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We Need to Talk

We Need to Talk: How to Converse with Regular People About Managing Their Content in SharePointJonathan RaltonBlueMetal

WWW.COLLAB365.EVENTS

The ChallengeContent ManagementThe ProcessLast But Not LeastQuestions

Agenda

Hello, everyone! wherever you find yourself in the world todayAnd thanks for joining me to learn about talking SharePoint with other people who arent immersed in it like ourselvesWe should have plenty of time to go over the material.Were going to do a quick introduction,then well get into the nuts and bolts,and finish up hopefully with some extra time for Q&ASOUND GOOD?2

Jonathan RaltonBlueMetal

Email : [email protected] : @jonraltonBlog : blog.jonralton.netLinkedIn : linkedin.com/in/jonathanraltonSenior Information ArchitectSharePoint IT Pro since 2005 (WSS/SPS)No coding!Document Management, Content Management, Knowledge Management

Contact Details :


Currently Im with a really great company in Boston; were also in New York and Chicago and are expanding out west and down southWe were recently acquired by a larger company, Insight, but were still called BlueMetalIm just over three years into this role; Ive had about six years of consulting under my belt at this point and previously Ive been in a corporate role as wellBeen working with SharePoint for over ten years nowIm not a developer!Major focus is on wrestling with all the acronyms that end in m DM, ECM, WCM, KMHeres how to ping me; Thats how youll find the slidesBut enough about meLets get into the challenge we face in trying to talk about SharePoint with users3

The ChallengeWe Need to Talk

blog.allstate.com

Granted this doesnt apply to all of us, but who actually understands what your mechanic tells you when you go to get your car fixed?How do you feel when they try and explain what was wrong?

Cars are complex machines with even more sophisticated systems these daysyou probably go to that mechanic in the first place because you couldnt really figure it out yourselfAND you TRUST that they DO know what theyre doing and therefore you dont really NEED to know exactly what they did.

5

surgeryequipment.wordpress.com

How about this scenario Whos had surgery?

You probably got an explanation from your doctor before your procedure (or maybe after as well) explaining to you what was done, but they probably didnt use a bunch of terms youre not familiar with or speak to you the same way they were talking to the other people in green here while it was actually happening, right?

Now Im not saying its like surgery, but6

we have this thing called SharePoint...7

The Challenge

It can do all of these thingsand more, of course8

The Challenge

We have ALL these things to build with; were going to pick the right features, set them up a certain way, put em together, and weve got our solution9

The ChallengeWe have youWe have the users


The problem is:

How do you talk to these people about how to match up what the do all day and how they do it with this platform they know NOTHING about?

And you need to do all that without them becoming10

danielllechapman.wordpress.comConfused

11

dailymotion.comScared

12

memesvault.comUpset

Friendly Words

wallpapers.in

Your users are used to words like these.14

Scary Words

thedogtrainingsecret.com

They have not the slightest idea about words like THESE, and these are the terms were used to using all the time on our end, right?15

The Challenge

Then there are these big important ideas you need to think about when youre planning for content management, regardless of the platform.16

The ChallengeYouve got toListenAdviseDeflectElicitInformPrescribePrioritizeModerateall at the same time.


Talking to your users can be very challenging.

There are many different roles you may have to play17

InterviewerSolicit enough informationElicit more inputPut some people on the spot to talk about what they do

thornleyfallis.com

You need to solicit enough informationAlong the way you may need to elicit more inputYou may be putting some people on the spot to talk about what they do18

InterpreterAssimilate what is laid out for you by your constituentsContext is probably foreign to you Verify you heard everything correctlyCommunicate needs accurately to any other developersumassmed.edu

Youve got to assimilate what is laid out for you by your constituentsYoull be spoken to in a context that is probably foreign to you Eventually you need to spit it back out to verify you heard everything correctlyYou may eventually have to communicate needs accurately to any other developers19

