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Memorandum

To: Employment Committee

From: George Osuna

Date: 9/12/2013

Re: Interview of a Technical Professional

Introduction

In completing this assignment, I interviewed Ms. Marie Jones. She is a Program Manager and

Instructional Design Competency Lead for AKA, Inc., located in the Central Florida Research

Park. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Instructional Technology Media and Instructional

Design and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English She is also a certified Project Management

Professional (PMP). Her expertise is job-task analysis, and she specializes in web-based and

computer-based training programs and multimedia applications using systematic design models.

General Writing and Other Communication Practices

Ms. Jones’s daily job tasks vary across both project management and instructional design and

require ongoing written communications. As a program manager, she is responsible for

overseeing multiple projects. Most of the projects entail the development of a training system or

analyzing a training need and recommending the appropriate training system. Some of the

programs she manages deal with providing professional support services. This means finding the

right person to fill a particular position, and making sure that employee has what he or she needs

to perform duties for the customer. Ms. Jones creates written material to support her

recommendations and approaches every step of the way, day in and day out.

Typical Documents

Ms. Jones is responsible for writing a wide variety of documents. Each program requires

different documentation. There is proposal documentation required to win the work and a

plethora of reports after award. Examples of the latter include monthly progress reports, meeting

agendas, meeting minutes, email correspondence, and program management plans. Many of her

program deliverables are front end analysis documentation. These documents are formal reports

written in a prescribed format. Examples include a Training Situation Analysis (TSA), which

describes the current training infrastructure; Task Analysis (TA), which identifies what a learner

must ultimately be able to do upon successful completion of training and mastering the learning

objectives; an Instructional Performance Requirements Document (IPRD), which describes what

training solution should be used to meet each of the learning objective requirements; and an

Instructional Media Design Package (IMRD), which describes the appropriate training media to

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be used in the training system. Ms. Jones’s job is writing intensive; approximately 95% of her

time is spent writing. More than half of that writing is correspondence. On average, she might

receive and respond to 40 to 50 emails daily.

Types of Communications

In addition to creating a multitude of documents and writing emails, Ms. Jones communicates via

phone continuously. Many of the phone calls are conference calls, involving multiple people

from different parts of the company and from all around the country. She is a remote employee,

meaning she works at home or at customer sites, so most voice communication is done via

phone. She often uses WebEx for team meetings, so the team can collectively view presentation

material and documentation. She also uses video conferencing with certain Federal Government

customers, usually at secure facilities and using these customers’’ video conferencing equipment.

On occasion, a customer has requested the use of Skype for video conferencing. Last, but not

least, at times, Ms. Jones says that visual communication of ideas is done via whiteboard

drawings, PowerPoint presentations, and sometimes even paper sketches.

Audiences

Ms. Jones responded to this query that her audience varies. When writing formal documentation,

her audience is usually the customer, who is scrutinizing the document to ensure that she has

included the necessary information in the required format. When corresponding internally within

the company, Ms. Jones states that the audience includes colleagues, superiors, and subordinates.

When writing proposals, she typically tries to convince an audience of highly professional and

often skeptical reviewers that the team she is leading can do the work and that their expertise is

substantiated through what they have done in the past. Ms. Jones said that in the case of

proposals, it can be important to understand the audience’s particular prejudices and biases and

to avoid infringing on those subjective elements.

Message Adjustments

In the course of her many communications situations, Ms. Jones has advice on dealing with

different audiences. For example, when communicating with graphic artists, it is best to try to

keep the message succinct and use bullets of information instead of paragraphs of prose.

Typically, graphic artists are very visual and don’t like to read a lot of text. A text-heavy

message will not be received well or perhaps even read in its entirety.

Furthermore, when communicating analysis results via formal reports, Ms. Jones states that it is

best to stick with the facts, which have been gleaned through analysis sessions where everyone

examines the situation and identifies specific learning objectives. Her messages for these

audiences are formal in nature, and the documentation is presented in a prescribed format.

Everything must be backed up with supporting information, and she must be able to defend each

and every sentence. Ms. Jones emphasized that the tone of the writing must communicate

company’s confidence and competence.

