Here's how you can effectively convey technical changes or updates to end-users as a network engineer.

Early in my career, end-users told me to “put yourself in their shoes” before you even utter a technical term. Later in my career, “design your thinking to be user centered” in understanding end-user needs. They’re both the same meaning but latter has context to it. This is because not all end-users in your audience are the same even though they might be from the same team, department or company. How best to handle their understanding on the needs is by relating the end-users with examples of personas in which they could fall into and the possible life journeys of each of those personas with technical touch points. This approach will simultaneously impact on the validations and learnings needed by both the end-users and the engineers.

Know Your Audience Assess the technical proficiency of your users and tailor your message accordingly. Identify User Impact Explain how the update will affect their daily tasks. Highlight potential disruptions and necessary actions, like saving work or logging off. Simplify Communication Use simple language and avoid technical jargon. Provide examples to explain complex concepts. Structure Your Message Start with the update’s purpose. Describe the changes, highlight benefits (e.g., improved speed), and specify the timeline. Offer Support Provide resources like documentation, FAQs, and contact info for assistance. Follow Up Send reminders, confirm post-update functionality, and collect feedback to improve future communications.

Use Clear and Simple Language Avoid jargon, use plain language. Keep sentences short and to the point. Use familiar terms. Provide Analogies and Examples Use everyday comparisons to explain complex concepts. Provide real-life examples. Use Visual Aids Infographics and diagrams. Screenshots of relevant steps to be taken. Structure Information Clearly Use bullet points for key information. Organize with clear headings and subheadings. Highlight important details. Be Concise Focus on essential information. Start with a brief summary. Provide Actionable Steps Give clear, straightforward instructions. Use step-by-step guides if necessary. Be Empathetic Acknowledge inconvenience and thank users. Reassure users of available support.

Whenever you’re trying to explain changes to nontechnical users, be sure to use nontechnical terms. Talk about data instead of packets. Talk about networking equipment instead of switches and routers. Remember that to them, the internet is a series of tubes. Work from that perspective. Write summaries of your projects that clearly state how they will benefit the organization. If you need to use a technical term, explain what it means clearly. Never assume that your readers will know the things you know. And the more concise you can be, the better. They don’t want long summaries of things they don’t really understand.

Visual aids play a crucial role in effectively communicating technical updates to end users. Visuals can break down complex concepts into easily understandable elements. Step-by-step images or diagrams can make instructions clearer. It can also provide quick reference so users can scan visuals for key information. Visuals also capture attention better than text alone, making the message more engaging. Visuals ensure everyone receives the same information without misinterpretation. Important details can be emphasized through visual elements, reducing the chance of them being overlooked. Type can include the following: Infographics, Flowcharts and Diagrams and Screenshots as an example.

Incremental updates are beneficial for informing end users of changes to any infrastructure because they allow for a gradual and manageable flow of information. They help minimizing the overwhelming amount of information by doing it in smaller manageable pieces. It enhances the understanding of the satiation. This approach allows users to understand and adapt to one change before moving on to the next. Provides clear communication. ach incremental update can be communicated clearly, focusing on the specific benefits and impacts relevant to that stage of the update. Engages the user to understand that work is being done and should there be disruptions they are informed as end users and not left in the dark.

End user hands-on technical training is essential for enhancing IT understanding among non-technical staff. It can help skill development by users gaining hands-on experience in troubleshooting and system maintenance, reducing reliance on IT support. It can promote problem solving skills, by tackling real IT challenges, empowering users to implement effective solutions. It can also help with independence by equipping users with the self sufficiency in IT tasks and minimizing troubleshooting time or downtime.