Rules for Asking Others to Share Knowledge
Along with handling my own e-mail well, I must also help others deal with their e-mail. No, I don't mean standing over their shoulder and telling them which buttons to push. I mean clear writing with specific requests and asking the right people.
Bruce Karney of HP Services posted his list of 10 Rules to the recent AOK Star Series discussion with Dave Pollard, and he has allowed me to repost them here. These are very much geared towards asking questions of experts who you expect to know the answers (or where to find them).
10 Rules of Asking Others to Share Knowledge by Bruce Karney of HP Services (with permission):
- Make the subject line very specific; use 5-10 words, not 2-3.
- Identify yourself by name, role and organization.
- Identify the problem briefly and clearly.
- Explain why solving the problem is important to the reader.
- Explain exactly what kind of help you want from them.
- Specify your deadline.
- Tell what you know (and how you learned it), and what you don't know.
- Ask for suggestions about who else to ask and what else to do.
- Tell what you will do to share what you learn more broadly.
- Explain how those who help you will be rewarded or recognized.
There are probably similar sets of rules when I am the responder, or when I have something to say instead of something to ask. As always. Know your audience and keep them in mind.
6 Comment(s)
Eigentlich: "Wie man Fragen an Experten stellen sollte", aber ich wollte die URL nicht so lang werden lassen... Bruce Karney hat 10 Regeln vorgeschlagen, die man beherzigen sollte, wenn man... Read More
Rules for Asking Others to Share Knowledge...good emphasis on common etiquette when asking people to share knowledge with you. IEtiquette especially suffers in digital communications/requests.... Read More
Martin Roell übersetzt einen RegelkAtalog - wie man Fragen richtig formuliert - von Bruce Karney. 2. Identifiziere Dich mit Namen und Rolle 3. Spezifiziere das Problem klar und deutlich 4. Erkläre, warum Dir das Problem (die Problemlösun... Read More
I am sorry with the first email i sent i did not sign off with my name and it is the first time i have gone into anything like this to ask questions,my tutor said i need to find the answers on line.Just to recap i got a line break in the middle of a some text i was typing and could not for life in me shift it off the screen so if you could guide me through this a big thank you will be the order of the day
John.
One of the longest-lived topics in knowledge management is expertise location, from the early days of electronic yellow pages to the fun of today. What follows are my thoughts and some synthesis from recent articles on the topic. Read More
please tell me how to delete an unwanted line break