Get documents about "Leveraging An Enormous Technology Community
Document Sample
Leveraging An Enormous Technology Community
Get The Answers You Need - When You Need Them
Dan Stolts, MCT, MCITP, MCSE, TS…
President: Boston User Groups
Sr. IT Pro Evangelist – Microsoft
dstolts@microsoft.com or ITProGuru@Microsoft.com
Twitter: @ITProGuru
Blog: http://Blogs.TechNet.com/DanStolts
Shortcut: http://ItProGuru.com
First arouse in the other person an eager want
-- Dale Carnegie
Dan Stolts “IT Pro Guru”
• Presence
• http://blogs.technet.com/DanStolts
• http://ITProGuru.com
• http://DanStolts.com
• Twitter.com/ITProGuru or @ITProGuru
• 3 years at Microsoft
• IT Evangelist based in MA
• Online Content Development
• Live Event Delivery
• User Group / Community Lead
• Prior 20+ Years…
• Bay State Integrated Technology, Inc
• Hosting and Consulting
• Community Volunteer
• Skill Profile MCT, MCITP, MCSE, TS…
• Windows infrastructure
More Jobs
• Virtualization solutions President - Boston User Groups (www.BostonUserGroups.org)
• Systems Management and Security Founder - North East Leaders (www.neleaders.com)
Founder - Virtualization Group Boston (www.VirtG.com)
It's not what you've got, it's what you use that Board Member - Boston Area Windows Server User Group -
www.WindowsBoston.com
makes a difference. President - Bay State Integrated Technology, Inc.
-- Zig Ziglar www.BayStateTechnology.com
Leveraging an Enormous Technology Community: Get
The Answers You Need - When You Need Them
• Do you know who to call when you need career advice?
• Do you know the GURU in all technologies you work with?
• Do you have a strong as steel like relationship with your
partners, customers and peers?
• Do you know who to call when you get in a jam?
• Do you know who to call to keep yourself out of a jam in the
first place?
This session will teach you what you need to know to eventually be able to
answer all of these questions in the affirmative. You have to learn to walk
before you run so you will not as a result of this session be able to answer
yes to all questions. But you will learn how you can eventually get to that
point. The “IT Pro Guru” (Dan Stolts) teaches us how to get involved,
grow your sphere of influence and put yourself in a position to know all
the right people. If you listen closely, you may even walk away with the
secret (Magic Tips) to you personally becoming the person that others seek
out. So, come and learn how to get the answers you want when you need
them. It may just change your life!
Never criticize, condemn or complain
-- Dale Carnegie 3
What or WHO is the “Technology Community”
and How can they help?
• Community Leaders
• User Group Leaders (Presidents, Board Members, Leaders, etc.)
• MVP - Most Valuable Professional (Microsoft MVP)
• Speakers – National & Local Shows, User Groups (TechEd, SharePoint Sat, Etc)
• Influential Bloggers and Forum Participants
• Teachers and Trainers (MCT - Microsoft Certified Trainers and other trainers too)
• Writers, Authors – Magazines, Books, White Papers, etc.
• Other people in the technology industry that help the broader online or in person
community
Members of the IT Field (Like Interests)
All persons that work in the technology field or are in some other
way closely linked to the technology field ( IT Manager, Help Desk,
Marketing Dept. of Software company, etc.)
They can give you a bunch of experience and training
You will help yourself by helping them!!! Win-Win
Winning is not everything, but the effort to win is Habit 4: Think Win-Win
-- Zig Ziglar -- Stephen R. Covey
4
Technology Community Sample
Group Name
Boston Area / New England
Greater Boston Association of Information Technology Basic Professionals User Group
New England Visual
Professionals New Hampshire .Net User Group MaineBytes -.net User Group
Professionals SE
Association of Information Technology Hampshire Seacoast Mac New England ASP.NET Professionals User Group
New Users
Back Bay Large Installation System Administration SQL Users Group.
