Working Well with Others

1
Working Well with Others

• Successful On-the-Job Interactions with Subject
  Matter Experts and Computer Programmers

2
The People at Work

• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) People with
  expertise in the field that you are documenting

• Programmers, or Software Developers People who
  write the code for and/or design the actual
  software program

3
Communication Barriers

• Professional communicators may have trouble
  working effectively with SMEs and Programmers
  because of the following differences

• Knowledge base
• Jargon
• Attitudes about documentation
• Professional goals

4
Different Knowledge Bases

• SMEs/Programmers
• Usually have education in a technical area
• Know about the subject matter or the inner
  workings of programs and computers

• Technical Communicators
• Often have education in communication or English
• Know about writing, layout/design, and user
  analysis

5
Different Jargon

• SMEs/Programmers
• Use technical/computer jargon effectively
• Often misuse TPC jargon
• Dont understand most TPC jargon

• Technical Communicators
• Use TPC jargon effectively
• Often misuse technical/computer jargon
• Dont understand most technical/computer jargon

6
Different Attitudes about Documentation

• SMEs/Programmers
• Consider documenta-tion secondary and unrelated
  to product.
• Documentation is not part of the current project,
  an item added toward end of develop-ment or
  modication of product.

• Technical Communicators
• Consider documenta-tion essential to using
  product effectively, thus adding value.
• Documentation is the current project, ideally a
  continuous process throughout develop-ment or
  modification of the product.

7
Different Professional Goals

• SMEs/Programmers
• Most important is good technical product.
• Concerned only with product being finished by the
  deadline.

• Technical Communicators
• Most important is users being able to use product
  effectively.
• Concerned with pro-ducing good documen-tation by
  completing it simultaneously with product.

8
Importance of Good Relationships with
SMEs/Programmers

• They must be understood, so we can translate
  their information for the users.
• They are our major (and sometimes only) sources
  of information for documentation.
• They inevitably affect our work and schedules
  with their work and schedules.
• They are people just like us

9
Communicating Successfully with SMEs and
Programmers

• When communicating with SMEs and Pro-grammers,
  keep these guidelines in mind

• Know your audience.
• Increase your knowledge base.
• Educate them about documentation.
• Respect them as human beings.
• Try social interactions, such as food and other
  help.
• If they still wont work with you after trying
  all of the above,
• Dont tolerate unprofessional behavior

10
Know Your Audience

• Apply your knowledge of effective communication
  to communicate with coworkers.
• Dont make false assumptions about them.
• Use language they will understand without
  talking down to them.
• Understand that they have different goals for the
  project than you do.

11
Increase Your Knowledge Base

• Try to learn as much as you can about the subject
  matter and/or technology you are documenting.
• Ask SMEs and Programmers relevant, intelligent
  questions after conducting your own research.
• Gain their respect by respecting their area of
  expertise.
• Use knowledge gained from both research and SMEs
  and Programmers when writing documenta-tion, so
  you do not to take the users knowledge about the
  same subject matter or technology for granted.

12
Educate Them About Documentation

• Let them know the value that good documentation
  adds to the product.
• Explain the main responsibilities of your job as
  a documenter.
• Show them how their work affects yours.
• Emphasize how their input in the documentation
  process improves the product.
• Try to become involved during the design of the
  program, not just at the end.

13
Respect Them as Human Beings

• Dont just see SMEs and Programmers as lab rats
  or computer geeks.
• Dont assume they wont like you simply because
  you are not a machine or in their area of
  expertise.
• Give them the same respect that you want to be
  given.
• Talk to them about subjects other than
  documenta-tion projects, in order to build
  relationships both at work and possibly outside
  work.

14
Try Social Interactions, such as Food and Other
Help

• Apply the long-held belief practice of using food
  as a powerful incentive at the office.
• Be careful, however, not to perpetuate the myth
  of the glorified secretary by becom-ing the
  office homemaker.
• Help out SMEs and Programmers, so they will help
  you.

15
Dont Tolerate Unprofessional Behavior

• If problems with a SME or Programmer with whom
  you are working continue, consider the
  possibility that the problem is with the
  individual.
• Talk to your supervisor, and possibly their
  supervisors, about the issue.
• Remain professional and gracious at all times,
  especially when resolving work-related conflict.

16
Resources for This Presentation

• Information in this presentation was taken from
• Barker, Thomas T. Writing Software Documentation
  A Task-Oriented Approach. Boston Allyn and
  Bacon, 1998.
• Savage, Gerald J., and Dale L. Sullivan. Writing
  a Professional Life Stories of Technical
  Communicators On and Off the Job. Boston Allyn
  and Bacon, 2001.
• Discussions from Sherry Southards English 6715
  (Technical Writing), Spring 2002.