#14458
Ethos and Error: How Business People React to Errors 
Errors seem to bother nonacademic readers as well as teachers. But what does it mean to be “bothered” by errors? Questions such as this help transform the study of error from mere textual issues to larger rhetorical matters of constructing meaning. Although this study of fourteen business people indicates a range of reactions to errors, the findings also reveal patterns of qualitative agreement—certain ways in which these readers constructed a negative ethos of the writer.
Beason, Larry. CCC (2001). Articles>Rhetoric>Workplace
#19488
This is a real proposal for a real client. We changed the name of the client and the product. Download to see what we detail in our plans.
#13812
Experiential Learning Prepares Students to Assume Professional Roles 
Educators need to prepare their students to assume roles as communicators in the corporate world. By providing experiential education--active learning both inside and outside the classroom--teachers can ensure that students succeed.
Southard, Sherry. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (1988). Articles>Education>Workplace
#13487
Feng Shui for the Tech Writer's Workspace
It sounds like something from a late-night infomercial: Enhance your productivity by cranking out online help files in half the time! Increase your prosperity by being promoted to head of the documentation department! Improve your interpersonal relations so that Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are just waiting to review your documents. Ensure a long and healthy life, despite the stress of vaporware product launches! If an advertisement lurking in your emailbox claimed to have an ancient secret to give you all the above, you'd likely press Delete faster than you can say 'looming deadlines.' But what if millions of people--some as well-known and successful as Donald Trump--and major corporations, such as Virgin Airlines, The Wall Street Journal, and Citibank, attested to this 'magic' secret's power? In that case, you just might sit back in your office chair and listen.
Chroust Ehmann, Lain. TECHWR-L (2002). Careers>Workplace>Ergonomics>SMEs
#30138
Finessing Professional Transitions: Methods for Managing Difficult Changes
Managing difficult changes in the workplace is possible by going through three clearly outlined phases. This approach to finessing professional transitions takes into account the differences between change and transition, defining transition as an interval with three phases. Communication style is a major contributor to moving effectively and smoothly through the three phases of a transition. Choosing one's words carefully, replacing commonly used and infrequently considered negative words with positive words, affects not only one's ability to finesse professional transitions successfully, but also others' perceptions of how well people manage their transitions.
Barnow, Renee and Annabelle Reitman. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>Workplace
#14625
In this ethics case, O'Neill presents a fictional scenario in which a technical communicator is asked to modify copyrighted materials from a training program. Readers are asked to forward their opinions concerning the scenario to be published in a later issue of Intercom.
O'Neill, Michael T. Intercom (2000). Articles>Workplace>Ethics
#27548
Constantly stressed out? Not enough hours in the day to get things done? Ryan Carson has a theory: your problem is too much work time, not too little.
Carson, Ryan. List Apart, A (2006). Careers>Workplace>Planning
#31688
The Fox and the Hedgehog Go to Work: A Natural History of Workplace Collusion 
The author argues that an ironic approach to collusion can help shift the focus of resistance away from the relatively rare events surrounding implacable opposition or total unanimity to the quotidian aspects of workplace politics. Collusion is characterized as an outcome of organizational politics conducted between the traditionally opposed parties of radical industrial sociology (i.e., managers and workers) under the guidance of an ironic mode of cognition. Irony is depicted as a foxlike way of gaining 'a perspective on perspectives,' which provides a means of understanding stalemate, accommodation, and collusion by showing how opposing ideological positions are indebted. It also illuminates the moments when collusion breaks down and resisting parties become implacably opposed hedgehogs (one position prevails over the other), leading to overt conflict and resistance.
Sewell, Graham. Management Communication Quarterly (2008). Articles>Management>Workplace>Collaboration
#15137
#27386
From Inspiration to Action at A.G. Edwards
Discusses how his team of Certified Usability Analysts (CUAs) were instrumental towards making usability a routine practice at A.G. Edwards.
Nadel, Jerome and Pat Malecek. Human Factors International (2006). Presentations>Usability>Workplace
#29827
One way to resolve some of the conflict in English studies and technical communication over their diminishing cultural capital is to recognize the place of instrumental discourse in communication studies. Instrumental discourse is individually verified social agreements to coordinate and control physical actions. One purpose of literary works is to voice new concerns about social inequities. A purpose of rhetoric is to persuade others of the validity of those concerns. Instrumental discourse registers agreements about those concerns and brings them to temporary closure in laws, instructions, contracts, and constitutions. Instrumental discourse is the culmination of a process that often begins with a literary monolog, is continued in many rhetorical dialogs, and ends, for a while, in a chorus of approval. Each phase of this communication process--monolog, dialog, and chorus--has a place in English studies. If more English studies faculty would recognize the need to study the communications that promote dissensus and consensus, then they might contribute more to global discussions about social justice, cooperation, and sustainability, and they might gain more cultural capital and social influence.
Moore, Patrick. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2006). Articles>Education>TC>Workplace
#31435
Getting Real Results from Employee Engagement
I remember the day I turned on the car radio and found out that my company was merging with a competitor. Over the coming weeks, every employee made mental and emotional decisions on whether to stay engaged with their work and the company, or to just to show up and collect a paycheck.
