Achieve It All!  

When the opportunity arose in 1990, I purchased a franchise from the Success Motivation Institute and presented literally hundreds of workshops on goal setting. I was overjoyed at the opportunity to finally achieve all my dreams through a business such as this. I learned about goal setting and Paul Meyer's Million Dollar Personal Success Plan. I loved the idea of teaching people how to help themselves become self-motivated and achieve their goals. But, there was a problem in my dream world. In order to run a business you must sell your products or services, and I simply hated being in sales! I just wouldn't get out and ask people to buy the goal setting plan. It wasn't that I didn't believe in it, because I do! When I finally started listening to myself as I taught others how to achieve happiness, I actually used goal setting to make the decision to give up that business and go back to technical writing.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Prodigy (2002). Presentations>Slideshows>Technical Writing>Business Communication

Achieving It All!  

An observation can be made about success—everybody talks about it, but far too few do anything definite to ensure their own personal success. To be successful, you must know how to set and achieve goals, build a personal success plan, and develop self-motivation. Tapping into your unlimited potential allows you to progress, grow, and change. Powerful tools can be used to achieve your personal and professional goals. Understanding the role of visualization and how to formulate and use affirmations will help you become more successful!

Laurent, J. Suzanna. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>Advice

Chapter Presidents Share "Bright Ideas"

A list, organized in alphabetical order by chapter name, of the best sixteen tips from STC chapter leaders in 2000.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Tieline (2001). Articles>TC>Community Building

Delegating for Results

I presented a program recently that gave tips for becoming a more effective delegator. The tips explained the benefits of delegation and how to overcome common barriers. Because you can use these tips whenever you are leading a chapter, a committee, a team, or a department, I want to share them with you. If you are not delegating properly, you are making your own life more difficult. In turn, your subordinates suffer because their interests as well as their talents are being overlooked, however unintentionally.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Carolina Communique (1999). Careers>Management

The Dynamic Duo: Motivation and Recognition  

Offers several tips for motivating workers and recognizing their successes.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Intercom (2003). Careers>Management

Effective Delegating Achieves Results

If you are not delegating properly, you are making your own life more difficult. In turn, your subordinates suffer because their interests and talents are being overlooked, however unintentionally.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Tieline (2007). Articles>Management>Collaboration>STC

How Can We Attract More Members to Our Meetings?

Make the meetings fun--after a long day at work, we need to relax. If you can help them relax at the meeting, you are a step ahead. Some chapters use a relaxation technique at the beginning of their meeting. One California chapter president responded on the listserv that he wears a Santa suit at his chapter's December meeting, so don't be afraid to try something new!

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Tieline (2008). Articles>TC>Community Building>STC

HTML Conversion Tools: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly  

The Internet has taken the world by storm. It is now one of the most widely used sources of information available. Every day high-technology companies are finding new ways to use the Internet for advancement in their fields. Though getting a perfect conversion without added steps is the dream for all writers, this is not possible. HTML Conversion tools such as HTML Transit 2.0, Web Publisher 1.1, and FrontPage can help decrease the time needed to make great looking paper documents into great looking web pages. The tool a company chooses should be based on its needs, budget, and the time allowed for tweaking.

Laurent, J. Suzanna and Candie McKee. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Web Design>HTML>Software

HTML Conversion Tools: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly  

The documentation conversion tool market is relatively new, but several vendors have established reputations in the market.

Laurent, J. Suzanna and Candie D. McKee. STC Orange County (1998). Presentations>Web Design>Software>HTML

Leaders Light the Way

STC offers members many opportunities to practice and improve leadership skills. Whether you are guiding the chapter as an officer, serving as a committee manager, or participating in another way, you can make a difference this year! I encourage you to use this opportunity to sharpen your leadership, time management, and organizational skills. You will find it rewarding-both personally and professionally-and the experience will shine through on the job and on your resume.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Carolina Communique (1999). Articles>Management>TC

