Standard Operating Procedures and the Technical Writer  

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are sequences of steps for workers to follow to complete tasks. Owing to industry standards and government regulations, SOPs are increasingly in demand. The pharmaceutical sector is a case in point: Companies are expected to conform to GxP (good practices in manufacturing, testing, and other areas). A big part of GxP is the standardization and documentation of production tasks. The ISO 9000 conventions used in other industries have similar requirements. SOPs are typically required for activities such as operating or calibrating a machine, backing up data, testing samples, and requesting approvals of changes in systems.

Edelman, Mark. Intercom (2003). Careers>Workplace>Policies and Procedures>ISO 9000

Starting and Sustaining Usability Activities in a Company  

This panel presents our experience in starting and sustaining usability activities in different size companies. Some of these activities include educating others about usability, performing task analysis, testing prototypes of new user interfaces, writing usability specifications, and conducting both formal and informal usability tests. We will answer common questions about starting a usability program.

Fisher, Judith R. and Chauncey E. Wilson. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Usability>Planning>Workplace

Sticky Chocolate Company Goes Total Team  

Explore the total team approach to providing customer solutions in a large-team environment. Enjoy skits that dramatize team-building issues. Join in the discussion on approaches, alternatives, solutions, and results.

Allen, Pam, Morris Dean, Sharon L. Hayes and Gina Poole. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Management>Collaboration>Workplace

Storyboard Tracking  

A storyboard is a tool used by teams to write documents. Information needed to create the document is posted on cork boards or walls in a designated room accessible to all team members. In this room, the document grows from outline, to draft, to a thoroughly reviewed final document. During its growth, the document can be tracked using a simple flagging system.

Moore, Shirley F. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Workplace>Workflow

Strategies for the Lone Writer   

Being the lone writer in an organization can be very rewarding, but often poses unique challenges. Some of the issues of particular concern to lone writers include training, variety of tasks, managing multiple projects, career growth, and organization concerns. In addition, the challenges facing lone writers vary greatly between self-employed lone writers and lone writers in a corporate environment, and between experienced and new lone writers.

Fleischer, Becky and Win Day. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Writing>Workplace

Succeeding at Information Architecture in the Enterprise

This article explores some of the approaches needed to ensure that we are successful at implementing IA within organisations, with the goal being to encourage further discussion in the community about these issues.

Robertson, James. Boxes and Arrows (2006). Articles>Information Design>Workplace

Success With Virtual Teams  

In an age of constantly changing technology, ServiceWare faced numerous challenges in attracting talented people and retaining valuable employees. Obstacles included the loss of information when an employee leaves, the cost of training a new employee, and a drop in production during the learning curve. By creating virtual teams, ServiceWare was able to increase its retention rate, boost morale, and increase production. The virtual team reality has produced stronger managers and more self-sufficient employees. The success of virtual teams emerged through creative problem solving and working together toward a goal.

DeCastro, Iris. STC Proceedings (2001). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration

Survey Of Computer-Supported Writing Facility Use In Technical Communication Programs  

Just as the profession of technical communication is fundamentally linked with the use of computers, so technical communication education and computer labs go hand-in-hand to prepare students for the professional world. Because of the importance of computer instruction, we need to discover how technical communication (TC) programs are managing these expensive yet quickly outdated facilities. Described here are the results of a survey of TC program directors questioned about their computer-supported teaching facilities. A profile of a 'typical' computer lab in a technical communication program is offered.

Wharton, Kim Tresselt. STC Proceedings (1994). Presentations>Writing>Workplace>Macintosh

Survey of Technical Writers in Small and Startup Software Companies

As part of my research for a presentation at the Forum 2000 Conference in June 2000, I conducted a survey of writers at small and startup software companies. The subject of the survey is the writer's perception of his or her role at a small or startup company. The survey also collected a small amount of factual data about the writer's place of work. I announced my survey on a number of technical writing mailing lists, probably reaching an audience of some 5,000 subscribers. Over 100 writers asked for the questionnaire, and 78 writers submitted replies.

Farbey, David. Tripod.com (2000). Articles>Research>Workplace

Surviving in a Start-Up: Three Key Elements  

It is possible to survive in a start-up. As new technologies emerge so do start-ups where, more often than not, process and procedures have yet to be implemented. This article takes a look at the three key elements needed for Tech Pubs to survive in a start-up.

Bijoux, Pascale M. STC Proceedings (2002). Careers>Management>Workplace

Sustaining Communities of Practice in the Workplace: A Case Study  

The expanding definition of technical communication requires an organization with a multidisciplinary set of skills (ranging from editing to visual design to user interface design to usability testing to programming) to meet the new demands. While the members of such a multidisciplinary organization have common goals, they also have unique and specialized needs for education, communication, and shared practices based on their specific skills. Nurturing, developing, and sustaining these distinct skills requires an infrastructure that supports divergent communities of practice, yet still encourages cross-pollination of ideas and integration of processes toward a common goal.

Fisher, Lori H. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Collaboration>Management>Workplace

The Tale of Three Project Managers

Three humorous stories that illuminate common project management problems.

Roberts, Mike Harding. Freeserve. Humor>Workplace>Project Management

A Tale of Two Weeks: A Good Start on a New Job  

Many articles discuss how to hire a great writer, but relatively few tell us what to do when we get one. The first weeks on a new job set the tone for a writer's experience at a company. If both manager and writer pay attention to getting a good start, the result will be that the writer settles in, feels welcome and at ease, and becomes productive quickly.

