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Hugging the Hatfields
Building positive relationships with your CMS developers
Jeff Eaton
June 5th
Confab 2013
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i’m with lullabot.
hi. i’m @eaton!
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we do strategy, design, and development.
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No content
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You can leave if…
‣ You’re already happy with how things work!
‣ You’re the “stakeholder”
‣ You’re the fancy-schmancy consultant
‣ You’re retiring in four months
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Your Pain
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The new CMS is
totally broken.
I can’t get the
developers to
listen to me.
I talked to the devs,
and I hate them all.
The new templates
don’t fit our content!
The new workflow
has 98,292 steps.
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An anonymous developer
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“The content managers were cut out of the
conversation because “designing tools” was a
job for developers, but when they started giving
feedback, it turned ugly. The fixes were
complicated and expensive.
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Coming to the History Channel this fall: Editors vs. Developers!
Them’s fightin’ words
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I translate.
A lot.
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Developer Pain
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Designers are
crazy people.
All the old
content is in
shambles!
No one can explain
what I’m building.
What we build keeps
getting rejected!
They want me to
duplicate the old CMS.
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Everyone
thinks they’re
the outsider
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Those silos are not full of happy animals.
Welcome to the silo.
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Polo!
Marco!
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Healthy and
cross-functional
Unaware but
willing to learn
Content-savvy,
but swamped
Crappy and
unconcerned
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Healthy and
cross-functional
Unaware but
willing to learn
Content-savvy,
but swamped
Crappy and
unconcerned
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Empathy is your
secret weapon!
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That developer’s boss just told him that multi-language content revisions need to be “more intuitive”
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Why devs hurt
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‣ Acquiring knowledge is hard
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‣ Acquiring knowledge is hard
‣ Priorities are elusive
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‣ Acquiring knowledge is hard
‣ Priorities are elusive
‣ The data migration is hell
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‣ Acquiring knowledge is hard
‣ Priorities are elusive
‣ The data migration is hell
‣ Scope always creeps
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‣ Acquiring knowledge is hard
‣ Priorities are elusive
‣ The data migration is hell
‣ Scope always creeps
‣ Changing course is expensive
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They know
failure is bad
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Contrary to popular opinion, developers don’t turn into curmudgeons on purpose.
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Ways they cope
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‣ Scope-hawks just say no
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‣ Scope-hawks just say no
‣ Goalies isolate the devs
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‣ Scope-hawks just say no
‣ Goalies isolate the devs
‣ Planners want to know it all
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‣ Scope-hawks just say no
‣ Goalies isolate the devs
‣ Planners want to know it all
‣ Hermits demand process
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‣ Scope-hawks just say no
‣ Goalies isolate the devs
‣ Planners want to know it all
‣ Hermits demand process
‣ Ostriches don’t want to hear
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Find an advocate
and help them
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Seriously, who wouldn’t fix a bug for this guy?
Looking friendly
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‣ Come bearing gifts
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‣ Come bearing gifts
‣ Know your value and theirs
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‣ Come bearing gifts
‣ Know your value and theirs
‣ Help them avoid future pain
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‣ Come bearing gifts
‣ Know your value and theirs
‣ Help them avoid future pain
‣ Know what you need and why
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‣ Come bearing gifts
‣ Know your value and theirs
‣ Help them avoid future pain
‣ Know what you need and why
‣ Collaborate to solve the how
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Scope is bad but
failure is worse
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Everyone loves presents.
The gifts you can give
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‣ Your inventories and audits
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‣ Your inventories and audits
‣ Your connection with users
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‣ Your inventories and audits
‣ Your connection with users
‣ Your organizational insights
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‣ Your inventories and audits
‣ Your connection with users
‣ Your organizational insights
‣ Your knowledge of workflow
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‣ Your inventories and audits
‣ Your connection with users
‣ Your organizational insights
‣ Your knowledge of workflow
‣ Your ability to predict change
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Content strategy
saves them time
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Yes! Developers want to help you! At least, the good ones.
Why friends rock
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‣ Suggestions for easy wins
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‣ Suggestions for easy wins
‣ Warnings about pitfalls
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‣ Suggestions for easy wins
‣ Warnings about pitfalls
‣ Sneak peeks at what’s coming
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‣ Suggestions for easy wins
‣ Warnings about pitfalls
‣ Sneak peeks at what’s coming
‣ Faster, easier fixes
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‣ Suggestions for easy wins
‣ Warnings about pitfalls
‣ Sneak peeks at what’s coming
‣ Faster, easier fixes
‣ Advocacy for your needs
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Good devs want
you to be happy
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Livin’ the dream, yo.
A glorious future
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‣ Partnership and collaboration
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‣ Partnership and collaboration
‣ Visibility into what’s coming
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‣ Partnership and collaboration
‣ Visibility into what’s coming
‣ Healthy compromises
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‣ Partnership and collaboration
‣ Visibility into what’s coming
‣ Healthy compromises
‣ Mutual focus on shared goals