Re: Selling a team on the technical writing job role

Subject: Re: Selling a team on the technical writing job role
From: "nita daniel" <ndaniel -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2007 14:28:26 -0600

I definitely have executive buy off. And no one is hostile. They're
just so used to getting it done that they haven't realized they've hit
the process wall.

Thank you for the reminder. I will work something in when I talk that
our lead wants me doing this work. And give him an opportunity to
agree. ;)


On 2/9/07, ct <straylightsghost -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

Be bold.
Be strong.
Make Blood.

And bless you in your quest.

The best suggestion I can give you, that will be the greatest boon to your goal?

Get Executive Buy-off...have them send out an email to the team. It
should introduce you and let them know what you will be doing and
asking them (demanding even) to cooperate with you...in whatever
verbiage is deemed necessary. Get an advocate and use them (but do
not abuse them.

Viola! Train them nicely.

Oh! And make nice with the IT department.

It's a good and fun challenge and can be very rewarding.

-Collin

On 2/9/07, nita daniel <ndaniel -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I need to educate my team on how to use me. We're on a newish project,
> and our methodology for our ongoing work is still evolving as we make
> discoveries. I'm going to talk about it in our weekly meeting. I'm
> like a new, versatile kitchen gadget that they just don't know what to
> do with.
>
> And along those lines, I was thinking of giving them a
> "congratulations on your acquisition of a technical writer!" sheet.
>
> So I'm looking for ideas on goofy things to include in that. But also
> useful information. When to get me involved. Why to get me involved.
> And maybe a little bit of what to expect.
>
> As far as when, frequently people see a need and start a brain dump
> into a word document. So, keeping that in mind, my brainstorm has
> yielded the following prompts to get a technical writer involved:
> * When you need something written
> * When you decide this is information other people could use
> * The third time you revise something
> * When you have trouble figuring out how to say something
> * When you solicit input from others or collaborate
> * When you can't make a program display something the way you want to
>
> As far as why?
> * I have specific software skills
> * I have specific conceptual and document organization skills
> * I have specific writing skills
> * I have specific software tools
> * Documentation that "looks pretty" is easier to skim, easier to
> understand, and puts the user in an emotional space to absorb the
> information
> * Free your time
>
> What to expect?
> * I don't care if you misspell things or use funky grammar or
> punctuation. I'm interested in the actual information you have in your
> noggin.
> * While I expect blunt criticism of the efficacy and accuracy of my
> work, my own feedback is of a more human scale
> * Expect documentation to be consistent
> * Expect to have more time to focus on your own things
>
> I know we've all found ourself in this situation. Have anything to
> add? Phrasing to suggest?
>
>
> Thanks,
> Nita Daniel
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
> printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
> Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
>
> Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
> full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
> to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as straylightsghost -at- gmail -dot- com -dot- >
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/straylightsghost%40gmail.com
>
>
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
> http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
>
>


--
"Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human
soul in this world--and never will."

Mark Twain
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as ndaniel -at- gmail -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/ndaniel%40gmail.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


References:
Selling a team on the technical writing job role: From: nita daniel
Re: Selling a team on the technical writing job role: From: ct

Previous by Author: Selling a team on the technical writing job role
Next by Author: Misaligned lists in WebHelp
Previous by Thread: Re: Selling a team on the technical writing job role
Next by Thread: RE: Selling a team on the technical writing job role


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads