Consultant Training: Different People, Different Trees
Teaching to Individual Needs
By Todd Jones, Product Manager at FamilySearch
RootsTech 2015
March 2015
Elder Quentin Cook identified Three Steps in training for General Authorities
Brother Jones loves fishing, and he used fishing as a metaphor for what we do as consultants. We invite others to act with faith and become engaged with this work of salvation. We are the teachers.
or
Which is better?
Brother Jones will share 4 Principles with us:
Brother Jones will share 4 Principles with us:
Brother Jones will share 4 Principles with us:
2. Scout the location ahead of time.
Brother Jones will share 4 Principles with us:
2. Scout the location ahead of time.
3. Keep the Equipment Simple.
Brother Jones will share 4 Principles with us:
2. Scout the location ahead of time.
3. Keep the Equipment Simple.
4. Reduce the Snags.
Principle # 1
In teaching someone to fish, we can increase their odds of finding success and feeling joy by preparing carefully.
How difficult is it to catch a fish at the hatchery or fish farm?
Focus on Joy
Catching your first fish = taking your first family name to the temple.
Maybe the beginner you are helping has a family member with names available to share. This would be one way to ensure that your patron feels the joy that will inspire him/her to stay engaged.
Principle # 2
Before you meet with beginners and their families, find out their username and helper numbers then take a look at their trees using “Help Others” when in Family Tree View.
Before you meet with beginners and their families, find out their “Username” and “Helper Number” then take a look at their trees using Help Others.
For someone with an LDS account, the helper number is the last 5 digits of their church membership number. This is found on their membership records or temple recommends.
Before you meet with beginners and their families, find out their “Username” and “Helper Number” then take a look at their trees using Help Others.
You can find the username and helper number for anyone who has an Familysearch account by looking in their signed-in account information; just click on their name in the upper right hand corner of the main FamilySearch screen, then “Settings.”
Use “Username” tab or if the person would rather give you their full name and birth information, you can then log in by using the “Full Name” tab by entering their full name and birth date. You will still need their helper number, found on their membership record or temple recommend or in their Settings.
OR
Use “Username” tab or if the person would rather give you their full name and birth information, you can then log in by using the “Full Name” tab by entering their full name and birth date. You will still need their helper number, found on their membership record or temple recommend or in their Settings.
Be sure to use their helper number, not yours!
Use “Username” tab or if the person would rather give you their full name and birth information, you can then log in by using the “Full Name” tab by entering their full name and birth date. You will still need their helper number, found on their membership record or temple recommend or in their Settings.
Be sure to use their helper number, not yours!
When you are signed in this way, you can see their family tree and relatives.
We must learn to do:
There are basically three kinds of trees:
Empty
Partial
Full
This is the percentage of members of the church who have empty trees.
Number of members of the church with partial family trees at FamilySearch
Most of the members with full trees live close to us.
Principle # 3
As Family History Consultants, we can help beginners find the tools they need to find success with their own trees, whether they are empty, partially filled or very full (about 7 generations completed.)
People with an empty family tree need to cast a wide net, and visit with their family members to get help and to collaborate.
Here is a tool that can help them. They can fill this out with a pen and pencil, or fill out an online version.
This is a great family activity.
Hint:
Get these books at any distribution center, $.50 or in the west building of our library: $1.00
Sharing Stories and Photos changes hearts
Access the online version at this address. They don’t need to wait to fill out the whole book before they print an FOR and begin to feel the joy of taking their ancestors to the temple.
Helping enter the data from the My Family booklets into FamilySearch family tree is a great activity for young adults.
Help them learn the guidelines for temple work
More Joy !
People with partial family trees can go “stream fishing”; if they are observant, they can find “hints” to show them where the fish are hiding.
“Record hints” are now on Family Tree and are updated regularly. These can lead us to find new family members who may need temple work.
Consultants can help beginners learn to use the hinting and search tools at FamilySearch.
Many thanks to all you indexers who provide all these records and hints!
Consultants can guide those with full trees to training that will teach specialized techniques needed to find fish in full trees. Fly fishing is very rewarding too!
Attention:
Beginners will want to go “Green Arrow Hunting.” Brother Jones reminds us that this is also a way to begin. Teach them to add sources and hunt for duplicates. They will become more knowledgeable with time as they stay engaged and work in their own family lines.
Consultants should show the people they are helping where to find training on descendant cousin research in the Learning Center; just look for “Get Help” in the upper right hand corner of the FamilySearch home page.
Make sure they can find it to review at home.
REVIEW
Tools we can teach others to use
Principle # 4
What are Possible Snags for beginners?
What are Possible Snags for beginners?
Tangled pioneer lines
Plural marriage lines
Chasing royalty
Data problems
What are Possible Snags for beginners?
Tangled pioneer lines
Plural marriage lines
Chasing royalty
Data problems
Solution: While they are beginners, help them steer clear of these areas.
They will want to begin at the end of their lines and go for the trophy fish. Just say no.
Principle # 5
What are some of the difficult tasks in FamilySearch Family Tree?
Examples:
Looking for and merging duplicate records
Correcting looping pedigrees and other data problems
joy
For more information, please click this photograph of Todd Jones and watch this training yourself, or explore family history consultant training at LDS.org (keep looking; it is buried.) Lisa McBride has an article about Treeage on the Consultant Blog. Keep finding, taking, teaching, and share the joy.