming fluent across the continuum• The unique value of this field of practice

@aames #LavaCon

Agenda

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It happened while brainstorming for this keynote…

the text book definition of “entrepreneurial”

@aames #LavaCon

A story

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• She knew what work she wanted to do• She knew what people wanted to pay for• She expanded her skills to match her

passions and core values• She became a recognized expert• She embraced the lessons from her

perceived failures

@aames #LavaCon

Recap: Vici’s journeyfrom “Expanding the Role of Content Professionals” (LavaCon 2013 keynote)

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Approaches to career: A new theory

@aames #LavaCon

Entrepreneurial

TargetedOpportunistic

• She knew her own passions, strengths, and core values

• She knew what people wanted to pay for• She expanded her skills to match her

passions, strengths, and core values• She became a recognized expert• She embraced the lessons from her perceived failures

• And when the right opportunity presented itself, she became targeted to seize it

@aames #LavaCon

Opportunistic: Vici

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Opportunistic: Strengths and weaknessesStrengths• Opportunities seldom

missed (but might be turned down)

• Expertise within the “opportunity space” is very high

• Flexible and agile

Weaknesses• From a different

perspective, might look like a lot of activity for little to no gain

• Potentially lots of surprises

• Less susceptible to significant consequences (less risk) due to environmental issues

@aames #LavaCon9

• His father wanted him to become a doctor• He knew his own passions, etc., wanted to

become a doctor, and set out to do so• He worked high school like a career, setting

himself up for the right college, then the right grad school, etc.

• He became a doctor, including securing the best residency in his chosen specialty

• And when an opportunity with a charitable medical organization crossed his path, he seized it, even though it was not in his “plan”

@aames #LavaCon

Targeted: “Peter”

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Targeted: Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths• Follow a well-defined

path• Planful and conscious• Few surprises• Less susceptible to

significant consequences (less risk) due to environmental issues

Weaknesses• From a different

perspective, might look rigid

• Opportunities not discovered or left on the table

@aames #LavaCon11

• Biology major, computer science major, finally landed on English + grad school Tech Comm

• Jobs and projects in government, chemicals, supply chain management, game development, computational science, software development, database technology, telephony, IT

• Skill development and expertise in writing, IA, business analysis, user experience, content strategy & experience design, leadership, career development, org change mgmt

• “I solve problems…”

• And when there’s a business need…new paths are blazed, new “species” are born—just until systematized

@aames #LavaCon

Entrepreneurial: Andrea

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Entrepreneurial: Strengths and weaknessesStrengths• When an appropriate

entrepreneurial opportunity presents itself, targeting behavior leveraged toward a vision

• Once opportunity is selected, path toward vision is created, tested, refined, etc.

• Embraces change—beyond staying flexible and agile

Weaknesses• From a different

perspective, might look high-risk, frightening, or intimidating

• Seeks out and drives change, which can be seen as disruptive without a good reason

@aames #LavaCon13

• We all fall somewhere on the continuum—no one is one type alone, but we do have preferences

• Which type do you best relate to? Which feels most comfortable?

OpportunisticTargetedEntrepreneurial

@aames #LavaCon

Your “type”

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• Discover your strengths…but don’t stop there: find the business need that matches those strengths.

• Commit to the journey—the long-term investment in yourself and your career. In any type, you won’t get there overnight.

• The targeted approach is very useful:– Have some idea about where you’re going– If you aren’t sure what skills to develop outside

of your core skillset, strengthen those skills.– When in doubt, straight ahead works!

@aames #LavaCon

Want to become more fluent across the continuum?Or “How to attack this conference…”

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• Opportunism is a also a very valuable approach in the current economy—and the economy for the past 10-15 years—consider adopting the flexibility and agility of this type.– Build broad and deep skills– Develop transferrable skills & knowledge– Follow trends—in content, technical, and

business industries—and build deep expertiseto maintain relevance

@aames #LavaCon

Want to become more fluent across the continuum? (cont.)Or “How to attack this conference…”

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• Entrepreneurism is also valuable. Borrow behaviors from it:– Take a risk. Try something new. Improvise – say yes, no matter

how outrageous the situation sounds or seems.– Acquire, build, or maintain analytical, problem-solving skills.– When the opportunity arises, carve out the path, lead the way,

and “create” the new “species.”

@aames #LavaCon

Want to become more fluent across the continuum? (cont.)Or “How to attack this conference…”

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Our skills are SO transferrable!

– Systems thinking– Problem solving– Audience analysis– Design– Strategy development

…think of all of the places where you can use these!

@aames #LavaCon

Remember….

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@aames #LavaCon

Thank you! Have a GREAT conference!

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