1. By the Book: How to Develop a Company Style Manual By Jacqueline C. Eldridge Tetra Tech, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

2. The First Steps... 4 Do we need a style manual? 4 What are the benefits? 4 What are the drawbacks? 4 Getting management buy-in

3. Do we need a style manual? 4 Purposes –Consistent style and format –Training –Documentation 4 Meet organization’s needs

4. What are the benefits? 4 Consistency 4 Save time 4 Professional look

5. What are the drawbacks? 4 Time to prepare 4 $ to publish 4 Risk of non-use 4 Maintenance

6. Getting management buy-in 4 Benefits –Time saved (= $ saved) –Training tool –Build employee skills 4 Intangibles –Consistent & professional look –Quality assurance, value added

7. Organizing and Writing 4 Defining the users 4 What to include 4 What to leave out 4 Assembling the pieces

8. Defining the Users 4 Writers (technical staff) 4 Publications Department 4 Other company offices 4 Subcontractors, consultants

9. What to include 4 Observations –Common writing problems –Grammar, punctuation mistakes –FAQs 4 Requests 4 Omissions from previous edition

10. What to leave out 4 Information appearing elsewhere 4 Anything no longer useful/applicable 4 Misinformation (check your facts)

11. Assembling the pieces 4 Logical order 4 Separate chapters 4 Front matter (cover, TOC, preface, acknowledgements) 4 Back matter (illustrations, tables, appendices)

12. Publishing the manual 4 Format 4 Cost considerations 4 Tracking copies

13. Format 4 Hard copy 4 Electronic 4 On line 4 Offer options

14. Cost considerations 4 Copying, binders, etc. 4 CDs 4 Time (labor charges)

15. Tracking copies 4 Controlled distribution 4 Prevent unauthorized copies 4 Recall/update 4 Network access

16. Following up 4 Ask for feedback 4 Provide updates 4 Reinforce learning

17. Ask for feedback 4 Active approaches –Questionnaire with each copy –Pre-update survey 4 Passive approaches –Note questions from users –Note suggestions from users

18. Provide updates 4 Decide on timing 4 Decide on extent 4 Interim updates

19. Reinforce learning 4 E-mail 4 New employee orientation 4 Training sessions