I’m autistic. This problem shows up for me all over the place, to the point that I typically don’t recommend reading anymore except when strictly necessary. However, it is showing up now because I’m working with people on a project (and generally everyone I have worked with at school so far) who will not read, particularly documentation for tools and programs, data sheets, and application notes. How do I get people “up to speed” if they refuse to read the things I send them?
Some concepts are simply too complex or too lengthy for me to explain correctly in a real conversation. It’s really the fact that nobody seems to want to read in any field of endeavor suggests that it’s something wrong with me and how I perceive things.
(and generally everyone I have worked with at school so far)
The context is a group project you have to do for school?
The reason I am checking is that these often turn into one person desperately trying to get the others to do something and ending up doing it all themselves. You’re not really talking about “people” so much as “students who half-arse it until a few hours before the deadline”.
What is it you’re trying to get them to do? Why do they need to read the stuff you’re sending them?
particularly documentation for tools and programs, data sheets, and application notes.
No one reads this stuff unless they absolutely have to. What is the purpose of asking them to read it?
The context is a group project you have to do for school?
Yeah, grad school. I was expecting four years of college to filter out unserious students.
The reason I am checking is that these often turn into one person desperately trying to get the others to do something and ending up doing it all themselves.
I genuinely hope they just ask me to do the whole thing, because I can do the whole thing myself. I brought them on because I need to learn to work with people. Naturally, I would always work alone, but I’ve been burned a few times trying to take on group projects solo and burning myself out, so I brought on some people to split the work.
What is it you’re trying to get them to do? Why do they need to read the stuff you’re sending them?
I don’t want to give out too many details in case they show up here, but I am trying to get them to write basic implementations of a few key features. They need to understand how the microprocessor actually communicates with the peripherals so they can configure it (and the peripherals) correctly. This topic is exactly what the course is about.
No one reads this stuff unless they absolutely have to. What is the purpose of asking them to read it?
It’s a coding-intensive project where we need to communicate with a few peripherals without locking up the rest of the system. There’s no way to just “figure out” this stuff. You either read the code, or you read the docs, or you flounder.
so I brought on some people to split the work.
Grad students are underpaid and overworked. Do they have any reason to care as much about the project as you do?
I thought the possibility of failing the class + the fact that they chose to be in my group voluntarily after warning them at every step of the process that this would be a challenge would be enough to motivate them.
Underpaid
Yeah only one of us has a job. We’re not making any money for this lol.
So, none of you have stipends and it is a group project for class. See my original answer. They’re not going to have the same priorities as you and, if you’re going to work with a group, you need to accept that.
Throwing mountains of documentation at them isn’t going to work. Talk to them and find out what it is they are finding difficult. Break it down into more manageable chunks. Rough-code it and work out the details when they have a big picture to work from. Or whatever it is that makes sense given what you’re doing.
I notice that people refuse to read emails. They would rather have a 30 minute conversation where I give them all of the information/questions that would have been an email and I hate it.
One way I deal with it is to PARE BACK the content I need to give them and use bullet points. You have to get it to the absolute bare bare bare minimum. Never write more than two short, broken up, and spaced out paragraphs. Bullet points should never be more than one brief sentence.
I’ve had increased success in getting people to accept and respond to emails that way.
Complicated instructions need to be documented somewhere everyone has access and tagged appropriately. OneNote would be an easy option. Then whenever a question comes up that you already answered you can send them a link so they have the info when they need it.
Emails need to be kept very short, otherwise everyone will “read them later” (i.e. never)Can I get a TLDR?
tl;dr; y u no read
Some concepts are simply too complex or too lengthy for me to explain correctly in a real conversation.
You might have to deal with people who learn differently than you do, which means you may need to have that conversation.
Bring your documentation and go through it with them so the two of you can discuss.
How do I get people “up to speed” if they refuse to read the things I send them?
You dont. Honestly unless you are their manager or lead you can’t really make them do anything that helps them.
Disconnect yourself from their lack of self help by reminding yourself that, This is not your circus and they are not your monkeys.
Exactly that. I’ve got the same problem here. I’ve got my side of the project well-documented, but the head PC software guy often phones me out of the blue, asking me questions that have long been documented.
Luckily, I can tell him (on most questions) that the information he looks for is so old that I don’t have it present anymore, and would have to read my own documentation to get him the answer, so he could do it himself…
