The Value Added by Technical Communicators  

Edelman lists several arguments technical communicators can use to specify the value they add to an organization.

Edelman, Mark. Intercom (2001). Careers>Workplace>Assessment

Where in the Organization Should a Usability Group Belong?

Companies often struggle to find the best place for the usability/UCD group within the organizational structure. While common placements for this skill set are in the IT/development department, in the marketing/communications department, in the Quality Assurance department or in Product Development, whether these locations are the best for any specific organization is a function of the capability of the usability group and the maturity of the organization to leverage that capability.

Usability Body of Knowledge. Careers>Workplace>Usability

Work Environment: An Organization's Intangible Asset  

Researchers have long proposed that work environment can play an important role in business and organizational communication. A properly designed work environment supports positive communication and therefore relationships among a company’s constituencies and contributes to a satisfied work force and customers. Work environment will ultimately affect the bottom line of the company through its impact on the constituencies. Unfortunately, the impact of the work environment and communication on the financial performance of a company is often overlooked by scholars and practitioners. This paper aims to arouse people’s attention to the impact of work environment on a company’s healthy development by proving that work environment is an essential organizational intangible asset. In this paper, we focus on the intangible value of the work environment, i.e. the tone it sets in a company which either fosters or retards communication, productivity, and job satisfaction. It is incumbent upon communication scholars and practitioners to understand this untapped area of research.

Hartman, Jackie L. and Ningkun Wang. Association for Business Communication (2004). Careers>Workplace>Communication

Work Schedule Form  

A form for allowing teams to coordinate days and times for meeting.

Markel, Mike. Bedford-St. Martin's (2001). Careers>Workplace>Workflow

Working with Subject Matter Experts: Strategies to Gain Cooperation and Win Respect  

Working well with SMEs is essential to our success as technical communicators. This article recommends strategies to employ to improve your relationships with SMEs – seeking buy-in, increasing transparency and cross-functional teams, expressing expectations clearly, setting common goals and objectives, and making success a shared accountability.

Mason, Catheryn L. STC Proceedings (2002). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration>SMEs

Workplace Recommendations for Interns and New Hires  

This paper presents suggestions to help interns and new hires adjust to the workplace in business or government. They include avoiding personal use of company equipment; controlling use of cell phones and computers; observing telephone and voicemail etiquette; opening only business-related email; learning about the organization's culture; dressing appropriately; participating actively in meetings; being punctual; remembering names; behaving appropriately in social interactions with other staff; being courteous; and having a positive, constructive attitude. The suggestions are designed to enable the intern or new hire to create a good impression and increase their chances of success in the organization.

Samson, Donald C., Jr. STC Proceedings (2005). Careers>Internships>Workplace

Workplace Relationships

Examines the ways in which electronic communication has affected interaction of coworkers in the workplace and the responsibility of technical communicators to ensure positive interactions with coworkers.

Dutton, Kyley. Orange Journal, The (2005). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration

Managing Documentation Teams with Varied Schedules and Locations

In many of today’s corporate work environments, the days of managing a group of people who all share a common physical location and the same work hours are waning. More often, work teams may be composed of people who work in either a company office or from home, in different cities, states, time zones, and countries. They may also work different hours or even different days. Knowledge work, such as technical writing, is ideally suited to these types of work arrangements since, in many cases, the work can be done anytime, anywhere -- unlike certain professions such as nursing or construction. Modern computer and telecommunications technology has made the world, or at least those parts of it with high-speed Internet access, one big potential office. This article article analyzes various types of work arrangements, the tools that make them possible, the benefits and potential pitfalls of these arrangements, and how to make them work.

Peruzzi, Brett. TechCom Manager (2008). Careers>Management>Management>Workplace

The Co-Working Revolution: Your Office Away From Home

I’ve been fascinated by businesses popping up around major metropolitan areas that create a shared workspace for independent workers. Imran Ali wrote about the trend of co-working spaces back in April, and I’ll be exploring the trend further as I look to set up a co-working space in my town.

Sherman, Aliza. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration>Coworking

Coworking Evolved

It’s interesting to see coworking snowballing as a phenomenon, but like many trends originating in dotcom culture, what’ll be most interesting is how these shifts begin to affect larger companies and more traditional employers.

Ali, Imran. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration>Coworking

Design Patterns for Coworking

Recently a member of the global coworking mailing list, Joseph Holsten) recently created what’s essentially a recipe book of ‘how to’ guides for those seeking to setup a coworking community, coworking space or simply better operate the communities and spaces they’re already running.

Ali, Imran. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration>Coworking

Coworking or Noworking?

An exploration of the downsides to telecommuting and coworking, focusing on the experiences of a coworking community founder.

Ali, Imran. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Coworking

Coworking, Childcare, Cubes

An interesting discussion on the potential of providing childcare facilities to coworkers – with the coworkers themselves dedicating a portion of their time to caring for the children of other community members.

