October Intercom: Letter From the Editor

The October Issue of Intercom is now available online. Check out this Note From the Editor, then head to intercom.stc.org to read the latest issue!

October Intercom 2014Have you ever worked on a technical communication project that needed help? The October issue of Intercom focuses on solving communications problems in the workplace and in “rescuing” troubled projects and teams. Heather Meeker Green and Rachel DiGiammarino from Accordence Inc., a consulting firm specializing in negotiation, communication, and personal effectiveness skills, have provided an article with their recommendations for driving a successful project—“‘Project Rescue:’ A Mindset for Collaboration.” They suggest three essential practices for creating collaborative environments in the workplace—leveraging interests, broadening perspectives, and de-escalating tensions. They claim this strategic approach ignites collaboration and results in effective rescues.

Tom Mochal of TenStep Inc. is an instructor and consultant on people and project management. His article for Intercom, “Minimize the Risk Associated with Project Rescue,” explains that project rescue is not an attempt to repair a sinking ship, but an attempt to raise a project up from underwater, and therefore is a radical and difficult task. He outlines several methods for minimizing the risk of troubled projects: 1) isolation (isolate the work into a separate recovery project with  agreement from the project sponsor or manager); 2) assessment (assess the troubled project to determine what went wrong and why); 3) alternatives (develop  alternatives, which may include canceling the project); and 4) implementation (activate, measure, and monitor the recovery plan).

In “Getting Out of Debt: Avoiding Bankrupt Technical Communication,” Raymond Gillespie uses a debt metaphor to show how complex projects like a documentation set can become troubled by knowledge gaps. He provides several recommendations for how to get out of debt through “refactoring” techniques—studying, understanding, and restructuring—such as getting to
know the software testers and customer support and software maintenance teams, and using topic-based writing techniques.

In less obvious ways, the rest of this month’s Intercom also addresses project rescue. Technical Editor Maria Willacy addresses the longtime issue of rescuing content from subject matter experts (SMEs). She provides practical advice for technical writers collaborating effectively with SMEs and sharing dual ownership of a project. Dave Wright and Harry Calhoun from IBM discuss what it’s like to work as writers with different backgrounds (marketing vs. technical writing) for a technology company.
They address the strengths between marketing and technical writing, how to work past roadblocks, and what you need to know to be successful in a technical environment. And finally, technical writer Serena Beck shares her experience as part of a telework team. She details the inherent communication challenges, how to keep a work-life balance, how to stay productive and avoid distractions, and the cost benefits of telework.

Also, take a look at the Intercom Editorial Calendar for 2015 and consider submitting an article!

intercom editorial calendar 2015

-Liz Pohland

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