TherapistLikely not the first time some technical person has tried to helpBad experiences in the pastLet them articulate their frustrationsEncouragement to keep the ideas coming

wisegeek.com

This is probably not the first time some technical person has tried to help themThey probably have had bad experiences in the pastYou may need to console; hold peoples hands; let them articulate their frustrationsEncouragement may be required to keep the ideas coming20

ArchitectMaster artistProblems are in your handsDesigning something in SharePoint to fit stuff that wasnt designed for SharePointBuilt to last

careerbear.com

Youre the master artistTheir problems are in your handsYoure going to have to design something in SharePoint to fit stuff that wasnt designed for SharePointWhat you build will be with these people for a while so its gotta last21

GamerMultiple routes to reach the same goalGet everything to fit into a new site properly, especially during a migration

gamersagainstbigotry.org

There are probably multiple routes to reach the same goal; which one do you pick?Sometimes its a game of Tetris to get everything to fit into a new site properly, especially during a migration22

The Challenge

So you all are sitting out there; what are you thinking at this point?

Do you identify with one or more of these roles?

Some of you may be thinking:So wait, hes saying Ive gotta play all of these roles just to get some people set up on SharePoint?23

2005 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Just be cool

You dont have to be John Travolta to get this done.

Now, lemme give you a little bit of background on content management so were all on the same page.24

Content ManagementWe Need to Talk

25

Content Management

What is it?Is it useful to me?


Youve got a documentWe want some qualitative data about the content to differentiate it from the sea of other documents

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Content Management

How did you get to this document in the first place?The consideration here is actually less about the document itself its about your USERS, and Its about half and half. Some people like to follow a map and street signs along the way to get to where they want to go.Others like to search for their destination and expect it to come up pretty high in the result set.What kind of person are you?Think about your email. If youre a filer and have tons of nested folders that you put your emails into, youre probably an green navigation person.If youve got all your emails in your Inbox and anytime you want to find something you type in a keyword or you group and sort by sender, youre probably a purple search person.You have to consider both approaches when planning for managing your content in SharePoint.27

CONTENT ARCHITECTUREdefinition [dff nsh'n]

Let me put this term out there, CONTENT ARCHITECTURE. What is it?28

Content ArchitectureThe specification for a content management solutionA set of activities and outputs for effective content management

Cleve Gibbon

Its about Content ManagementHere, were looking at two parts to the whole1. A specification. Whats that? Its an outcome 2. Activities and outputs. Were talking about a process29

Content Architecture

Its part of a process which is going to help you achieve your content strategy and will form the foundation for content managementBut I want to bring up one of those more complex terms we saw earlier, and that is30

TAXONOMYdefinition [dff nsh'n]

31

Taxonomya classification into ordered categories

dictionary.com

What is this thing called TAXONOMY?OK so were going to be categorizing our stuff. Cool.32

TaxonomyA way to group things together

Even more simply33

Content Management

The goals are helping users FIND their stuff and USE it effectively.34

Content ManagementWhat isContent ArchitectureTaxonomyHow do they relate?


You cant have a complete content architecture without a taxonomy35

Content ManagementYour taxonomy is an integral part of your content architecture plan

Taxonomy is part of the bigger picture; shouldnt be examined in a vacuum.Other parts of your content architecture will include policies, workflows, etc.36

Content ManagementYour content architecture is the foundation for achieving content management

Remember that content architecture is the foundation for content managementTaxonomy is the map; the plan; the blueprint in SharePointMy major point here is:You must plan ahead if you want to get all the way there

37

Pleasantville

1998 New Line Cinema

The goal is to create Pleasantville.38

Wild Wild West 2014 Universal Studios

But youre going to end up in the Wild West if you dont think carefully about this stuff39

TAGGINGdefinition [dff nsh'n]

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Taggingthe act of applying metadata to an item

Microsoft

Once we have our taxonomy we need to apply it to our content.41

Tagging

Why do we bother encouraging our users to tag?42

Content Management

This stuff is not black and white or one-size-fits-all.I cannot tell you today an exact process to follow that will work for everyone in every case for all content.And if you approach your users or whoever youre working with on this stuff with the same solution every time, youre doing it wrong.