Leaders Light the Way

When people ask me how I have achieved so much, I tell them they can do anything they want to do, as long as they know where they are going and how they're going to get there! But, they need an effective 'road map' or plan, because it's very easy to get off the right track. Personal goals provide the 'road map' for achievement. If they've done a good job of setting their goals, they'll not only know where they're going, but how they're going to get there.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. STC Central Iowa (2000). Articles>Management

Leaving your Comfort Zone

Quite often I hear people make the comment 'I just can't get up in front of a group to speak; it bothers me too much!' Of course, the problem is more intense for some than for others, but remember that our attitudes, mannerisms, body language, and the voice that we use in private all go with us into public settings. Unless we speak up, persuade and convince, unless we have the power of speech, and unless we have a say in what goes on, we are not in control of our lives. That's an awesome thought, isn't it? Yet, the fear of public speaking is still the number one phobia in America today!

Laurent, J. Suzanna. STC Central Iowa (2001). Articles>Presentations

Mentoring: A Gentle Alliance

The mentor relationship has been called the 'pinnacle of work relationships.' A mentor is more than a peer, more than a coach, even more than a sponsor. Mentors typically have influence within the organization or community. They use this influence to empower their protègès. The mentor relationship is really a partnership--the mentor provides guidance and opportunities, the protègè provides energy and a fresh perspective.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Boston Broadside (2006). Careers>Mentoring

Presenting Like a Pro!  

Your ability to construct and deliver a powerful presentation is one of the most important facets of your career. Without that ability, you will never be able to sell your ideas, projects, and yourself. Keeping these six main principles in mind and following this effective 8-step process will allow you to develop a presentation that anyone would be proud to deliver. Once the presentation is written, concentrate on watching body language, making eye contact, modulating your voice, and breathing properly as you deliver a dynamite presentation!

Laurent, J. Suzanna. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Presentations

Revealing Your Hidden Value  

How do we add value? How can we measure that value? How can we add more value?

Laurent, J. Suzanna. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2002). Presentations>TC

Revealing Your Hidden Value  

Have you ever felt as though technical communicators don’t get the proper respect for the work they do? This isn’t just a problem of identifying with the comedian Rodney Dangerfield. And I’m not just asking whether you go home at the end of the day with your feelings hurt, although job satisfaction is certainly an important factor. But even more important, you need to have the respect of your boss and co-workers to be effective in your job and to advance your career.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Intercom (2003). Careers>TC>Assessment>Formulas

Technical Communication Has a Bright, Exciting Future!  

What did Henry Ford do? He learned from other people’s experiences as well as his own. He took risks. He saw failure as a lesson, and he applied everything he learned to perfect the product, the process, and the policies that shaped the American automobile industry. In short, he was a great innovator. And, because he was so willing to share the lessons he learned, he became an inspiration to many others. The field of technical communication has a bright and exciting future because we’re innovators, just like Henry Ford. We work constantly to perfect the product, the process, and the policies that shape our profession. Technical communication work is being performed in more diversified environments than ever before, with experience, skills, and talents that vary widely. We know that there will always be a need for trained people to explain new technology, processes, and products so audiences can better understand or use them, so our future is bright and exciting. Technical communication enjoyed sustained growth for the last eight years of the 20th Century, but times are different now. We entered this new millennium with high expectations for continued success only to have our hopes crushed by tragedy as America was thrust into uncertain times. We’ve learned that 2002 is going to be a lean year and that many companies have fewer people to do more work. To prepare for the future, there are a couple of things I think technical communicators should do.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. STC Puget Sound (2002). Articles>TC>History

Together Everyone Achieves More!

The highest priority for team members is achieving the team’s goals. There may be team members who have strong personalities, possess highly specialized skills, and commit themselves to a variety of personal objectives—but the most important thing is the success of the group. To function effectively, members of a team must be flexible, trust one another, and wholeheartedly support every member of the group in its progress toward achieving its goals.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. STC Central Iowa (2001). Articles>Collaboration>TC

Your Winning Attitude

Why is attitude important? Because how you feel about your job affects how well you do it—and how coworkers feel about working with you!

Laurent, J. Suzanna. STC Central Iowa (2000). Careers>Business Communication