Movatterモバイル変換

Network Working Group                                    D. Eastlake 3rdRequest for Comments: 4144                         Motorola LaboratoriesCategory: Informational                                   September 2005How to Gain Prominence and Influence in Standards OrganizationsStatus of This Memo   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this   memo is unlimited.Copyright Notice   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2005).IESG Note:   This RFC is not a candidate for any level of Internet Standard.  The   IETF disclaims any knowledge of the fitness of this RFC for any   purpose and notes that the decision to publish is not based on IETF   review apart from IESG review for conflict with IETF work.  The RFC   Editor has chosen to publish this document at its discretion.  SeeRFC 3932 for more information.Abstract   This document provides simple guidelines that can make it easier for   you to gain prominence and influence in most standards organizations.Table of Contents1. Introduction ....................................................22. Human Organizations .............................................23. Eighty Percent of Success is Showing Up .........................24. Sit Up Front ....................................................35. Break Bread .....................................................36. Develop Friends and Mentors .....................................47. Be Helpful ......................................................48. Learn The Traditions and Rules ..................................59. Acronyms and Special Terms ......................................510. Pick Your Points ...............................................611. Technical and Communications Skill .............................712. Do Not Try Too Hard ............................................713. Security Considerations ........................................714. Informative References .........................................8Eastlake                     Informational                      [Page 1]

RFC 4144                Prominence and Influence          September 20051.  Introduction   This document contains simple guidelines that can help you to gain   prominence and influence in most standards, and many other human,   organizations.  It takes only normal communications and technical   skills and moderate effort to follow these guidelines.2.  Human Organizations   All organizations composed of human beings give the appearance to   newcomers of having an inner clique that runs things.  This happens   whether there is a semi-permanent cohesive inside group that actually   tries to keep all power in its own hands or those in positions of   power are genuinely trying to be open and willing to share and there   is a system for their regular replacement.  It is just the nature of   human society.  It always takes time and effort to get to know new   people. [Carnegie]   All organizations have procedures.  It always takes time and effort   to learn how things are done in an organization.  In an organization   of any size, those who happen to be in positions of authority can't   spend equal time talking with everyone about every issue in the   organization.  Their positions mean they will necessarily be in many   conversations with each other and fewer conversations with the   average member.  And there are some types of information that should   normally be kept confidential, at least until verified, and sometimes   even then.  Examples are charges of ethical or other violations   against individuals.   But, despite all this, following some simple guidelines can greatly   accelerate the rate at which you will become favorably known in an   organization.  Favorable prominence can increase your chance of being   selected for positions such as editorship of documents, secretary or   clerk of a group (so you get to produce the record of what *actually*   happened), or possibly even some level of chair or deputy chair   position.3.  Eighty Percent of Success is Showing Up   It is the simplest thing! If you are absent, how can you have much   prominence or influence?   This applies to all venues, email/messaging, telephone/video   conference, and especially in-person or face-to-face meetings.  You   do not need 100% attendance, but your absences should be rare.  If   possible, only miss less important events.Eastlake                     Informational                      [Page 2]

RFC 4144                Prominence and Influence          September 2005   Attendance is obviously most important at meetings of the specific   body in which you are interested.  But you should also watch for   higher-level or lower-level meetings that are open.  Many standards   groups have a multi-level structure.  As well as attending the group   you are interested in, if there are open meetings of various group   chairs or the like, attending those can be a fast track, even if you   only get to observe and be noticed.  And if there are sub-groups of   the group you are most interested in, consider attending them also to   become better known more quickly.  These meetings may be before the   beginning or after the end of the regular member meetings, so, if you   are really serious, you should be prepared to arrive early and leave   late.4.  Sit Up Front   If a meeting is very small, say less than 20 people, it does not make   much difference.  But for meetings of any size, especially when   starting with an organization, sit up front.  Do not be afraid of the   first row even if it is empty, although the second and sometimes even   the third are not too bad.  Show up early if you need to, but this is   usually not necessary, as most people are extraordinarily reluctant   to put themselves in an exposed place like the front row.   After you have some experience, you may decide to sit with some group   that sits together.  But, in larger meetings, the prominent people   generally sit either near the front, or way at the back.  (Being in   the back, at least in large rooms, may mean you can wander around and   talk to people without disrupting things.)5.  Break Bread   All meetings of any length include refreshment and meals.  Otherwise   the attendees would starve.   If there is a group catered meal, try sitting with different groups   or factions to get an idea of the different viewpoints in the   organization.  Or try to sit at a table and eat with people who have   some seniority and experience in the organization, if they seem   receptive.   Usually, for multi-day meetings, there is at least one big social   event where the attendees can get together.  From small meetings   (attendance under 100) and medium size (attendance under 500 or so)   meetings, it is common for people to go to the social event.   Typically some alcohol is available, people are more relaxed and   informal.  These are good events at which to approach high-levelEastlake                     Informational                      [Page 3]