But lets get into some suggestions I have for your process.43

The ProcessWe Need to Talk

The Process1Think about your audience before you sit down with them.

If youre not considering who youre talking to before you talk to them, it may be pointless to do so.You need to understand whether the folks youre going to be presenting to or having a conversation with are, for example, very technical, or not; whether theyre very involved in the business processes or are just in charge of reviewing the metrics or footing the bill; whether theyre SharePoint advocates or theyve had bad experiences before.Lets take a look at some example considerations45

New to Collaboration Tools

Top goals probably should include:Co-authoringWorkflowSending links instead of attachments


Simultaneous editingAutomating processesStopping everyone from clogging up Inboxes with attachments46

Migrating from File ShareTop goals probably should include:VersioningTaggingInformation Management Policies


Taking advantage of version controlOrganizing and tagging the documentsConsidering records management47

Building an IntranetTop goals probably should include:Leveraging the publishing modelSeparation of dutiesSelf-service forms


We can talk about all of these goals without even mentioning the S word.48

The Process2Be clear about how youre going to lead people through discovery.

Tell people how things are going to proceed so they know what to expect.49

Timeline

Early AprilMid AprilLate AprilLateApril

Heres an example of setting a groups expectations about how youll proceed and also importantly when.50

The Process3Dont try to figure it all out in one sitting.

Usually its more productive to have several smaller sessions with people than to try to do one marathon day of requirements gathering and planning.51

20th Century FOX Film Corporation

Iterate.

Give them homework.

Come back at least a second time and review.52

The Process4Steer clear of those scary words.

Fancy terminology may make you look smart but can leave your users feeling left out and wont help them to help you understand what they need.53

TerminologyNot OKOKSite CollectionsSitesLibrariesFolders, Buckets, ContainersContent TypesDifferent kinds of documentsColumnsFields, MetadataLookups, Term SetsChoicesDocument SetsBindersWorkflowsProcesses, FlowsListsTablesWeb PartsModules

The Process5Examine their content outside the context of the tool.

You should be able to talk about content with your users completely outside the context of the platform youre ultimately going to be using.LATER, youll start to apply the features and capabilities of SharePoint to what you discovered.

55

Discussing NeedsHow do you think about your stuff?How do you group your stuff together?By who works on it?By what it applies to?By fiscal quarter?What do you need to know about your stuff?Where is this in the process?Who wrote this?What customer does this apply to?What works well today?What is broken?What would make your job easier?

I have a client that was going into meetings with each of their teams they wanted to set up on their new SharePoint collaboration environment, and they started off by giving them a tour of the template they had made up and then asked the team things like:So what libraries do you need?What web parts do you want on the home page?This was entirely unhelpful because they assumed the team they were talking to knew these SharePoint terms and were ready to translate what they do into the context of SharePoint componentry.

InsteadAsk some generic questions.56

Discussing Needs

Assuming that were talking to a particular team about their own content57

Discussing NeedsTypes of Documents, ContentPropertiesResearchReportsCalculation TemplatesIndependent Laboratory TestingPresentationsProjectsAnalysisInstrument DocumentsService DocumentsTraining/ReferenceHealth & NutritionFormsLinksClinical InformationIngredient DatabasePresentationsRegulatoryReviews & PoliciesIngredient ReviewsClaim Substantiation DocumentsPresentationsEducational Information/ResourcesTrainingVendor Name (dozens)Fiscal YearCalendar YearLaboratory (4)Instrument (dozens)Investigator (dozens)NameInstitutionLicense Number


This is an actual example slide I used in helping a team think about what kinds of content they worked with and what bits of information they would need to keep track of on each.58

Document Types and Properties Example


Later I mapped out for them the content types and metadata structure I was proposing, but I didnt put it to them in those terms!59

The Process6Draw stuff out, erase, and try again.

