What Makes a Good Technical Communication Professional?

By Jackie Damrau | Fellow

Wikipedia says that a technical writer “designs, writes, creates, maintains, and updates technical documentation,” yet we know we do so much more. Interestingly, the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics designation for technical writers in the 2010–2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) claims that most jobs require a college degree in communications, journalism, or English, and a degree in a technical subject is also useful. The OOH also states that the highly desired traits we should have are “excellent communications skills, curiosity, and attention to detail” (see www.bls.gov/oco/).

For some of us, technical communication degrees did not exist. We majored in communications or pursued technical degrees to start our careers. Others transformed from another profession to tech comm, and we continue transforming ourselves to remain active and employable, especially as technology continually changes.

Technical communicators need to have a wide range of knowledge around industries, applications, standards, and business practices besides writing and designing documentation well. We also must be versed in different behavioral styles. I find that interacting with subject matter experts, committees, task forces, and senior leaders all require a different set of skills, such as:

• Gathering and delivering information that is clear
  and succinct
• Ensuring the answers address the questions asked
• Presenting the information in the right style to
  each group

LinkedIn Exercise

In August 2010, I posted a query to the STC LinkedIn group, asking members to describe a technical communication professional in one word. Table 1 shows the responses received just one month later, and they keep coming in.

Table 1. One-Word Descriptors of a Technical Communicator

Amanda Lewanski, senior member, created a Wordle of the submissions (see www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2495504/Technical_Communicator_Attributes). I've extended that Wordle with the additional submissions (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Wordle View—Technical Communicator in One Word

The sidebar on page 17 provides additional comments that STC members submitted with their one-word descriptions. The comments are interesting because they show varying perspectives about our profession.

Where Did This Come From?

The premise for the LinkedIn discussion came from Janno Roele, a member of the Business Process Management Professionals group that I follow on LinkedIn. His query to the BPMP group centered on “what makes a good ‘business process management professional’?” Table 2 lists the words that came from Roele's discussion, and Figure 4 shows the Wordle I created from Roele's one-word definitions.

How many of words do you identify with as a technical communication professional? I see several and think this might be another fun and interesting LinkedIn discussion to launch.

Table 2. One-Word Descriptors of a Business Process Management Professional

Figure 4. Wordle View—Business Process Management Professional in One Word

Like mine, Roele's discussion is ongoing. It is interesting to see where the two professions—technical communication and business process management—converge.

Summary

This exercise shows the passion we all have for our profession. The comments that have come through the STC LinkedIn group have been enlightening and I encourage you to join the group and continue sending them in.

JACKIE DAMRAU (jackie.damrau@comcast.net), PhD, is an STC Fellow and past chapter president who works at T-Mobile USA. She has more than 26 years of combined experience in technical writing and instructional design. She supports STC activities through the Lone Star Community, Instructional Design & Learning SIG, and serving as General Manager of the STC International Summit Awards.

Comments from STC LinkedIn Exercise

Steve Bain • In the tech writer courses I teach, there are actually four key words (commonly known as the four Cs) of technical writing: Credibility, Cohesiveness, Clarity, and Conciseness. For me, though, the first one is the most significant for technical writers. Without credibility, nothing you write will command trust, influence, or impact.

Jay Bryant • The value of just one word is that it forces you to focus on the most important characteristic of good technical communication professionals (not just writers). I chose “curious.” Sure, I want to add “tenacious,” “respectful,” and “adaptable” to the list. For me, though, “curious” comes first because I got into technical writing by asking, “how does that work?”

Lauri Burkons • Passion was my second choice. Curious is definitely my first choice, although no one word really suggests what makes a good technical writer. A good technical writer requires many characteristics—curiosity, passion, flexibility, ability to figure things out, ability to translate jargon and technical terms into standard English, adaptability—need I go on?

Kirk Broaddus • Patience—why patience?

• Patience with subject matter experts who are too busy
• Patience with those who do not understand the value of good writing
• Patience with unrealistic deadlines
• Patience with those who think anyone that took English in college can write well
• Patience with changing technologies
• Patience to know the difference between art and usefulness

Jackie Ernette Z. Athey • One I haven't seen: insanity. Why? Because you have to be insane to daily put up with:

• subject matter experts who are too busy
• those who do not understand the value of good writing
• unrealistic deadlines
• those who think anyone who took English in college can be a technical writer
• those who think anyone who has a technical degree can be a technical writer
• having to be up to date on constantly changing technologies
• having to be proficient in every authoring, graphics, and other tool on the market

Arun Jain • Enterprising. In today's environment, it is not sufficient just to “Do things right.” More important is to figure out “What are the right things to do?”

In basketball terms, don't think like a center who gets the ball from someone and executes. Think like a point guard, where you decide what option has most chance of success.

Given one's skills, the goal is to figure out what he/she can do to advance the objectives of the organization. It requires understanding what business groups need and how you can add value to the process.