They’re from Mars, We're From Reference: Mastering Communications with Technical Personnel

They’re from Mars, We're From Reference: Mastering Communications with Technical Personnel

More and more often, working in a library means working directly with IT Department staff and other technology-oriented personnel, aka "techies." These new co-workers' professional background, training, viewpoint and values can be quite different from ours, and those differences can lead to difficulty in communications.

• When you encounter techies in the course of your work, do you have trouble getting your point across?
• Are you worried that they don't really understand library service?
• Do you find it difficult to supervise techies or to work collaboratively with them on projects and committees?
• Do you feel they ignore your input and set their own priorities?
• Do you suspect they are withholding information about what’s really going on?
• Are you sometimes frustrated because you can’t get them to give you what you need to do your job?

If any of these problems sounds familiar to you, you will benefit from this course.

Workshop Description: Through discussion, exercises, and supporting handouts, this half day workshop will help you understand more about what motivates techies and will teach you the skills you need to master communications in a variety of technology-related situations.

Highlights: You will learn practical techniques for:

• Communicating your needs
• Interpreting "techspeak"
• Understanding what the techies are doing without having to become a techie yourself
• Setting expectations and establishing priorities
• Managing deadlines
• Identifying and resolving problems before they escalate
• Providing feedback and evaluation

Who should attend: Anyone who interacts with "techies" in a California library.

Prerequisites: None.

Please Note: There is a $75.00 fee for this workshop. Infopeople does not provide parking passes, lunch or refreshments.

Check-in: 8:30 to 9 AM Instruction: 9 AM to 12:30 PM

For information about training, or using materials found on this website, please contact the Infopeople Project Assistant by email at assist@infopeople.org or by phone at 650-578-9685.

© 2008 Infopeople Project. Material on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons License. The Infopeople Project is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.