Apply the ADEPT Model to Interviews
Once again, Danny Sheriden and Better Explained address a learning method called ADEPT: Use an Analogy, Diagram, Example, Plain-English description, and then a Technical description. When I read it, my mind went immediately to product interviews. Why?
As PMs, we often need to explain different concepts to different audiences. When you are trying to do your job as cross-functional communicator or answer a design/strategy question, you can mix and match these techniques to get your ideas across.
Analogy - Tell a story that resonates and is simple to understand
Diagram - Humans are visual learners, just look at recent trends and the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
Example - Taking something from theory to example works every time for me.
Plain-English Description - We can get caught up in technicals, but breaking it down to simple English breaks down barriers.
Technical Description - Sometimes you need a technical description
Imagine you are in a tense cross-functional meeting or in a case and you see eyes glaze over, you can compare complex technology to something a kid does.
During meetings and interviews, we use notes and whiteboards to diagram concepts for a reason. How many times have you walked through a quick example using simple English?
The link above to Danny’s article highlights all of these concepts when explaining an API. I know when I am trying to explain how I might solve a product problem, I typically use at least one of these techniques every day.
