William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye Adkins Technical Communication A Practical Approach Chapter 3: Collaboration and Writing William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye 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 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 other

Collaboration and the Writing Process The Writing Team Planning Budgeting Time and Money

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

Tools for Collaboration Planning Tools Schedule charts Project management software

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

Tools for Collaboration Writing Tools Reviewing tools Groupware Wikis Modular writing