FREE STC MEMBER-ONLY WEBINAR: UNDERSTANDING SCRUM BASICS: TECHNICAL WRITERS AND AGILE

Project management is a crucial part of any technical or professional writer’s role in the industry. While traditional project management strategies might sometimes relegate the writer to service provider rather than team member, these linear development practices are being directly and aggressively challenged by a collaborative Agile mindset that values teamwork; consistent, incremental production; and transparency like never before. Yet, technical writers might be hesitant about working in Agile environments because of a misconception that Agile is anti-documentation. Not true. In fact, Agile can empower technical writers as valued members of the team in ways existing practices never could.

In this presentation, we’ll examine the foundations of the Agile mindset and the practices that are reshaping the way people work in technical industries. Starting with the Agile Manifesto, we examine the misconception that Agile does not value documentation, then focus on the core Agile values of focus, courage, openness, commitment, and respect. We’ll then examine the Scrum process and the role technical writers can play on Scrum teams throughout the development cycles.

In an ideal situation, Scrum creates a highly valuable position for technical writers in the development and production process, one that raises the profile of the work technical writers do and the skills you bring to the table. Participants in this workshop will walk away with an understanding of both the Agile mindset and the Scrum process as well as a clear sense of how they might argue for and participate in Scrum teams.