Chapter 4

ByNicole Tripp

What is Collaborative Writing?

People working together to create a document. Proposals, reports, memos, books,

and manuals

Advantages of Collaborative Writing

Improves communication among employees.Greater skill baseGreater knowledge base

Disadvantages of Collaborative Writing

Takes more timeCan lead to groupthinkCan create unequal workloads

Setting Group Agenda’s

Define the taskChoose a group leaderDefine tasks for each group memberEstablish working proceduresEstablish a procedure for resolving conflictEstablish a work schedule

Conducting Efficient Meetings

Arrive on time.Stick to an agenda.Record the important decisions made at the meetingSummarize the meeting

Communicating Diplomatically

Listen carefullyLet the speaker finish; don’t interruptGive everyone a chance to speakAvoid personal remarks and insultsDon’t get emotionally attached to your ideas

Critiquing Group Members Drafts

Start with a positive commentTalk about the writing, not the writerFocus on how the document will fit into the group’s document

Communicating Electronically

Use the comment, revisions and highlight feature on a Word ProcessorUse e-mail to send filesUse Groupware

Groupware

A software that lets people plan, draft, revise and track a document Sharing files Carrying out discussions with team

members Distributing announcements Creating automated change

notifications

Summary

Collaborative WritingSet Group’s AgendaConduct Efficient MeetingsCommunicate Diplomatically

Critique DraftsCommunicate electronicallyGroupware

Chapter 5

ByMichelle Denham and Lisa Obenauf

Analyzing an Audience

ThinkingListeningClassifying

Identifying Primary and Secondary Audiences

Primary Audience – have a direct role in responding to your documentSecondary Audience – will not directly act on or respond to your document

Basic Categories of Readers

Try to classify your readers according to their knowledge of your subject. The Expert The Technician The Manager The General Reader

Individual Characteristics of Readers

Who is your reader?What are your reader’s attitudes and expectations?Why and how will your reader use your document?

Writing for Multiple Audiences

Modular Report Abstract – primarily for the technical

reader Executive Summary – primarily for the

manager Body of Report – for any interested

readers, including technical readers, managers, experts and others

Appendices – Primarily for technicians and experts

The Audience Profile Sheet

Template available at:http://bedfordstmartins.com/techcomm in the “Forms for Technical Communication” section.

Communicating Across Cultures

Requires understanding of cultureRequires understanding of cultural variables What language(s) should you use? What political, social, and economic

factors will influence how readers interpret what you write?

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Some “On the Top” Cultural Variables to Consider

PoliticalEconomicSocialReligiousEducationalTechnologicalLinguistic

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Understanding what “Beneath the Surface” Cultural Variables Mean

There are also six “Beneath the Surface” variables to be considered.Each represents a spectrum of attitudesThey do not line up in a clear patternDifferent organizations within the same culture can vary greatlyCultural Values are fluid, not static.

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Understanding cont.

Variables do not offer answers, instead questions to be considered.Can help you study the communications from people and become more aware of underlying values that affect communication.

Cultural Variables “Beneath the Surface”

See Table 5.1 for detailsFocus on individuals or groupsDistance between business life and private lifeDistance between ranksNature of truthNeed to spell out detailsAttitudes toward uncertainty

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Considering Cultural Variables as you Write

The challenge with communicating with a person from another culture is that you are communicating with a person, not a culture.You cannot be sure which cultures have influenced that person.

Considering Cultural Variables cont.

To the person you’re communicating with, you are the one from another culture. You cannot be sure how much they are

trying to accommodate your culture patterns.

Communication between the two of you creates a hybrid of the two cultures.

Considering Cultural Variables cont.

Research what you can about the culture you are writing for.If possible, ask for assistance by someone native to the culture.Seek examples of the type of writing you will be doing so you can study the format.

Strategies for Intercultural Communication

Limit your vocabularyKeep sentences shortDefine abbreviations and acronyms in a glossaryAvoid jargon unless you know your readers are familiar with itAvoid idioms and slangUse the active voice whenever possibleBe careful with graphicsBe sure someone from the target culture reviews your document

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Generating Graphics and Design for Multicultural Readers

Graphics and Design – One way to overcome the language barrier.Graphics and design can differ from culture to culture.Study samples of documents written from the culture to learn important differences in document layout.

Generating Graphics and Design cont.

Documents from different cultures are becoming more unified. International Business is increasing

each year The use of the Web is increasing

dramatically Most communicators around the world

are using the same word processing software.

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Determining your Purpose

Ask yourself: “What do I want this document to accomplish?”What do you want your readers to know/believe?What do you want your readers to do?

Your document should help your readers carry out a task, understand a concept, or hold a particular belief.

Determining your Purpose cont.

Think of a verb that represents your purpose.Is your real purpose different from your expressed purpose? Many readers don’t want to be

“persuaded” but are willing to learn new facts or ideas.

Determining your PurposeExamples

Communicating VerbsTo describeTo explainTo informTo illustrateTo reviewTo outlineTo authorizeTo defineTo summarize

Communicating VerbsTo assessTo requestTo proposeTo recommendTo forecastTo evaluate

Gaining Management’s Approval

Consider gaining your manager’s approval before proceeding too far into the project.It is wise to make sure that you are on the right track before investing too much time and effort into it.

Questions

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have at this time.