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Noteworthy Success or Failure

Ms. Jones had several examples of successes and failures. Winning a proposal award, she said, is

an example of successfully addressing a specific audience. She said that when the team wins, it

means they convinced the customer of their competence and ability to do the work in the

required time frame for the amount of money proposed. When they lose, they have obviously

misjudged their audience’s expectations in one or more of these areas. Similarly, when getting a

bad evaluation from a customer, this means the team has missed the mark as far as understanding

the real interests and values.

Ms. Jones says that knowing the audience is a key factor in success or failure. It is paramount

that you know whom you are addressing, so that you can tailor your message. She emphasized

to remember that communication involves both the transmitting and receiving of information.

The mere act of writing or speaking words does not guarantee receipt of the intended message. If

you know your audience, you can facilitate receipt of your message by using key words and

terms that they recognize and can relate to.

Types of Institutions and Credentials/Majors Most Desired

According to Ms. Jones, a Master of Arts in the field of Instructional Technology is desired in

her profession, as well as related degrees in the field of Education. A Bachelor’s degree in

education with emphasis experience in teaching adult learners is a plus. Her statements certainly

corroborate the statements on page nine of the document titled The Role of Higher Education in

Career Development: Employer Perceptions emphasizing the importance of education. She

indicated that the type and level of degrees is more important than the particular institution itself.

This is also consistent with the aforementioned document which states: “Weighted results show

that college major is the most important academic credential to employers” (11).

Writing/Editing and Document Design Compared to Technical Knowledge

Good writing and editing skills are critical, Ms. Jones says, in her profession, as communication

is primarily text-based. She indicated that while it’s important to understand the technical aspects

of programming and web-design so that one can effectively communicate with the development

team, being comfortable with the written word is the most important skill set. She emphasized

that proficiency in keyboarding facilitates work completion and helps the message flow more

quickly from the brain to the paper. In her personal experience, an undergraduate degree in

English provided the perfect base from which to build better professional communication skills

in all respects.

Uses the World Wide Web

Ms. Jones said that she uses the internet constantly to communicate and also for research and

data gathering. In her profession, she said, staying abreast of the technology is also done via the

internet. WebEx meetings are conducted online and often customer reviews of courseware are

done electronically online. Ms. Jones emphasized her dependence on the internet because she

does not “work in a vacuum.” Her job requires interaction among the team, the customer, and the

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corporate resources. Her company employs remote workers, and they rely on the internet for

communication and collaboration.

Educational Background Compared to Hands-on Experience

Ms. Jones stated that educational background is the first filter she uses when reviewing a stack of

resumes. She said that someone with a degree in instructional technology knows the

fundamentals of instructional design, which equates to less time required to train this new

employee. Experience is also important, she feels, depending on what the job entails. She advises

to keep in mind, experience usually comes with higher salary demands, and that managers

therefore have to weigh the benefits of paying an experienced person’s higher salary. Often, she

said, there are more benefits in hiring a new, less-experienced person who has the right potential.

Whether experienced or not, she said, the candidate must have attained a college degree,

preferably a Masters of Arts.

Examples of Delicate Communication Challenge

Ms. Jones found this an interesting question, saying that delicate communication is necessary

often in the work place; for example, when telling customers that a request is beyond the scope

of an agreed-upon contract. She said that the contractor doesn’t want to anger the customer or

sour their opinion of the team, and that it is necessary to communicate willingness to come up

with a solution. At the same time, however, the company cannot lose money by doing more than

agreed-upon.

Summary

Ms. Jones provided a lot of insight into the importance of writing, as well as the importance of

getting a relevant degree and experience. I found her observations very useful in considering a

major field in this industry and the predominantly optimistic prospects of employment.