New Hampshire International Association of Software Architects
Beantown.NET User Group (IASA) New England Chapter
North Shore Computer Society - NSCS
Northeast Autosys User GroupNew England F# User Group (NEFSUG)
Boston .Net Architecture Study Group
Boston .NET Certification Group Northeast Oracle User Group Agile Connecticut User Group
Boston .NET User Group Fairfield / Westchester .NET
OWASP Boston Chapter ( Focus: Web Application Security) User Group
Boston Area Windows Server User Group
Sea-Tug Fairfield / Westchester SQL Server User Group
Boston AVID User Group Fairfield County SharePoint User Group
SIBMUG (Seacoast IBM Users Group)
BAND -
Boston Final Cut Pro User Group Southern New England Network UsersBangor Area .NET Developers
Group. (SneNUG)
Maine Developer
Boston Linux & Unix User Group Storage Networking user Group. Boston/NE Network
Boston Macintosh User Group New Jersey Microsoft Developer Group ( NY/NJ )
Adobe Boston Users Group. ( ABUG )
Boston Pocket PC - Boston/New England Windows Group Tech Valley User Group
Boston PDA User
Mobile User/Developer Group Visual Developers of Upstate NY (VDUNY)
Exchange Server Boston User Group
Boston XNA Developers Group Western New York .Net User Group (WNY DNUG)
Greater Boston Chapter of DAMA International
C# User Group of Greater Boston Rochester, NY SharePoint User Group
Greater Boston Network User Group
Cape Cod .NET User Group The Rhode Island .NET User Group
Agile Boston User Group
Connecticut .Net Developers Group Vermont .NET User Group
Northern Delaware .Net User Group
Connecticut ACCESS User Group ( CtAUG ) Vermont SQL Server User Group
Central New Yorks .NET Developer Group (CNY .NET
Connecticut Java User Group Boston Azure User Group
Developer Group)
Connecticut Object Oriented Users Group, Inc. Nashua Scrum Club
Boston.pm ( Boston Chapter of Perl Mongers, the
Cape
Greater New Hampshire Linux User Group. GNHLUG User Groups. ) Code XNA User Group
association of Perl
Monadnock Linux User Group. ( Monadnock ) England
Agile New Western New York Professional Association of SQL
Seacoast Linux Users Group (SLUG) Server (WNYPASS)
DLSLUG Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Linux User Group.
Merrimack Valley Linux User Group. ( MerriLUG )
DLSLUG Boston Flex User Group
Central New Hampshire Linux North-East Open Text User Group
Independent Computer Consultants Association. The User Group ( CentraLUG )
Greater Boston Chapter BOSTON RubySIG
New Hampshire Ruby / Rails Group. ( BUSINESS) INTELLIGENCE User Group
Internet Professionals (IP-495) Boston Area SharePoint Users Group
Python Special Interest Group. PySIG
National Information Security Group, Inc. Boston MacTechGroup
Keene State College Linux User Group. KSCLUG
Chapter DotNetNuke Boston User Group
Virtualization Group - Boston. ( VIRTG )
New England Digital Media User Group Joomla! Users Group Boston
Southern New England SQL Server Users Group
New England Regional SharePoint User Group BostonCHI
Western Mass Microsoft Technology Users Group
New England Small Business Server User Group Boston WebsiteSpark Group
New England SQL Server User Group. Boston Python Meetup
New England Silverlight Guild ( Cambridge, MA )
New England Silverlight Guild ( Farmington, CT
Where and Why Do You Need Help?
What Are The Career Problems We Face Today?
Have a Job? Want to
Need a Job? Advance?
• How to find someone that needs your • Underpaid
skills • Boss / company / co-workers are
• What to put on a resume jerks
• Obtain references from reputable • Long hours (Over worked)
people • Lack of respect
• Networking Skills • Financial Struggles of your employer
• Phone Interviewing skills • Layoffs – Lack of confidence in the
• Interviewing Skills (1:1 / 1:n) future
• Under qualified (lacking some skills) • Long Commute
• Over qualified (perception of over paid) • Lack of challenge
• Self-Confidence • Need better benefits
Habit 1 : Be Proactive
-- Stephen R. Covey
Have A Job and Happy Where You Are…
You Still Have Career Challenges?
• Relationships with smart people on the technologies you have deployed
(Exchange, Lync, CRM, SharePoint, SQL Server, whatever)
• Not enough time to get it all done. Budgets and staff cut to the
extreme.
• Keeping up with technology
• Fire drills seam never ending
• Time for training! No such thing. Not even enough time to get the job
done
• Networking… yeah right, with whom and when?
• Career advancement? Just happy to have a job!
The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job; that you
can best get to the top by getting to the bottom of things
-- Zig Ziglar
7
Why get involved… What Do You Want?
• Money? Security? Lifestyle? Experience?
• What are your goals?
• Write them down; Look at them daily!
