It’s no secret that financial literacy is a problem in the U.S., as less than a third of adults understand basic financial literacy topics by the time they hit their forties. But you don’t need to be an expert to get by, either, as knowing some of the basics can go a long way. Fortunately, there are plenty of online…
When you create branching scenarios, you probably work with SMEs. They’re the ones with the expertise, after all. However, sometimes it can be a struggle to get good stories and concrete details from SMEs. You can use this list of questions to ask SMEs to gather the information you need to write branching scenarios. In one or two hours of interviewing a SME, you can gather a significant amount of important information.
As with any training project, the first step is identifying what behavior you want to change.
Keep drilling down to get more details on that desired behavior. SMEs will often start with general ideas like “provide quality customer service” or “improve communication.” That’s not enough for a branching scenario though. You need to continue to ask follow-up questions until you get more concrete information.
In a branching scenario, you need to know more than just the desired behavior. You also need to know the mistakes and problems, since those will become the wrong answers and alternate paths.
Besides talking to the SMEs, it’s also helpful if you can talk to actual users (or people who have learned this skill recently). They will often identify other issues than what the SMEs might think are the primary problems.
Another good question: “What are the most common issues reported to the help desk?” If this kind of data is available, this can be a better way to learn about mistakes than directly from the SME.
In addition to the mistakes and problems, you need to identify the consequences. Ask SMEs these questions to gather information that will help flesh out the details in your branching scenarios.
When you interview SMEs, you won’t ask all of these questions straight through in a list. I do find it helpful to keep a list of questions handy, but the actual process is more fluid. Start with one of these questions in a category, and then follow up with another. With practice, you’ll get better at using these questions to draw out more information.
If the SME is good at telling stories and gives you lots of good details right away, you probably will only need to ask a few of these questions. If you’re struggling to get the right kinds of information, this list gives you several different ways to ask questions of SMEs.
If you’re still struggling after the interview, try one of my other tricks for working with SMEs: start writing something (even if it’s wrong) for the SME to correct, or give the SME an early prototype. It can be hard for SMEs to truly understand how a branching scenario will work, so showing them a draft script or prototype can help them get “unstuck.”
The post Questions to Ask SMEs for Branching Scenarios appeared first on Experiencing eLearning.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
-Aristotle
Einstein. Gandhi. Buffet. Want to know what these three great minds have in common?
They’re all introverts.
As all introverts know, extroversion is an ideal that’s celebrated and revered in our society. It starts at a young age, too. Susan Cain, in her novel Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, says:
“If you’re an introvert, you also know that the bias against quiet can cause deep psychic pain. As a child you might have overheard your parents apologize for your shyness. Or at school you might have been prodded to come “out of your shell”—that noxious expression which fails to appreciate that some animals naturally carry shelter everywhere they go, and some humans are just the same.”
Surely Ms. Cain is onto something there, when you consider that some of the greatest leaders in the history of mankind have been introverts. Introverts are often misunderstood. And not all leaders should be brash, loud, and charismatic. The world also needs leaders who show poise; exhibit great listening skills; analyze complex situations before making a decision; and exude calm in times of conflict.
Here are 5 tips any introvert can use to become a better leader.
This is something that comes naturally to introverts, and it’s an oft-underutilized skill in the business world. One key to being viewed as a respected leader is to actively listen to your friends/clients/followers and then provide guidance and answers. According to Susan Cain, “There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.”
Crises, both at home and at work, are a part of life. It’s how you respond to these moments of adversity that matter. So step up and be the “voice of reason” when bad stuff happens. Where others might see a crisis, introverted leaders see an opportunity.
As an introvert, you are likely more comfortable working alone than with people. You may not like to speak in front of groups. But the reality is, these are things that all great leaders need to do sometimes. So force yourself to participate in “small talk” once in a while, even if you think it’s useless. Take a public speaking class. Volunteer to take the lead on a new project at work that you may not know much about. Work on getting a little better at the things you’re not particularly great at each week.
Introverts spend a lot of time in their own heads. And we need this time. It’s how we recharge, reflect, and come up with great ideas. So set time aside every single day. Even if it’s 15 minutes. Find somewhere quiet to sit down and just breathe. Let the thoughts flow through your head like clouds. And when you’re done, jot down any new ideas that came to mind, which leads to our next tip.
Introverts tend to be better at writing than speaking. That’s why you should put your ideas down on paper before you speak about them. And here’s a tip for making your key points “stick”, whether it’s during a business meeting or after speaking at a conference: leave them with something. Create a simple 1- or 2-page document summing up your salient points, answering anticipated questions and objections, and offering to answer any additional questions.
