Technical Communication A Practical Approach Chapter 3: Collaboration and Writing William Sanborn...

Technical CommunicationA Practical Approach

Chapter 3: Collaboration and Writing

William Sanborn Pfeiffer

Kaye Adkins

Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth EditionW. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins

Collaboration and Writing

Approaches to Collaboration Collaboration and the Writing Process Teamwork Tools for Collaboration

Approaches to Collaboration

Divide and Conquer A large project is divided into sections Sections are assigned to team members

Specialization A large project is divided into sections Sections are assigned to team members based on their

expertise Sequence

Drafts of a document are passed from one person to the next

Approaches to Collaboration

Dialog Two writers pass drafts of a document back and forth Often an editor/writer relationship

Synthesis Two writers work side-by-side on a document The most seamlessly collaborative approach Works best when writers are very familiar with each

Collaboration and the Writing Process

The Writing Team Planning Budgeting Time and Money

Guidelines for Collaboration Get to know your team Set clear goals and ground rules Use brainstorming techniques for planning Use storyboarding techniques for drafting Agree on a thorough revision process Use computers to communicate

The Writing Team Team leader

The contact for team members and clients May be the project manager

Planning coordinator Manages communication among team members Keeps track of benchmarks and deadlines Prepares for meetings

The Writing Team Archivist

Keeps minutes of meetings Assembles files of all written material associated

with the project Prepares material to be stored in organization’s

archives Devil’s advocate

Identifies potential problems Helps team avoid groupthink

Planning Analyze your audience Identify the stakeholders: What is important to

them? Identify the desired outcome

What information will make the document successful?

Where can that information be found? What tasks will be necessary to accomplish the

team’s goals?

Budgeting Time and Money Identify benchmarks—deadlines for specific

tasks Completion of preliminary research Organization of collected information Planning of graphics Completion of first draft Editing of late draft Document design Publication of document

Budgeting Time and Money Schedule chart guidelines

Include only main activities List activities in sequence Create new formats when needed Be realistic about the schedule

Managing finances Prepare a budget early Know your organization’s policies for authorizing

and reimbursing expenses

Schedule Charts

Teamwork

Roles for Team Members Running Effective Meetings Writers and Subject Matter Experts

Teamwork

Roles for Team Members Team leader Planning coordinator Archivist Devil’s advocate

Teamwork

Running Effective Meetings Common problems with meetings

Start and end too late Purpose is unclear Not everyone in the meeting needs to be there Conversations get off track Some people dominate; others don’t contribute at all Meetings end with no sense of accomplishment

Teamwork

Running Effective Meetings Guidelines for Good Meetings

Involve Only Necessary People Distribute an Agenda Before the Meeting Distribute Readings Before the Meeting Have Only One Meeting Leader Start and End on Time

Teamwork

Running Effective Meetings Guidelines for good meetings

Keep Meetings on Track Strive for Consensus Use Visuals End with a Summary Distribute Minutes Soon

Teamwork

Writers and Subject Matter Experts Writers contribute expertise in document design,

writing, and editing Subject matter experts (SMEs) contribute

technical expertise

Teamwork

Writers and Subject Matter Experts Guidelines for collaborating with SMEs

Use the SME’s time wisely Put questions in writing when possible Prepare for interviews and meetings Treat the SME with respect

Teamwork

Writers and Subject Matter Experts Guidelines for being a collaborative SME

Keep technical communicators informed Respond to e-mails and phone calls promptly Prepare for interviews and meetings Treat the technical communicator with respect

Tools for Collaboration

Planning Tools Communication Tools Writing Tools

Planning Tools Schedule charts Project management software

Communication Tools Face-to-face meetings Electronic mail Computer conference Groupware

Writing Tools Reviewing tools Groupware Wikis Modular writing

Technical Communication A Practical Approach Chapter 3: Collaboration and Writing William Sanborn...

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