• Break them down into manageable and achievable goals
• Invest in yourself
• What Are You Willing To Do To Get It?
Bottom Line… (Magic Tip #1) Live a purpose driven life and PLAN to
WIN!
You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to
win, prepare to win, and expect to win.
-- Zig Ziglar
Prepare to become a leader in your community in your career
and in your life…
The first thing to do is… (Magic Tip #2) Act like a leader…
Leaders ARE Readers!
• Abraham Lincoln Where to Start?
• Harry Truman • One Leadership Development Book every three months
• Ronald Reagan • Dale Carnegie – How To Win Friends and Influence People
• Stephen Covey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• Bill Clinton • Zig Ziglar – See You At The Top
• Barack Obama • One Technology book every three months
• Pick a president … • Windows, SharePoint, Virtualization, or Whatever
• Opra Winfrey
• Zig Ziglar
• Dale Carnegie
• Stephen Covey Eventually: a book a month then even more
"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers."
— Harry S. Truman
Who You Know is More Important Than What You Know!
Are You A People Person?
What To Do… What You Get…
• Relationships with…
• Community Leaders
Leverage Technology Community • Community Members
to Meet People • Speakers
• Vendors
• 1:1, 1:n, Personal and Professional
• Experience
Join The Discussion, Offer • Reputation
Assistance and Your Experience... • Technical Acumen
1:1; 1:n with Speakers, Sponsors, • Massive Network
• Comfort, Confidence
Other Leaders, Members • Who to call when you need help!
• They will want to help you
Help other people; Remember • Solidify long term relationships
• Build Trust
people’s name ; Track people in a • Build Stronger Relationships
database • Belief that you care
• You are genuine
Bottom Line… (Magic Tip #3) Help Others And You Will Become a People Person
You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other
people get what they want.
-- Zig Ziglar
What You Know Does Eventually Matter!
• Eventually, what you know will be vital. As important as who you know.
• If you want to have an image of an XYZ Expert, you need to know a lot about
XYZ!
• Spend time EVERY DAY doing research: “Pay Yourself First” is not
just about money, it is
• Read blogs
about all that we do! Invest
• Read online forums In yourself first. If you do
• Watch video’s not, there will be nothing
• Attend conferences virtual and physical left for you.
• Seek user groups related to the topic. -- Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
• Find people in your area that are already exerts in the field.
• Read books
• GET CERTIFIED!!!!
• Setup lab environment and play with the technology!
• Answer Online forums … Most questions on forums can be answered by simply
doing a quick Internet search
• Learn how to do research: Bing.com
• Start your own blog! It can be done with no financial committment!
• Bottom Line: (Magic Tip #4) Invest in Yourself; Educate Yourself
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
-- Stephen R. Covey
Develop Your “Personal Mission Statement”
and Personal Branding…
• What do you want to be known for?
• What do you want to excel at? “A personal mission statement
is based on habit 2 of 7 Habits
• What are you strong at now? of Highly Effective People
• What would be a good niche for you? called begin with the end in
• Generic Branding may NOT be fruitful! mind. In ones life, the most
effective way to begin with the
• If you like being well rounded, fine be a Jack
of all trades and MASTER of ONE! end in mind is to develop a
mission statement one that
• Focus significant time and energy towards focuses what you want to be in
your brand and your mission terms of character and what
• Think about it when you are in the elevator, you want to do in reference to
in your car, TV commercials, when you go to contribution of achievements.
bed. Think about it constantly.
Writing a mission statement
• What do others say about you now? can be the most important
• Do you have to change your image? activity an individual can take
to truly lead ones life.”
• This could take weeks or more (even much
more) to figure out -- Stephen R. Covey
Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind
-– Stephen R. Covey 12
Your Image… Follow Your Mission
Be Consistent ITProGuru Personal Mission: Help the
Information Technology Community
• Similar or Identical Name solve technical problems. Teach IT
professionals how they can solve
• (ie. ITProGuru / Dan Stolts) problems, save time, save money and
• Picture or Logo build their own technical prowess.
Grow the technology community
• Name, Image, Tag Line by helping and teaching others how
they can be part of something that is
• Fake it until you make it much bigger than the sum of its
• Perception is everything parts. Help community leaders build
and grow the community. Follow and
• But don’t go to fast! share best practices provided by world
leaders such as Stephen R. Covey, Zig
• Leverage Relationships Ziglar, Dale Carnegie and others.