RFC 4144                Prominence and Influence          September 2005   officials to exchange a pleasant word or two, or even make a small   request.  But do not expect to engage in detailed technical   discussions, although this sometimes happens.   Social events are commonly at noisy locations.  Sometimes, as   organizations get larger, social events get so large and congested   that many of the most prominent people schedule informal meetings   opposite them.  You will have to see how it works in your   organization.   But there will also be plenty of informal lunch, dinner, and maybe   breakfast groups (unless they are all catered) and other get-   togethers.  At some standards meetings, you can more or less invite   yourself along to such meal groups, unless they are a small   confidential group or a group of employees of a particular company,   or the like.  Usually people will warn you if the group plans to   spend much of the meal discussing some particular issue, and you can   then decide if you want to go with them.6.  Develop Friends and Mentors   It is hard to get things done and learn what is going on entirely by   yourself.  If you can, find a few people with more experience that   you can go to with questions.   Introduce yourself to people and be friendly.  But do not necessarily   link up with the first people you meet.  You want people who are   knowledgeable and well-regarded within the organization.   If you follow the advice insection 7 below, you should have plenty   of opportunity to meet experienced people in an organization.7.  Be Helpful   Within reason, volunteer to do some of the drudgery for which you are   competent, such as taking notes during meetings, helping someone else   draft a proposal, or volunteering to re-write part of a draft for   clarity and consistency.   This sort of thing will get you noticed and put some people in your   debt, at least in a minor way.  But be careful not to volunteer for   more than you can actually do.  Failing to follow through will damage   your reputation.  If you do get over committed, seek help as soon as   you realize it.  The worst thing is to fail to meet your promises and   not let anyone know about it until it is too late for them to   recover.Eastlake                     Informational                      [Page 4]

RFC 4144                Prominence and Influence          September 20058.  Learn The Traditions and Rules   It is quite important to know the traditions of an organization, how   things get done, what rules are ignored, how rules are interpreted,   and what rules are rigorously enforced.   While traditions are more important, it cannot hurt to also know the   official rules and procedures.  The probability that low level groups   in the organization actually operate according to the officially   adopted rules and procedures in detail is quite low, unless the   organization has very informal rules.   Do not object to procedure just for the sake of objecting.  If you   repeatedly invoke little known and rarely used official rules in   small matters, it is a sure way to make people assume that what you   have to say is silly or obstructionist, until proven otherwise.  If   you invoke the official rules so as to override tradition in an   important matter, be aware that you are playing with a weapon of mass   destruction.  You may or may not accomplish your immediate goal, but   the blowback will almost certainly damage your future efforts in that   organization.   While it is always the path of least resistance to follow tradition,   knowing the official rules makes you aware of when they could be   invoked against you.  This may enable you to adopt a path that is   reasonably congruent with both the traditions and the rules,   maximizing your chances of success.9.  Acronyms and Special Terms   Essentially all technical efforts wallow in acronyms and special   "terms of art".  It sometimes seems as if no effort or sub-effort is   really rolling until it has come up with several non-obvious terms to   confuse those who have not been involved for a while.  Nor are   acronyms constant.  Especially in the early part of a standards   effort, when ideas are flopping around, acronyms and special terms   frequently change, causing further confusion of those not in the most   active part of the group.   In fact, if you read an explanation of some deep technical matter   written so anyone can understand it, you can be virtually certain   that it is not how experts in the field communicate with each other,   verbally or in writing.  This is true of all fields.  Read something   about engineering big "air vents" and "water pipes"? Experts use   "plenum" and "penstock".Eastlake                     Informational                      [Page 5]