So you’ll probably notice a trend with most of these leadership tips. Most of them come naturally to introverts. So utilize your strengths. Acknowledge, accept and improve upon your weaknesses. And always remember this:
“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
-Gandhi
Happiness' what matters most anyway: How To Be A Happy Introvert
The post 5 Simple and Effective Leadership Tips for Introverts appeared first on Lifehack.
The best way to learn photography is to take as many photos as you can. The second best way to learn photography is to be a voyeur and look at good photos others have taken. In my fledgling attempts to learn the fine art of the lens, I am doing the former…but more than that when the shutter’s closed, I do the latter. You cannot train an eye to be creative perhaps, but looking at a few great shots and sharing some of your own could take you a few inches closer.
I am on the learning curve myself. Finding inspiration for photography is never a problem on the web; photography tutorial websites and free photography related blogs can help you get all the angles right. But even when we are taking in all we can, we shouldn’t forget the real-timeliness of social media and its natural give and take interactivity.
Your first leanings could be towards Facebook. But in my opinion and social runs, Google+ is quite a few steps ahead when it comes to being an online training school for photographers.
I don’t have reams of statistics to convince you why Google+ could be better place. But the distinction is simply visual.
Open your Google+ profile – it is pretty apparent that Google+ does a better job of showcasing photos even in their thumbnails. The first look at thumbnail photos on Facebook is kind of disappointing as in this case size does really matter. Facebook Timeline has improved the appearance of photos a lot, but the Google+ stream still seems neater in comparison.
The differences increase when you open any image in the lightbox. The Google+ lightbox also envelops the entire screen. The clincher – Google+ displays the EXIF data and the histogram, invaluable tools for the photography leaner. Facebook, as far as I know, strips out all EXIF data when an image is uploaded. Both though, support 2048 pixel high resolution photos for display.
Then there’s the integration with Picasa which allows you to send over select photos to Google+ without uploading your photos separately.
Let’s not forget that Google is a search company and it is trying to change Google+ from a ‘ghost town’ to the fulcrum for its social strategy. Any post shared on Google+ has a likelihood of being indexed by Google.
These are just a few points that make Google+ worth more than a tryout. There is an excellent post by professional photographer Colby Brown who goes into the details of why Google+ is the social media for photographers. This is a must read for anyone with a camera in his or her hands and new to Google+.
In December last year, Google+ added communities. Photographers who formed a large percentage of the user base, embraced communities. Today, the topic based communities have gained momentum and are just like open forums. You can connect to like-minded enthusiasts and share knowledge. You can easily search for photography communities by logging into your Google+ profile and hitting the Communities icon on the left bar. You can use the small search bar or just browse down the page vertically. It is a bit manual as Google+ does not give you any way to arrange them by number of members.
Here are some of my picks:
You can just type ‘photography’ or ‘photographer’ in the search box and take it from there. But a shortcut is to follow a few curated lists which have done the work for you. Here are three great resources for finding some master photographers who ply their art on Google+.
Group/as – Curated by Jarek Klimek
The list is neatly grouped and links to their Google+ profiles. You can also check out the Tag Cloud for an overview of all the groups.
Google+ Photographers – Curated by Trey Ratcliff
A huge list of photographers who are on Google+, arranged in shared Google Spreadsheets.
WonderHowTo – 104 Amazing Photographers
You are sure to find some expert photographers like Thomas Hawk, Thomas Leuthard, Colby Brown, Jim Goldstein, and more on any of the lists.
Google Hangout (and Hangouts on Air) is a power feature of Google+ that adds oodles of interactivity to your learning. A usual hangout allows for a total of 10 simultaneous video chatters. Hangouts on Air enables one to live stream a session and also have it recorded on YouTube. Scott Kelby (video above) is a regular with his training hangouts. You can also find regulars like Trey Ratcliff here along with few others.
Usually photographers announce upcoming hangouts on their Google+ profiles and other social media outlets. You can also check Google’s page on upcoming Hangouts for the latest schedule. Then, you can go to the Community Hangout page as illustrated below (from the Community page, search for Photography. Click on the Community button and select Hangouts).
As a photographer’s medium Google+ has sufficiently grown, and in many ways has outstripped other social networks like Facebook. So, it makes sense for a photography learner to cultivate a presence there if only for photography. But don’t forget us in your rush to set up a Google+ profile if you haven’t done so already. We have the Google Plus Guide for Everyone; and for all photography wannabes our latest primer on HDR Photography follows our previous The Essential Guide To Digital Photography. You can also download them as PDF or ePub files.
Are you an amateur photographer or simply enthusiastic about photography? Tell us about your take on Google+…do you think it’s a great resource for photographers? Do you have your own Google+ photography tip to share here?
The post Learn Photography: Connect With Top Photographers On Google+ Communities appeared first on MakeUseOf.