Creating Communications with a Team Guidelines taken from Paul Anderson’s Technical Writing: A Reader-Centered Approach
Guidelines Create a consensus concerning the objectives Involve the whole team in planning Make a project schedule Share leadership responsibilities Make meetings efficient Encourage debate Be sensitive to cultural and gender differences Use computer support for collaboration
Create a Consensus Explore diverse views Keep talking Discuss strategies Remain open
Involve the Whole Team Discuss plans in detail Write an outline Create a storyboard Use a style guide
Make a Project Schedule Time to define the document’s objectives Frequent checkpoints Time to edit the drafts for consistency and coherence
Share Leadership Responsibilities Task roles Group maintenance roles
Make Meetings Efficient Prepare agendas Bring discussions to a close Sum up Set goals for the next meeting
Encourage Debate and Diversity of Ideas Invite everyone to speak Listen with interest and respect Be considerate when discussing drafts Treat drafts as team property, not individual property
Be Sensitive to Cultural and Gender Differences Style may be influenced by gender and cultural background Be responsive to individual styles
Use Computer Support for Collaboration for sharing ideas and drafts without meeting Online discussions in WebBoard chat Word-processing that shows each person’s drafts and revisions in different colors