A picture is worth 1,000 words, right?60

Here is the whiteboard after an actual discussion I had with a client about all the kinds of content that they worked with. Little did they know that I was starting to map out a content type structure for them at the same time.61

The Process7Recognize trigger words or phrases that may lead you to architectural decisions.

Youre going to hear some common things from different teams that should lead you down certain paths.62

Translating into RequirementsWhat you might hearWe work a lot with other teams.

What you might think aboutWhich team needs access to what and when do they need itIs this ongoing or temporaryWhat process are involved here


Maybe they need a dedicated space for each relationship with shared calendars and contact listsMaybe they only need to allow access to particular documents at certain timesGet the users to walk you through the processes63

Translating into RequirementsWhat you might hearSometimes we work with people outside the company.

What you might think aboutIn SharePoint Online, the ability to grant external access is enabled or disabled at the site collection levelYou may be looking at a separate web application or farm outside the firewall


Users need to be clear about who might have access to something once they put it there.

Think about a separate library, site, site collection

Instead of planning to grant permissions to external users to a particular document, have an appropriately marked designated space, or provide for the opposite.

You could establish that the entire site is open to the external group and have a library marked Internal with more limited permissions, OR you could have the entire site closed to the external group and have a library marked External with more expanded permissions.

What are your users going to understand; what is the easiest most clear approach?64

Translating into RequirementsWhat you might hearWe have a lot of different groups of people that need access.

What you might think aboutIf theyll be Active Directory Groups or if theyll need to be SharePoint GroupsSharePoint Groups are visible to all site administrators within the entire site collection


Think about the management of those groupsTry to avoid the co-mingling of many SharePoint Groups65

Translating into RequirementsWhat you might hearWe work on a lot of projects.

What you might think aboutDo the projects consist of just documents or are there tasks, calendarsSeparate sites for each projectDocument sets for each project


Dont overengineer with a separate site for each project if theyre hardly going to be used66

Project Sets Option

Heres a few slides of how you might illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of two different architectures

And of course before diving into the details, here I have a picture to illustrate!

This is a rendition of projects being handled as document sets.67

Project Sets OptionDocuments are grouped together in a binder for each projectCan be treated as a single packageCan simplify metadata by inheritingDifferent security can be applied to each setCannot allow external users accessThe package itself becomes the record of the projectEasier to roll up/consolidate project information such asDashboard of statusShow all project plans


Project Sites Option

Here is an alternative approach where projects are their own sites.69

Sites OptionDocuments live in a separate area altogether for each projectCan have other project content live alongside such as task lists, wikis, etc.Different security can be applied to each siteCan allow external users accessNeed to maintain separate listing/record of projects and related infoHarder to roll up information about all projects


Again, I have the details AFTER showing the illustration!70

SharePoint Building BlocksYour Data & AttributesYour Containers


Think about the different building blocks you have to work with IN YOUR OWN HEAD as youre listening71

SharePoint Building BlocksContent TypesUse toMaintain consistency across libraries and listsIsolate workflow, policies, and other settingsInformation Management (Records Management)Etc.Site Columns/List ColumnsUse to Drive viewsExpose via searchDrive reportsPreserve informationTrigger workflowEtc.


Our content types and our site columns are building blocks that can be used/instantiated in different places to effect different results and support our goals of finding content and making it usable within SharePoint72

SharePoint Building Blocks

SharePoint gives us several layers to work with from the farm all the way down to individual items.Its important to understand what can be configured where and the scope of those decisions.Line of demarcationOn-Premise vs. the cloudAs youre thinking up a solution in your mind, hold it up against the constraints and opportunities of SharePoints structure73

Taxonomy/Context UsesLeverage security (List, Site)Differentiate list-based workflows (List)Segregate content (List, Site, Site Collection)Facilitate geographic placement (Farm)Control versioning (List)Account for alternate authentication method(s) (Web Application)Account for encryption (Web Application)Etc.