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Interview Questions and Notes What is your name? What is your gender? Your current job title? Your company name and location? Your years of work experience? Your education background? Your particular area(s) of expertise? Your typical daily job tasks? Marie Jones. Female. Program Manager, Instructional Design Competency Lead. AKA, Inc. 2710 Discovery Drive, Orlando Florida, 32826. 13 years work experience. I hold a Master of Arts degree in Instructional Technology Media, Instructional Design and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. I am also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). My particular area of expertise is analysis. I develop web-based and computer-based training programs and multimedia applications using systematic design models. My daily job tasks vary across both project management and instructional design. As a program manager, I am responsible for overseeing multiple projects. Most of the projects entail the development of a training system or analyzing a training need and recommending the appropriate training system. Some of the programs I manage deal with providing professional support services. This means finding the right person to fill a particular position, and making sure that employee has what he or she needs to perform duties for the customer. What are some of the kinds of documents you write on your own or contribute to as part of a team? Reports? (If so, what kinds of reports?) White papers? Proposals? Manuals? Policies and Procedures? Correspondence (e-mail, texts, memos, letters)? Blogs? Websites? Corporate social media? Other kinds of documents? What is your estimate for the number of hours a week you spend writing and reading and responding to the writing of others in the workplace?

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I am responsible for writing a wide variety of documents. Each program requires different documentation. There is proposal documentation required to win the work and a plethora of reports after award. Examples include monthly progress reports, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, email correspondence, and program management plans. Many of my program deliverables are front end analysis documentation. These documents are formal reports written in a prescribed format. Examples include a Training Situation Analysis (TSA), which describes the current training infrastructure; Task Analysis (TA), which identifies what a learner must ultimately be able to do upon successful completion of training and mastering the learning objectives; an Instructional Performance Requirements Document (IPRD), which describes what training solution should be used to meet each of the learning objective requirements; and an Instructional Media Design Package (IMRD), which describes the appropriate training media to be used in the training system. My job is writing intensive; I estimate 95% of my time is spent writing. More than half of that writing is correspondence. On average, I receive and respond to 40 -50 emails daily.

In addition to writing the kinds of documents above, what other kinds of communication do you typically do in the workplace (and what other communication tools do you typically use)? Video conferencing (for example, Skype, Adobe Connect, Citrix GoToMeeting, Face Time, iMeet, Cisco WebEx Meeting Center)? Web meetings (for example, Adobe Connect, Citrix GoToMeeting)? Phone conferences? Staff meetings? One-on-one face-to-face meetings? Any other collaborative tools? In addition to writing email, I communicate via phone. Many of the phone calls are conference calls, involving multiple people from different parts of the country. I am a remote employee, so most voice communication is done via phone. I often use WebEx for team meetings, so the team can collectively view presentation material and documentation. WebEx allows us to pass control of the desktop, so team members can visually

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communicate their ideas. Video conferencing is done with certain government customers, usually at secure facilities and using their video conferencing equipment. On occasion, a customer has requested the use of Skype for video conferencing. Last, but not least, visual communication of ideas is done via white board drawings, PowerPoint presentations, and even paper sketches.

Who are the different audiences you must typically write for? Do you typically write for colleagues, superiors, or subordinates? For international or local readers? For readers inside or outside the organization? For readers in the same field or in different fields? My writing audience varies. When writing formal documentation, the audience is the customer who is scrutinizing the document to ensure I’ve included the necessary information in the required format. When corresponding, the audience includes colleagues, superiors and subordinates. When writing proposals, I’m trying to convince an audience of reviewers that we can do the work and that we have done similar work in the past.

How do you typically adjust the message for each audience? For example: Provide more or less background or context? Provide less technical jargon? Simplify the prose style in other ways? Make the prose style more personable? Simplify the organization of the message? Example 1: When communicating with graphic artists, I try to keep the

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message succinct and use bullets of information instead of paragraphs of prose. I’ve noticed that Graphic Artists are typically very visual and don’t like to read a lot of text. A text-heavy message will not be received in its entirety. They will skim the email for directional cues and may miss important aspects of my graphic request. Along with textual descriptions of what I want, I include visual examples as much as possible. Sometimes this is a sketch on a white board or a scanned image of my hand-drawn artwork. I will also provide media examples where necessary. Example 2: When communicating analysis results via formal reports, I stick with the facts. These facts are gleaned through analysis sessions where we examine the training situation and identify specific learning objectives. My message is formal in nature and the documentation is presented in a prescribed format. Anything I write must be backed up with supporting information. I must be able to defend each and every sentence. The tone of the writing must communicate company competence. If the report is being done for a prime contractor, that competence must translate to our prime.