Ali, Imran. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Coworking>Children

Creative Classes, Civic Regeneration and Coworking

This post speculates on the potential to revitalize decaying and vacant urban centers with new creative areas, by replacing discount stores, vacant properties and unused public libraries with coworking facilities.

Ali, Imran. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Coworking

Coworking in Africa, San Francisco and Bath

A look at the underlying value structure of coworking communities, how they’re evolving in different countries, and the issues existing coworking communities face as they outgrow the space available.

Ali, Imran. Web Worker Daily (2009). Careers>Workplace>Coworking>Case Studies

How To Get Fired

Much of today's news is bad, so much of it can adversely affect your career, and so much of it is maddeningly beyond your control. But there are things you can control, starting with your own behavior. Now more than ever, it's essential to ensure that idiosyncrasies and personal peccadillos don't undermine your career. Here are five cautionary tales of real CIOs whose tragic flaws did them in.

Pratt, Mary K. Computerworld (2009). Careers>Management>Workplace>Collaboration

Integrate Yourself!    

Looking for a way to demonstrate your value to management? Pao’s advice is to become as involved in your organization as possible by volunteering for assignments and being proactive in project planning.

Pao, Cynthia. Intercom (2009). Careers>Collaboration>Workplace>Planning

No Place to Play: Current Employee Privacy Rights in Social Networking Sites    

Employers have legitimate business interests in monitoring workplace Internet use: to minimize legal exposure, to increase productivity, and to avoid proprietary information loss. Since employees arguably have no expectation of privacy in their work on employers' computers, there are few grounds for complaint if they are disciplined for straying from corporate policy on such use. In this heavily scrutinized work environment, it is no small wonder that employees crave a place to unwind and play “electronically” after hours. In unprecedented numbers, America's workers are visiting online social networking sites (OSNs) and posting tidbits that might not be considered job-appropriate by their employer. Here, many postulate they do have an expectation of and indeed a right to privacy, especially in arenas used to express personal freedoms and exercise individualism that has no bearing on their workplace.

Genova, Gina L. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Privacy>Social Networking

Employee Families and Organizations as Mutually Enacted Environments: A Sensemaking Approach to Work—Life Interrelationships    

Work—life research tends to privilege the organization—employee relationship, with the family's role largely relegated to providing emotional and material support to the employee and adapting to organizational requirements. Systems oriented research, however, points toward a larger role for the family, including mediating the employee's relationship with the organization as well as direct organizational interactions. This study uses Weick's model of organizational sensemaking to examine, through the analysis of employee and family interview accounts, how a global high-tech organization and its employees' families enact one another as environments. Three dynamics of mutual enactments— two cooperative and one competitive—were identified, along with implications for work—life integration research and practice, for more traditionally programmatic work—life accommodations, and for families' management of their relationships to employing organizations.

Golden, Annis G. Management Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace

Lessons From Ugly Betty: Business Attire as a Conformity Strategy    

In today's marketplace, a premium is placed on corporate image and business attire. The rationale is that appearance reflects on the employer. We tell students that first impressions, made within the first 60 seconds of meeting, are critical to their future success. As professors of management and marketing, we are routinely engaged in preparing students for professional occupations inclusive of an awareness that business attire is often reflective of a willingness to conform to workplace norms. We have known for quite some time that appearance can be indicative of conformity. Countless stories and lawsuits reveal lost career opportunities because employees failed to “look the part.” This reality is exemplified in the sitcom Ugly Betty, which provides weekly challenges encouraging us to consider the value of conformity as reflected by our appearance. Betty is an aspiring editor of a major fashion magazine. Raised in a blue-collar, working-class family, Betty does not conform to contemporary notions of style. Clothes in her world have a practical application that should not overshadow the individual's inner beauty. Betty functions with the utmost integrity in a world of competition and greed as her counterparts claw their way up the corporate ladder. Interestingly, they, unlike Betty, remain under the radar as their fashionable sense of style provides a veneer of honesty, fair play, and an unquestionable willingness to conform to the company dress code.

Burgess-Wilkerson, Barbara and Jane Boyd Thomas. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Professionalism

Networking: a Key To Career Communication and Management Consulting Success    

Now that job security with one organization is a relic of the past and companies are outsourcing training and other 'nonessential' functions, I suggest in my career communication classes that students develop the same inventive strategies to plan their employ- ment futures that management consultants use to market themselves in the 21st century. The most important of these skills is networking: the use of person-to-person, print, and electronic communication tools to alert potential employers that, as candidates, they are the confident, cooperative, uniquely qualified experts that companies seek.

Clark, Thomas. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration

Professional Characteristics Communicated By Formal Versus Casual Workplace Attire    

In this article, we describe ongoing research about the professional characteristics projected by formal versus casual workplace attire. We also describe our research about preferences for company norms and standards regarding typical workplace attire.

Cardon, Peter W. and Ephraim A. Okoro. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Professionalism

When Statecraft Fails: Tips on Surviving the Great Game    

Following up on his article in the September/October issue, Hart explores how to avoid “rats” in office politics and offers advice on combating coworkers who might not have your best interests in mind.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2009). Careers>Collaboration>Workplace