Brown, Dennise C. STC Proceedings (1993). Careers>Writing>Technical Writing>Workplace

Taming Internal Communications Clutter

Navigating through internal communication "whitewater" is a growing challenge in today's business environment. Every day, we face a flood of messages and requests from multiple sources, making it increasingly difficult to manage the overload.

Weisz, Terry. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace

Teaching and Practicing Teamwork in Industry and Academia  

The purpose of this paper is to help educators and trainers design realistic working environments for team writing assignments and, thus, to prepare students to function on high-performance teams in the workplace. This paper describes differences and similarities between academic and industrial team working environments. It focuses on the kinds of tasks teams are asked to perform, the time and other constraints under which teams operate, the types of considerations that go into selecting people to participate in a team, the members' expectations about teamwork, the rewards used to recognize effective teamwork, and the role of the manager or course instructor. This paper offers suggestions to address some of the key challenges.

Kleid, Naomi A. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Education>Collaboration>Workplace

Teaching Line Managers to Be Good Communicators During Times of Change

When organizations are going through change, be it major or minor, the most trusted source of communication for employees is nearly always their line manager. Equipping line managers to communicate well is essential, but it also has inherent challenges.

Scarlett, Hilary. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Management>Workplace

Teamwork Creates a Positive Working Environment

In our present economic system, competition is viewed as a positive force. As children, our parents undoubtedly rewarded us for being the best, the fastest, the cleanest, or the smartest. As adults, we learn very quickly that only the best can be successful in a highly competitive world. While this competitive spirit can often help us to perform to our limits, when applied in its purest form within a work environment (i.e., when the competition is not of the friendly variety) it frequently results in hostilities that are counterproductive to producing good results.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (1995). Careers>Collaboration>Workplace

Technical Communication: The Next Wave  

Perlin examines cutting-edge developments in technical communication and discusses their possible impact on the workplace.

Perlin, Neil E. Intercom (2001). Articles>TC>Workplace

Technical Writers Code of Professional Practice

As professionals in the communications arts we know that people work better if they have clear expectations of equitable treatment. In order to promote fair standards and encourage professional working relationships, the Technical Writers Trade Group of the National Writers Union presents the following Code of Professional Practice for technical writers in the hardware and software industries.

National Writers Union (1997). Resources>Workplace>Professionalism

A Technical Writing Course Aimed at Nurturing Critical Thinking Skills

Designing effective technical documents requires insightful and well-designed thinking strategies. Experienced writers--usually good problem solvers--practice critical thinking to identify the problems arising out of conflicting goals and agendas. Problem solving starts with problem finding (Flower 1994), and critical thinking plays a vital role in achieving the resultant writing goals. This article describes the function of critical thinking and its practical application in a technical writing course in an occupational setting. A solid understanding of critical knowledge will enhance novice writers' capability of handling problems and making appropriate decisions.

Kanaoka, Masao. Cambridge Language Consultants (1999). Articles>Education>Workplace>Writing

Technology and Knowledge Transfer: Science and Industry Working Together    

Science and technology are intimately related. The technology sector that drives the modern economy would never have arisen without basic scientific research, and that research is now being funded by companies seeking to gain a technological edge over their competitors. Despite this mutual dependence, technical communication has taken different paths in science and industry. Technology and knowledge transfer, the communication of research results to an audience that can implement the results, bridges these two solitudes and strongly resembles much of the work done by other technical communicators.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. International Journal for Technical Communication (2006). Articles>TC>Research>Workplace

The Use of Humor, Metaphor, Psychology, and Sheer Zaniness to Defuse Volatile Situations, Lower Your Blood Pressure, and Support Stress Management in Technical Communication: Real-World Applications of M4A4Z4 Theory  

This workshop explores the creative use of humor as a de-stressor in the often deadline-driven, pressure-filled world of technical communication, while also addressing the inherent risks involved with this strategy. Three specific techniques involving metaphor, psychology, and incongruity are exemplified in the opening presentation. Participants then form teams to apply these techniques and other strategies to relieve stress in volatile business/technical scenarios.

Voss, Daniel W. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Collaboration>Workplace

The Virtual Working Environment: A Challenge for Both Educators and Students  

With the increasing use of technological resources such as the Internet and World-wide Web, the concept of the 'virtual campus' where there is little or no face-to-face contact between colleagues is becoming commonplace. Students will be more attractive to potential employers if they are ready for this environment prior to graduation. To prepare students for this challenge, educators must work to ensure technical communication programs remain current with the technology field. Knowledgeable educators and up-to-date programs will produce graduates that are adequately prepared to enter the professional workforce.

Williams, Beth A. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Education>Workplace>Online

Theorizing Structure and Agency in Workplace Writing: An Ethnomethodological Approach    

This article proposes ethnomethodology as a theoretical approach for resolving the structure-agency binary and for treating the activities of writers in organizations as simultaneously embedded in and constitutive of organizational context. Structure is defined asthose elements of social circumstances that writers orient to as relevant to their immediatewriting task. In orienting to these elements, writers reproduce them as external andconstraining social facts. The value of ethnomethodology is illustrated with data from astudy examining the social practices that surrounded the writing of an evaluation reportby two managers in an educational institution.

Schneider, Barbara. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2002). Articles>Workplace>Writing