Technical Communication A Practical Approach Chapter 3 Collaboration

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

Collaboration and Writing n n Approaches to Collaboration and the Writing Process Teamwork Tools for Collaboration Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 2 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Approaches to Collaboration n Divide and Conquer n n n Specialization n A large project is divided into sections Sections are assigned to team members based on their expertise Sequence n Drafts of a document are passed from one person to the next Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 3 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Approaches to Collaboration n Dialog n n n Two writers pass drafts of a document back and forth Often an editor/writer relationship Synthesis n n n Two writers work side-by-side on a document The most seamlessly collaborative approach Works best when writers are very familiar with each other Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 4 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Collaboration and the Writing Process n n n The Writing Team Planning Budgeting Time and Money Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 5 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Collaboration and the Writing Process n Guidelines for Collaboration n n n 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 Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 6 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Collaboration and the Writing Process n The Writing Team n Team leader n n n The contact for team members and clients May be the project manager Planning coordinator n n n Manages communication among team members Keeps track of benchmarks and deadlines Prepares for meetings Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 7 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Collaboration and the Writing Process n The Writing Team n Archivist n n 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 n n Identifies potential problems Helps team avoid groupthink Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 8 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Collaboration and the Writing Process n Planning n n n Analyze your audience Identify the stakeholders: What is important to them? Identify the desired outcome n n n What information will make the document successful? Where can that information be found? What tasks will be necessary to accomplish the team’s goals? Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 9 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Collaboration and the Writing Process n Budgeting Time and Money n Identify benchmarks—deadlines for specific tasks n n n n Completion of preliminary research Organization of collected information Planning of graphics Completion of first draft Editing of late draft Document design Publication of document Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 10 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Collaboration and the Writing Process n Budgeting Time and Money n Schedule chart guidelines n n n Include only main activities List activities in sequence Create new formats when needed Be realistic about the schedule Managing finances n n Prepare a budget early Know your organization’s policies for authorizing and reimbursing expenses Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 11 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Schedule Charts Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 12 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Teamwork n n n Roles for Team Members Running Effective Meetings Writers and Subject Matter Experts Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 13 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Teamwork n Roles for Team Members n n Team leader Planning coordinator Archivist Devil’s advocate Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 14 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Teamwork n Running Effective Meetings n Common problems with meetings n n n 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 Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 15 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Teamwork n Running Effective Meetings n Guidelines for Good Meetings n n n 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 Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 16 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Teamwork n Running Effective Meetings n Guidelines for good meetings n n n Keep Meetings on Track Strive for Consensus Use Visuals End with a Summary Distribute Minutes Soon Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 17 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Teamwork n Writers and Subject Matter Experts n n Writers contribute expertise in document design, writing, and editing Subject matter experts (SMEs) contribute technical expertise Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 18 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Teamwork n Writers and Subject Matter Experts n Guidelines for collaborating with SMEs n n Use the SME’s time wisely Put questions in writing when possible Prepare for interviews and meetings Treat the SME with respect Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 19 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Teamwork n Writers and Subject Matter Experts n Guidelines for being a collaborative SME n n Keep technical communicators informed Respond to e-mails and phone calls promptly Prepare for interviews and meetings Treat the technical communicator with respect Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 20 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Tools for Collaboration n Planning Tools Communication Tools Writing Tools Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 21 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Tools for Collaboration n Planning Tools n n Schedule charts Project management software Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 22 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Tools for Collaboration n Communication Tools n n Face-to-face meetings Electronic mail Computer conference Groupware Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 23 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

Tools for Collaboration n Writing Tools n n Reviewing tools Groupware Wikis Modular writing Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth Edition W. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins 24 Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. , All Rights Reserved.