Post on 29-Aug-2014
description
transcript
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
When you’re listening at your best, you are like… what?
Please draw your answer on a sticky label and write
your name alongside
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
X-press Insightwith
X-Ray Listening
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
What’s important to you about insight skills?
Better skillsBetter insight
Better projects
Better products
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
“Don’t know” is normal!
So develop the skills to elicit people’s unconscious and tacit requirements
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Judy Rees
• Former news reporter• Helped to create digital Teletext (inc.
requirements gathering & user testing)• Co-author of Clean Language: Revealing
Metaphors and Opening Minds• MD of X-Ray Listening
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
This session
• Time-limited for maximum learning/minute• Practical skills rather than theory– References in handout, or ask at the end– Ask questions, but we may come back to them
• You will be learning on multiple levels – Eat, drink, move when you need to – Stay curious and comfortable with not knowing
• For best results…
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
…just dive in!
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
When you’re listening at your best, you are like… what?
(starter question only)
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Use only these questionsand your partner’s own words
• What kind of X (is that X)?• Is there anything else about (that) X?
• Ask in any order, as many times as you like
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Tip: Remember the first word(s) they say about their badge
You can always go back to ask about this if you lose track
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Tip: Notice gestures
Where are they imagining the thing they are talking about?
Look at it as you ask about it
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Off the top of the head
Heartfelt
Gut feelings
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Tip: Use silence
Try the eight-second technique
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Tip: Keep using their words
It keeps them engaged, makes them feel respected, and stops you using
jargon
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Metaphors
• Describe one kind of thing in terms of another kind of thing
• Very effective for explaining complex ideas– E.g. “X-Ray Listening”
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Explicit metaphors in research
“If Amberlight was a dog, what kind of dog would it be?”
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Metaphors can both explain and persuade
Note: Cultural similarityIndividual differences
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
We think in metaphor
• “Native language of the unconscious mind”• As we learn, we link new ideas to old ones –
that is, we make our own metaphors• Metaphors spill out in our speech and writing
without being consciously chosen• They can therefore be used to explore
people’s unconscious “thoughts”
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Spotting metaphors can take practice
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
“It’s like a koala bear crapped a rainbow in my head”
(SeaLab 2012)
“It’s like a pencil with an eraser at both ends”
(Emery, Studying Politics)
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
(www.dilbert.com)
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
“Take a walk on the wild side”
(Lou Reed)
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
“Constraint inspires creativity”
(Twitter help pages)
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Spotting metaphors
• Listen for “it’s like…” or “it’s as if…”• These phrases may only be implied
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Exploring metaphors
• Use the Clean Language questions– What kind of X (is that X)?– Is there anything else about (that) X?
• Be prepared for surprises• Be respectful • Both explicit and implicit metaphors can be
explored – but explicit ones are easiest
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Asking for a metaphor
Ask: “And that’s like… what?” (slowly)
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
From concept to metaphor
• Start from a concept, e.g. “interface”• Uncover some adjectives/features, e.g.
“straightforward and friendly”
• Then ask: “That’s straightforward and friendly like… what?” – Not: “That’s an interface like what?”
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Activity: Concept to metaphor
• ‘Client’ lists some features of a good user interface
• ‘Consultant’ asks: “And that’s <feature> and <feature> like… what?”
• Once client has volunteered a metaphor, ask:– What kind of X (is that X)?– Is there anything else about (that) X? (In any order, as many times as you like)
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Questions?
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
And all of that’s like… what?
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Further reading• Clean Language: Revealing Metaphors and
Opening Minds by Wendy Sullivan and Judy Rees
• Role of the unconscious: – A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
• Importance of metaphor: – The Stuff of Thought by Steven Pinker– How Customers Think by Gerald Zaltman
© Judy Rees 2009 www.xraylistening.com
Keep in touch
info@xraylistening.com+44 (0)7979 495509
www.xraylistening.com