Schmidt, Jeff. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Careers>Management>Public Relations>Workplace
#18251
Getting the Most from the Quality Improvement Process
The Quality Improvement Process can be used to improve customer satisfaction and reduce cost and cycle time. The “R.U.S.T.” four-step action process provides a helpful guideline to begin quality improvement by Recognizing the opportunity for improvement, Understanding requirements and expectations, Starting to apply systematic process changes, and Testing the results by measuring.
McDonald, Audrey M. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Workplace>Assessment
#22879
Going Hollywood: Trends in the World of Work
The 'Hollywood Model' is one of several work trends that have emerged to satisfy the needs of the changing U.S. workplace in the last couple of decades. This paper will: examine some of the forces that have precipitated change in the U.S. workplace; explore emerging work trends especially relevant to technical communicators; and recommend a small set of key skills that technical communicators will need to develop in order to thrive in the changing workplace.
Cheirrett, Peg A. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration
#14429
Every new medium brings with it the need to develop an appropriate way of writing. Writing a speech involves different words and organization from writing a report. A television show does not use the same script, word for word, as a radio broadcast. A documentary is not word for word the same as the history book on which it is based. A brochure, white paper, and advertisement may share some words, but the organization, headings, and many of the words will be different. Writing everyday documents that are destined to be read on-screen and not printed out means different words and organization than the same ideas written to be printed out on paper. You can't take what you wrote for paper, paste it into an HTML editor, mark it up with a few tags and call it an on-screen document. You need to write specifically for the screen if you want to take best advantage of the medium. Early television was a camera pointed at a radio announcer reading the same news as on radio. We don't do that anymore. Early web was taking word processing and putting it up as a long scrolling page. We won't be doing that in the future, either.
#22835
The Grading System of the Real World
At the beginning of each semester, the instructor hands out a syllabus packet which often contains a course outline or schedule and an explanation of the grading policy. The work world has grading systems too, and you need to know about them in advance so you can prepare for Performance Reviews.
Perry, Lynellen D.S. ACM Crossroads (2001). Careers>Workplace>Assessment
#14302
Group Project Peer Evaluation Form 
Use this form to evaluate the other members of the group. Write the name of each group member in one of the columns, then assign a score of 0 to 10 (0 being the lowest grade, 10 the highest) to each group member for each criterion. Then total the scores for each member. Because each group member has different strengths and weaknesses, the scores you assign will differ. On the back of this sheet, write down any comments you wish to make.
Markel, Mike. Bedford-St. Martin's (2001). Careers>Workplace>Workflow
#31555
Hard Measures are Key to Gauging the Effectiveness of Communication on the Bottom Line
In conducting its landmark 2003 Communication ROI Study, which focuses on the relationship between an organization's internal communication strategy and practices and its shareholder returns, Watson Wyatt made some surprising findings regarding the relationship between effective external and internal communication.
Vogt, Peter. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace>Assessment
#30460
Hello, My Name is Doug and I'm a Workaholic
It's important to be able to distinguish between workaholics and people who are simply wrapped up in their work--either because they enjoy it so much or because, temporarily, they have decided to make it a priority to win a promotion or attain the kind of lifestyle that they want. For a workaholic, work is the end, not the means. While it may bring wealth or power, what matters most is simply working. Just as alcoholics drink because they must--not always because they enjoy it--so a workaholic is addicted to working even when there is no rational reason for doing so.
Davis, Douglas W. STC (2007). Careers>Workplace>Project Management
#19884
Helping Your Employees Manage Their Stress
This progression provides an opportunity to discuss the stress-related challenges technical communicators face in today’s changing environment. The focus is on on coping and thriving.
Gillihan, Dana L. and Joy Lashley. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Management>Workplace
#19578
Company meetings are often regarded as conservative and uninspired by those who must attend. We all know that meetings are necessary, but we also know that they can be wearisome. Not all meetings need be that way. In fact, meetings can inject some lighthearted fun into the day and stimulate the creative juices. This is a story about how a series of humdrum meetings at one consulting firm evolved into a creative expression that is as varied as the participants themselves.
Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (1998). Careers>Management>Workplace>Community
#30554
Hone Your Professional Skills: Find Your Writer's Voice
When concentrating on your daily tasks, you may lose track of your creative side. Discover four suggestions for how to stretch your creative muscles.
Tremmel, Martina A. Intercom (2007). Articles>Writing>Workplace
#31237
How Employee Publications Missed a Chance to Matter
About 20 years ago, employee publication editors everywhere were under assault from consultants like me who were carping about our colleagues' reluctance to move beyond reporting on employee outings, hobbies and similar fluff. On, we urged, to the serious business of directly helping our organizations win!
Nelson, Barry. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Writing>Workplace>Newsletters
#31532
How to Communicate with Employees During War
On 19 March a war with global implications began between a U.S.-led coalition and Iraq. Although some organizations will be affected by this war more than others, the articles below will help any communicator address certain immediate internal and external organizational war-related communication issues.
Davis, Alison. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace>History
#27384
How to Find Your Executive Usability Champion
Discusses making usability routine throughout your organization.
Weinschenk, Susan and Jerome Nadel. Human Factors International (2006). Careers>Usability>Collaboration>Workplace