• Leverage existing brands of others -- Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
• Email address matters! (ITProGuru@Microsoft.com)
• Blog address matters (ITProGuru.com)
Dramatize your ideas
-- Dale Carnegie
Online Presence – Blog, Forums,
Website
• Build and prove your technical acumen, gain
technical expertise
• Proof of attention to detail, develop online
reputation
• Proof of being a go getter, people will find you
Presentation
• Public Speaking Skills = Interviewing Skills
• Presentation Preparation Skills = Resume
Skills
• “You Learn significantly more from giving a
presentation than you do from attending a
presentation” – Stephen R. Covey
Give a person a fine reputation to live up to
-- Dale Carnegie 14
Learn From Your Community Experiences…
Finding Speakers and Sponsors
• Humility
• Negotiating Skills
• Get to know people with different technical backgrounds
• Relationships with companies and key people in those companies
• More practice negotiating
• More Networking
Social Networks
• Twitter, LinkedIn
• Facebook, YouTube
• TechNet or Other
Project and Time Management
• Build Your Soft Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Time Management Skills
• People Management Skills
• Leadership Skills
Arouse in the other person an eager want:
He Who Can Do This Has the Whole World with Him. He Who Cannot Walks a Lonely Way
-- Dale Carnegie 15
Start Building Your Community and Your Career
Today! Magic Tip (#5) Start Now!
• Write down WHY this is important to you! Read it every day.
• Start developing your “Personal Mission Statement”. Follow it every day.
• Find Community Groups in your area… Visit many of them and volunteer for the
one(s) that interest you. Bing.com:
• Technology + User Group (ex: Windows Server User Group) Become genuinely
• Technology + virtual + community (ex: System Center Virtual Community) “Interested” in other
• Geo Area + User Group (ex: Boston User Group) people
• Technology + Forum (ex: SharePoint Forum) -- Dale Carnegie
• Any combination of above
• Start slow.. But start today: Reserve X hours each week to build your plan, yourself,
your community and your career. X should start out small so you do not overwhelm
yourself. Eventually, you will likely find yourself spending X*2 or more per day
• Introduce yourself to someone new daily if possible (start with the person next to you)
• Objective: Learn as much as you can about the other person (be interested in them)
• Need help? Ask BING… “working a room introduce yourself” for tons of tips.
• Want more guidance… Check out Toastmasters
• Practice on me if you like… introduce yourself after the show
• Something like… Hi Dan, just want to take a minute to introduce myself. I am _______ …
The future belongs to those who live intensely in the present.
- Anonymous
I Get Networking And Helping Others Is Important…
But, That Is Not Me!
That is not you because you have not learned HOW!
You have not learned it well enough to be comfortable doing it!
You Need Conversation Starters… Introduce yourself and ask a question!
• What are you studying in school
• How much time do you have left
• What do you do for work Be a good listener. Encourage others to
• How long have you been doing that?
talk about themselves
-- Dale Carnegie
• Where do you work?
• How long have you been there?
• Are you a football fan? … How do you feel about what
is going on with the _Patriots_or whatever
• Are you a …. fan?
• Have you gotten into social networking?
• Where do you live? Where is that?
• Kids? People love to talk about their kids!
• What age? Soccer, football, reading, math, driving (what
age drives many more conversation continuation topics)
Networking: What To Avoid
• Politics (even if they bring it up)
• Religion (even if they bring it up)
• Any topic that is controversial (even it they bring
it up)
• Sex / Love Life / Other Personal Matters
• Criticism / Judgement
• Their Vacation until you have a relationship
(unless they bring it up)
• Their health or family health … until you have a
relationship (unless they bring it up)
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves
-- Dale Carnegie
Networking: What to do…
Ask a Question, but Avoid Sounding Like You Are Giving Them The 3rd Degree
Start a conversation… Ask a Ex. Conversation where you introduce yourself to
someone at this conference… Hi, My name is Dan Stolts
question…
• Hi Dan, I’m Jim
It really does not matter… what • Hi Jim, nice to meet you. What do you think of the
you talk about… You just need conference so far? …. Or just lead with your opinion of
to find common interests. the conference followed by the question
Remember, they are likely • Oh, I guess it is ok
uncomfortable too. • Yeah, I can relate. I have been to 4 sessions and one
was great, one was good and the other two were just
Make sure you “Offer” ok. But even if the rest of the conference is not good,
information about you during I feel I got enough out of the xyz session to make the
whole day worth my investment. Have you gotten
the conversation the value of your time back out of it yet?
