What Language Are You Speaking
- Advoco
- Apr 17, 2020
- 2 min read
Got your toque?
Excuse me – my what?
This was a question I got asked on a recent site visit with a new client.
Before the Coronavirus hit, I was lucky enough to meet with this client and spend a week learning what they do, how they do it, and what drives them to show up every day. I was also given the opportunity to discuss how EAM can help them.
During the week, we discussed how they manage their assets, what they wanted to chase, what were the biggest levers to pull, and other topics. We talked about the ROI generated by the project, what KPIs to use, and other TLAs important to our progress. We hit on cost roll-up, information roll-down, and cross-functional reporting. So many topics were discussed in a very interesting week.
The organization I was visiting was in Canada – an easy international trip since I knew they spoke the same language as me, English.
But words are important, and even if the client was just five miles from my home, I would need to check in with the people I was working with to be sure we are discussing the same thing.
One of my favorite discussions is around assets. Is an asset a building? Is it something that generates revenue? Is it the physical item that someone will repair or replace? Many times, even people in the same company have different meanings for the same word.
Part of being a partner on a project means taking the time to learn how the other people in the room define important words. It’s my job to learn your business, so I can learn your language, and teach you what those words, or Three Letter Acronyms (TLA’s), mean in EAM.
Which brings me back to my toque. Before my visit, I didn’t know what a toque was – it wasn’t part of my vocabulary. But after spending a week with the team in Canada, I found out I do own a toque. It’s bright orange with an A on it. In Canada, a toque is a knit cap that keeps your head warm.
Words are important, so take the time to figure out what words are important to your project. You may speak the same language, but are you saying the same words?
Until next time…we are Advoco, make every minute count.
About Joe: Joe is self-described as "a classic maintenance guy gone IT." Joe worked in maintenance for many years and was a user of Infor before making the transition to helping others manage their EAM systems. As the VP of Public Sector Delivery for Advoco, Joe helps lead our team in providing innovative solutions to clients looking to get the most out of their EAM system. Our resident New Yorker, Joe traded the Brooklyn Bridge for our Berkeley office and splits his time between the East and West coasts. Have a question for Joe? Send him an email!
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