Keynote presentation for 2014 LavaCon conference in Portland, OR

1. Forget “Predict” the Future— Create the Future!
Andrea L. Ames, IBM
Enterprise Content Strategist/Architect/Designer

2. How do you approach your career development and management?
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I keep an eye out for opportunities and take the good ones
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I plan the work and work the plan
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I invent and create my path along the way
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I have a different approach than above
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What’s career development? 
@aames #LavaCon
First, a question…
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3. About Andrea (@aames)
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Technical communicator since 1983
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Areas of expertise:
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Content experience design: strategy, architecture, and interaction design
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Architecture, design, and development of product-embedded assistance
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Content and product usability
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User-centered process for content development and experience design
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Senior Technical Staff Member on corporate Client Technical Content Experience team, IBM CIO
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University of CA Extension Technical Communication program chair and master instructor
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STC Fellow, past president, former member of Board of Directors, and Intercomcolumnist (with Alyson Riley) of The Strategic IA
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ACM Distinguished Engineer
3 @aames #LavaCon

4. •
Start with a story…
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Recap Vici’sjourney (LavaCon2013 keynote)
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A new career-approach theory
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What is your type?
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Becoming fluent across the continuum
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The unique value of this field of practice
@aames #LavaCon
Agenda
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5. It happened while brainstorming for this keynote… the text book definition of “entrepreneurial”
@aames #LavaCon
A story
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6. •
She knew what work she wanted to do
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She knew what people wanted to pay for
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She expanded her skills to match her passions and core values
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She became a recognized expert
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She embraced the lessons from her perceived failures
@aames #LavaCon
Recap: Vici’sjourneyfrom “Expanding the Role of Content Professionals” (LavaCon2013 keynote)
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7. Approaches to career: A new theory
@aames #LavaCon
Entrepreneurial
Targeted
Opportunistic

8. •
She knew her own passions, strengths, and core values
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She knew what people wanted to pay for
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She expanded her skills to match her passions, strengths, and core values
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She became a recognized expert
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She embraced the lessons from her perceived failures
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And when the right opportunity presented itself, she became targeted to seize it
@aames #LavaCon
Opportunistic: Vici
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9. Opportunistic: Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
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Opportunities seldom missed (but might be turned down)
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Expertise within the “opportunity space” is very high
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Flexible and agile
Weaknesses
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From a different perspective, might look like a lot of activity for little to no gain
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Potentially lots of surprises
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Less susceptible to significant consequences (less risk) due to environmental issues
@aames #LavaCon 9

10. •
His father wanted him to become a doctor
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He knew his own passions, etc., wanted to become a doctor, and set out to do so
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He worked high school like a career, setting himself up for the right college, then the right grad school, etc.
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He became a doctor, including securing the best residency in his chosen specialty
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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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11. Targeted: Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
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Follow a well-defined path
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Planfuland conscious
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Few surprises
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Less susceptible to significant consequences (less risk) due to environmental issues
Weaknesses
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From a different perspective, might look rigid
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Opportunities not discovered or left on the table
@aames #LavaCon 11

12. •
Biology major, computer science major, finally landed on English + grad school Tech Comm
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Jobs and projects in government, chemicals, supply chain management, game development, computational science, software development, database technology, telephony, IT
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Skill development and expertise in writing, IA, business analysis, user experience, content strategy & experience design, leadership, career development, org change mgmt
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“I solve problems…”
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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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13. Entrepreneurial: Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
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When an appropriate entrepreneurial opportunity presents itself, targeting behavior leveraged toward a vision
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Once opportunity is selected, path toward vision is created, tested, refined, etc.
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Embraces change— beyond staying flexible and agile
Weaknesses
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From a different perspective, might look high-risk, frightening, or intimidating
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Seeks out and drives change, which can be seen as disruptive without a good reason
@aames #LavaCon 13

14. •
We all fall somewhere on the continuum—no one is one type alone, but we do have preferences
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Which type do you best relate to? Which feels most comfortable?
Opportunistic
Targeted
Entrepreneurial
@aames #LavaCon
Your “type”
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15. •
Discover your strengths…but don’t stop there: find the business need that matchesthose strengths.
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Commit to the journey—the long-term investment in yourself and your career. In any type, you won’t get there overnight.
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The targeted approach is very useful:
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Have someidea about where you’re going
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If you aren’t sure what skills to develop outside of your core skillset, strengthen those skills.
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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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16. •
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.
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Build broad and deep skills
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Develop transferrable skills & knowledge
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Follow trends—in content, technical, andbusiness 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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17. •
Entrepreneurism is also valuable. Borrow behaviors from it:
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Take a risk. Try something new. Improvise –say yes, no matter how outrageous the situation sounds or seems.
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Acquire, build, or maintain analytical, problem-solving skills.
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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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18. Our skills are SO transferrable!
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Systems thinking
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Problem solving
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Audience analysis
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Design
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Strategy development
…think of all of the places where you can use these!
@aames #LavaCon
Remember….
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19. @aames #LavaCon
Thank you! Have a GREAT conference!
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