What stories of noteworthy success or failure in addressing a specific audience can you share with me? Winning a proposal award is an example of successfully addressing a specific audience. When we win, it means we convinced the customer that we are competent enough to do the work in the required time frame for the amount of money proposed.

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What particular advice can you offer me to help me prepare for the challenges of writing for and communicating in other ways with the multiple audiences typically found in the workplace?

Know your audience. It is paramount that you know who you are addressing, so you can tailor your message. Remember communication involves both the transmitting and receiving of information. The mere act of writing or speaking words (transmitting) does not guarantee receipt of your intended message. If you know your audience, you can facilitate receipt of your message by using key words and terms that they recognize and can relate to.

**** What are some of the main purposes of the World Wide Web in

your profession; for example, research/data gathering, marketing,

interactively conducting business (such as making contacts/inquiries,

registering for events, setting up accounts, etc.)? Can you give a few

examples?

I use the internet constantly to communicate. I also use it for research and data gathering. Staying abreast of the technology is also done via the internet. WebEx meetings are conducted online and often customer reviews of courseware are done electronically online. The internet is important, because I do not work in a vacuum. My job requires interaction between the team, the customer, and the corporate resources. Our company employs remote workers, and we rely on the internet for communication and collaboration.

**** What types of institutions and credentials/majors are most

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desired in your field of work?

College degrees of Master of Arts in the field of Instructional Technology. Related degrees in the field of Education are also considered. A Bachelors degree in education with experience in teaching adult learners is a plus.

*** How important are good writing, editing, and document design skills in your profession compared to technical knowledge such as programming languages, web design applications, and other strictly computer-oriented skills? Good writing and editing skills are critical in my profession, as communication is primarily text-based. While it’s important to understand the technical aspects of programming and web-design, so I can effectively communicate with the development team, being comfortable with the written word is my most important skill set. Proficiency with a key board helps the message flow from my brain to the paper. My undergraduate degree in English provided the perfect base from which to build better communication skills.

*** When you consider potential employees, how do you compare educational background to hands-on experience? Which is most important or how do you balance them?

Educational background is the first filter used when I’m reviewing a stack of resumes. I separate according to degree, because I know someone who

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has attained a college degree has written a lot of papers and reports on diverse subjects. Someone with a degree in instructional technology knows the fundamentals of instructional design, which equates to less time required to train this new employee. Experience is also important depending on what the job entails. Keep in mind, experience usually comes with higher salary demands. As a manager, I have to weigh the benefits of paying an experience person’s higher salary with how much this experienced person is going to save the program in the long run. Often, there is more benefit in hiring a new ISD with little experience. Whether experienced or not, the candidate must have attained a college degree, preferably a Masters of Arts. When we develop a training solution for a very technical piece of equipment, there is sometimes a need to hire a subject matter expert (SME). This would be the only time, where a person may be considered for a position without a degree. Often, this type of candidate has worked with the equipment during military service and has even trained other military personnel on the nuances of the equipment. These individuals, while valuable to the team are typically brought on only for the duration of the project.

*** Can you give an example of a “delicate” communication challenge and how you handled it – such as, resolving a conflict or disagreement with a customer or a superior when you knew you were correct but had to be very diplomatic and respectful of their position? Or perhaps when an employee was trying very hard but missing the mark? Thank you

Tactful communication takes up the majority of my day. Being able to hit the “Backspace” key is probably my saving grace. Delicate communication is necessary when telling a customer that their request is beyond the scope of the contract. We don’t want to make them mad or sour their opinion of us, but we do want to communicate that we’ll work with them to come up with a solution that better fits the project budget and time

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constraints. My mind might be saying “No way!” but my fingers better be typing a much more subtle message of “Let’s try this,” or “I’ll do a financial analysis to see how close we can come to meeting your request. Perhaps we can forego something less important to meet this request.”