I think next year i am going to do a Top Ten reasons you should <3 your Taxonomist as a late afternoon skit to get Taxonomy Bootcamp attendees jamming after those heavy lunches! Back to back sessions on the subject of taxonomy sometimes needs a little excitement injected into the day so i am plotting already...

This year one of the sessions i enjoyed the most was Gary Carlson's session on 'The Eight Habits of Successful Taxonomists' that he kindly let me video tape so we can share with all of you who did not make it to Bootcamp this year.

Gary runs his own consulting company called Gary Carlson Consulting and has over 20 years of experience as a taxonomist, consultant, product manager, and information manager working for small to Fortune 100 companies. [Click full screen toggle from panel below for best quality]

So what are the eight habits of a successful taxonomist?

#1- Sets expectations
#2- Knows the Technology
#3- Pays Attention to Workflow
#4- Avoids Religious Wars "Leave dogma at the door!"
#5- Follows the $$ Money $$
#6- Is a Good Listener
#7- Does not use the word 'taxonomy' in polite company
#8- Is a good Juggler!

Some good practical advice that Gary shared with us in conclusion to his presentation:

1. Identify the business problem at the start of the project
2. Gathering requirements for a taxonomy is a huge process and can lead to many different areas of the organization
3. Align your projects with the business and preferably with generating revenue rather then efficiency
4. And most importantly? Have Fun!!!

You can download the complete slide deck here: http://www.garycarlsonconsulting.com/pdf/taxonomy-boot-camp-preso.pdf

What do you think are other habits that a successful Taxonomist might have? Please leave them in the comments!

Juggler Image| Flicker |Marco Fedele1089