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My first thought in this situation is toward the new writer. just how new is
she; one week, 6 months?
At any rate, I've heard about many new tech writers walking into new jobs
where they're a team of one. That said, in this particular instance I see
the tech writer walking into situation where she is positioned as a
potential scapegoat. Perhaps you can argue (diplomatically!) that you
appreciate the new manager's need to have a cohesive team, but given the
relative inexperience of this new writer, that she needs further mentorship
with her writing skills, and that's best provided by the writing team. In
this sort of a situation, perhaps she could be officially part of the other
team, attend all of their meetings, but have a desk with the other writers.
That way she could have the support from the other writers in finding
resources, editing, etc. I do feel that the head of the writing team should
have the chance to review all of the documents, so that the new writer can
benefit from ideas on how to better communicate (grammar, format, style,
etc.)
I don't know how far these departments are physically separated. If the
other department is across the hall, it's not such a big deal. At any rate,
just keep going in the direction you're heading with offering the new writer
whatever support you can, regardless of where she finally winds up. She's
the one that's really in the hot seat.
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