So in understanding your taxonomy and how its going to work and support your business processes, manage your content, comply with your security requirements you need to understand the holistic view of how all of these things will work together in SharePoint.74

Taxonomy/Context ConsiderationsThe content that will be stored as itemsThe site and list/library columns that will identify, qualify, and differentiate those items from each otherThe content types that will help maintain appropriate metadata, workflow, behavior, and other settings for different kinds of itemsThe lists/libraries that will segregate those items within the sitesThe sites that will contain those lists/librariesThe site collections that will contain those sitesThe content databases that will house those site collectionsThe web applications that will contain those site collectionsThe farms that will host those web applications

Work your way up the layersAgain, theres that line of demarcation.75

The Process8Try to validate what youre thinking before you go and build it.

If youve heard the saying Measure twice, cut once you know what Im talking about here. You want to minimize the amount of rebuild you have to do.

This could involve anything from informally reviewing your solution to formal usability testing.76

Card Sorting

TestResults


This is really handy for categorization but also for validating a navigation structure youve come up with.77

The Process9Use pictures along with specs.

Once you get to the point of drawing up specs that actually reference SharePoint componentry, give your users some pictures.78

Theyre not going to digest a table of content types, libraries, and site columns, but they can probably understand something like this.79

Overall Guidance10Dont push too hard.Go with the culture.

If there isnt a sharing culture, your Yammer implementation will probably fall flat on its face.If there are team members who dont want to take on the extra responsibilities of reviewing some type of requests in a new workflow, they could become a bottleneck.If people arent ready to move away from the folder structures theyre used to on their shared drives, dont immediately take that away from them.80

Folder MetadataDemonstration

Last But Not LeastWe Need to Talk

YOURE the expert. Own the conversation, make people feel comfortable enough to participate, and go over everything you heard AFTERWARDS. DONT try and fix the problem immediately; you may just skip right over some additional key information.84

Overall GuidanceBe approachable.Make the toolset approachable.

85

Overall GuidanceBend the tool to their processes, not the other way around.

(as much as possible)86

If you dont go through this process and plan and communicate across all of the participants, stakeholders, sponsors, etc87

Content accumulates pretty fast. If you dont stop to think about this stuff and talk with your users, you could end up with a mess. 1986 Paramount Pictures

I want you to think about this stuff BEFORE you let content pile up in your sites.88

CONTENT ARCHITECTUREWORK WITH YOUR USERSFOLLOW THE CULTUREGAUGE EFFECTIVENESS AND ADJUST AS NEEDED 1986 Paramount Pictures

Talk to them! They know their content! ITs role should be to set up all the gears and plumbing. The business knows its content better than you do.Dont try to impose too much governance on user who are used to managing their own stuffYoure going to need to go back to these people and check in with them; see how its going, and make some tweaks89

Theyll all think youre a righteous dude. 1986 Paramount Pictures

If you do90

Questions? 1986 Paramount Pictures

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Thanks for watching!


Stay tuned for more great sessions

ReferenceWe Need to Talk

Links

SharePoint 2010SharePoint 2013SharePoint OnlineResources for IT Prosbit.ly/SP10-Resourcesbit.ly/SP13-Resourcesbit.ly/SPO-ResourcesFeatures and Editionsbit.ly/SP13-Servicebit.ly/SPO-ServiceLimits and Boundariesbit.ly/SP10-Limitsbit.ly/SP13-Limitsbit.ly/SPO-Limits

SharePoint Maturity Modelwww.sharepointmaturity.com

Guidance for Modifying Pre-Defined Taxonomybit.ly/17KHAuw

Discontinued Features and Functionalitybit.ly/1bhrLKr

Links

My Knowledge Management (KM) ResourcesClick Here

My Enterprise Content Management (ECM) ResourcesClick Here

My Web Content Management (WCM) ResourcesClick Here

My SharePoint ResourcesClick Here

My Records Management Resources (RM)Click Here

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