• No not really, but I am still hopeful.
Being a people person is not being a good • What do you do for work? Are you here to get
talker… it is being a good listener. something specific to help you with your job? …
asking multiple questions at once is ok … or you could
-- Dan Stolts “ITProGuru” just change the subject. Are you a Celtics Fan? They
have been doing great…
Conversation Starters
These are conversation “Starters” this is not the conversation
• What technologies do you work with • Same as Technology Professional
• How long have you been a leader (or on the
• Where do you work
board) for this group?
• How long… • How many people are on the board
• Unemployed… • How much time does it take to run a group …
what do you get out of running the group… why
• What are you looking for? do you do it
• What are your strengths? • What are some of the challenges the group faces
now
• What companies are you targeting?
• Is the group growing? Have you embraced
• Where do you live social networking to grow the group?
• Do you have any hobbies? • How much time does it take to run the group?
• Hobbies… • Are you involved with other groups
• … if you are interested in helping the group… do
• Vacation – careful here!! you need any help? If so, what would I need to
Do not overcommit… Instead, under do to get started?
commit and over deliver
-- Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
More Starters…
Do your homework … No excuses before you go, check out blog, twitter, website,
products/services, news, etc. So you can talk about his/her interests.
• How often do you speak at events • What does your business do
• What other topics to you speak on • Are you looking for new customers;
• Do you have your schedule posted when kind of companies would make a
online good referral for you
• Do you cover the local area do you do a • How long have you been in the
bunch of traveling business
• It looks like a really cool job, how did • Do you work with the technology
you get into the field community or leverage their support
for prospects
• Do you have a twitter account
• How’s business
• What do you like best about your work
• Talk in terms of the other persons interests
• Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely
-- Dale Carnegie
Key Takeaways - 5 Magic Tips
1. Live a purpose driven life and PLAN to WIN!
2. Act like a leader – Read a book
3. Help Others And You Will Become a People
Person
4. Invest in Yourself; Educate Yourself
5. Start NOW!
Recommended Reading:
• Dale Carnegie – How To Win Friends and Influence People
• Stephen Covey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• Zig Ziglar – See You At The Top
Sign up to be alerted when Dan’s book on
building the technology community comes out
http://www.ITProGuru.com
"There are two ways to climb an oak tree. You can climb it, or you can
sit on an acorn and wait for it to grow.“
-- Zig Ziglar
Links From Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
• North East IT Pro Community Leaders – http://NELeaders.com
• Boston User Groups – http://BostonUserGroups.org – North East US User
Groups
• GITCA – http://www.gitca.org User Groups around the world!
• ITProGuru Blog – http://ITProGuru.com – More detailed HOW TO…
information
• How To Successfully Deliver Presentations for Community Leaders and
Professional Speaker ...
• Scale Your Message Online Improving Blog Exposure and Increase Reach
of Your Message by ...
• Online Collaboration - Publishing PowerPoint Slides to Your Blog or
Website Using Office ...
• Much more coming in the months ahead
• Microsoft Technology Community Groups – www.TechnicalCommunity.com
• TechEd Online (lots of technical content) – http://msTechEd.com
• TechNet – http://TechNet.com
• Sign up to be alerted when Dan’s book comes out
http://ITProGuru.com
• This Slide Deck http://ITProGuru.com/p/resources.aspx
(Resources Link on Main page)
Leveraging an Enormous Technology Community
Get The Answers You Need - When You Need Them
• Do you know who to call when you need career advice?
• Do you know the GURU in all technologies you work with?
• Do you have a strong as steel like relationship with your partners, customers and peers?
• Do you know who to call when you get in a jam?
• Do you know who to call to keep yourself out of a jam in the first place?
The “IT Pro Guru” (Dan Stolts) teaches us how to get involved, grow your sphere of influence and put
yourself in a position to know all the right people.
This session will teach you what you need to know to eventually be able to answer all of these
questions in the affirmative.
… you will not as a result of this session be able to answer yes to all questions. But you will learn
how you can eventually get to that point.
If you listen closely, you may even walk away with the secret (Magic Tips) to you personally
becoming the person that others seek out.
So, come and learn how to get the answers you want when you need them. It may just change
your life! … Are you one of the 1-2%’s?
Never criticize, condemn or complain
-- Dale Carnegie 25
