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William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye Adkins
Technical Communication A Practical Approach Chapter 3: Collaboration and Writing William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye Adkins
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Collaboration and Writing
Approaches to Collaboration Collaboration and the Writing Process Teamwork Tools for Collaboration
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Approaches to Collaboration
Divide and Conquer A large project is divided into sections Sections are assigned to team members Specialization Sections are assigned to team members based on their expertise Sequence Drafts of a document are passed from one person to the next
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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 other
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Collaboration and the Writing Process
The Writing Team Planning Budgeting Time and Money
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Collaboration and the Writing Process
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
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Collaboration and the Writing Process
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
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Collaboration and the Writing Process
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
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Collaboration and the Writing Process
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?
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Collaboration and the Writing Process
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
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Collaboration and the Writing Process
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
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Schedule Charts
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Teamwork Roles for Team Members Running Effective Meetings
Writers and Subject Matter Experts
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Teamwork Roles for Team Members Team leader Planning coordinator
Archivist Devil’s advocate
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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
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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
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Teamwork Running Effective Meetings Guidelines for good meetings
Keep Meetings on Track Strive for Consensus Use Visuals End with a Summary Distribute Minutes Soon
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Teamwork Writers and Subject Matter Experts
Writers contribute expertise in document design, writing, and editing Subject matter experts (SMEs) contribute technical expertise
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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
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Teamwork Writers and Subject Matter Experts
Guidelines for being a collaborative SME Keep technical communicators informed Respond to s and phone calls promptly Prepare for interviews and meetings Treat the technical communicator with respect
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Tools for Collaboration
Planning Tools Communication Tools Writing Tools
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Tools for Collaboration
Planning Tools Schedule charts Project management software
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Tools for Collaboration
Communication Tools Face-to-face meetings Electronic mail Computer conference Groupware
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Tools for Collaboration
Writing Tools Reviewing tools Groupware Wikis Modular writing
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