RFC 4144                Prominence and Influence          September 2005   It's a bad strategy to get lost in acronyms you do not know, so you   cannot understand what people are talking about and may make a fool   of yourself if you guess wrong.  The best thing is to find out the   meaning of and learn the acronyms in advance.  Failing that, ask   about acronyms or strange terms as soon as you can, preferably the   first time you encounter them.  Making a written note of their   meaning could not hurt.  Usually there will be others who also wanted   to ask but were afraid to and will be grateful that you took the   initiative.10.  Pick Your Points   Think a bit about the impression you make on people.   If you insist on speaking to every issue, even if you don't have any   really strong points, you will get a reputation as a blowhard who   doesn't add much and just slows things down.  If you only speak   occasionally, but have solid points to make when you do, people will   pay much more attention to your occasional speeches.   Similarly, if you quibble about everything, you will use up good will   you have acquired and may be viewed as an obstructionist who causes   needless delay.  If an organization is doing or developing something   complex, all the decisions are not going to go the way you want.   Consider the points where you could try to get your way, figure out   how important they are to you, how strong your arguments would be,   and how much opposition you are likely to encounter.  Keep in mind   that your arguments will usually seem more impressive to you than   they do to others.  Based on this, you can make a reasoned choice of   where to really put up a fight and possibly recruit allies or call in   favors.   This is not to say that you should ignore minor issues and never   speak up about them if you have new information or opinions to   contribute.  Just do not invest a lot of effort in fighting an issue   or making a point unless it is important to you and you judge that   you have a reasonable chance of succeeding.Eastlake                     Informational                      [Page 6]

RFC 4144                Prominence and Influence          September 200511.  Technical and Communications Skill   You may be surprised that I have said very little about technical and   communication skills, although in the Introduction above it was   assumed that you had normal skills in these areas.  You do need to   understand the technical aspects of what is going on so that you   cannot be easily bamboozled.   If you are very strong technically and can make substantial   contributions, you can be helpful, if you can contribute in a way   that does not offend too many people.  But, especially in a large   technical standards body, not everyone can be a strong technical   contributor.   If you have strong verbal and written communications skills, this can   also be helpful.  But if you are not fluent in the dominant language   of the organization, you will be at a disadvantage.  While the   organization should make some attempt to be approachable by those for   whom its dominant language is a second language, the best thing to do   is to put in the time and effort to become fluent. [Farber]  As a   stopgap, you can team up with someone with whom you communicate well   and who is fluent in the standards organization language.  They can   speak for you in meetings, if necessary, and co-author written   contributions with you.   If you are the rare genius with superb technical, communication, and   interpersonal skills, you are wasting your time reading this and   might be able to get away with doing exactly the opposite of some of   its recommendations.  But I would not count on it.12.  Do Not Try Too Hard   Lastly, give yourself a bit of time to get settled into an   organization.  Then, be reasonably assertive, but do not be too pushy   unless an issue is so important you are willing to risk the   reputation you have built up.  And try to never lose your temper.   Unless you are a genius at inter-personal relations, you will not   gain substantial prominence and influence in a standards organization   overnight.  These things take time and patience.13.  Security Considerations   This RFC raises no new security issues.Eastlake                     Informational                      [Page 7]

RFC 4144                Prominence and Influence          September 200514.  Informative References   [Carnegie]  "How To Win Friends And Influence People", Dale Carnegie,               1990, ISBN 0671723650.   [Farber]    "How to Learn Any Language", Barry Farber, 1991, ISBN               1-56731-543-7.Author's Address   Donald E. Eastlake 3rd   Motorola Laboratories   155 Beaver Street   Milford, MA 01757 USA   Phone:  +1 508-786-7554 (w)   EMail:  Donald.Eastlake@motorola.comEastlake                     Informational                      [Page 8]

RFC 4144                Prominence and Influence          September 2005Full Copyright Statement   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2005).   This document is subject to the rights, licenses and restrictions   contained inBCP 78, and except as set forth therein, the authors   retain all their rights.   This document and the information contained herein are provided on an   "AS IS" basis and THE CONTRIBUTOR, THE ORGANIZATION HE/SHE REPRESENTS   OR IS SPONSORED BY (IF ANY), THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET   ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,   INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE   INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED   WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.Intellectual Property   The IETF takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any   Intellectual Property Rights or other rights that might be claimed to   pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in   this document or the extent to which any license under such rights   might or might not be available; nor does it represent that it has   made any independent effort to identify any such rights.  Information   on the procedures with respect to rights in RFC documents can be   found inBCP 78 andBCP 79.   Copies of IPR disclosures made to the IETF Secretariat and any   assurances of licenses to be made available, or the result of an   attempt made to obtain a general license or permission for the use of   such proprietary rights by implementers or users of this   specification can be obtained from the IETF on-line IPR repository athttp://www.ietf.org/ipr.   The IETF invites any interested party to bring to its attention any   copyrights, patents or patent applications, or other proprietary   rights that may cover technology that may be required to implement   this standard.  Please address the information to the IETF at ietf-   ipr@ietf.org.Acknowledgement   Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the   Internet Society.Eastlake                     Informational                      [Page 9]