Offers advice on holding successful meetings. Discusses certain behaviors present in all meetings, as well as the three phases of every meeting: the start, the working session, and the close. (SR)

Discusses important points for the freelance technical writer to consider when setting guidelines and developing contracts. (SR)

Discusses six steps to follow when documenting an ISO 9000 quality system: using ISO 9000 to develop a quality system, identifying a company's business processes, analyzing the business processes; describing the procedures, writing the quality manual, and working to the documented procedures. (SR)

Considers two aspects of intrapersonal communication. Discusses the range of cognition, considering structured, unstructured, and unconscious thought processes. Explains and discusses the Johari Window as a model for contrasting technical communicators' views of themselves and how others view them. (SR)

Examines the significance and uses (for a company) of a vision statement, how to set one, and what to include. Illustrates this by discussing the visions for Xerox Cooperation over the last 40 years, and John F. Kennedy's national vision of landing a man on the moon. (SR)

Suggests that strategic planning can help an organization mature and become more effective. Aims for strategic planning with a benchmarking objective, beginning with the information process-maturity model, assessing strengths and weaknesses, and identifying opportunities for process maturation. Finds all components of the reporting structure now…

Argues that corporate style guides create consistency in documents, promote a professional image, train new employees, and define document generation. Describes how to develop a corporate style guide. (SR)

Points out that most technical communication groups within larger organizations are considered support organizations. Argues that, by moving from the support model to a services model based on entrepreneurial ideas, these groups are better able to place value on the work they produce by setting themselves up as development groups to pitch bids and…

Considers pluses and minuses of establishing a corporate style guide. Surveys articles and conference presentations (published between 1985 and 1995) on style guides. Analyzes significance and contribution of each. Suggests areas for further research, specifically quantitative analysis of the value of style guides. (PA)

Describes how the technical support group learns and shares the product knowledge it needs to perform its work. Explains how customer documentation fits into these learning processes and activities. Analyzes the boundaries that exist between technical support and customer documentation groups. (PM)

Suggests that intricate situations occur naturally in the context of work where there is no clearly predetermined division of responsibilities about text production. Observes situations in which a technical writer and a software developer met to clarify specific concepts about the device to be documented, but interesting work in the text actually…

Finds that, although communicating across organizational boundaries is necessary and beneficial, such communication can result in a struggle for territory. Discusses various social and rhetorical strategies to ease these interactions, enabling professionals to protect the interest of their partners, establish priorities, take a proactive role,…

Argues that technical communicators cannot afford to ignore collaboration. Discusses eight characteristics of a project and its staff that help determine whether the collaborative effort will be successful. Offers examples of a successful and an unsuccessful collaboration. (SR)

States that strategic planning has become ubiquitous at Livermore Lab, where the technical information department has been a resource for help with publications for over 30 years. Finds that a strategic plan focuses management attention and allows an organization to examine and improve its operations; each year's plan serves as the foundation for…

Offers specific advice for technical writers on how to deal with five different kinds of difficult writing projects and/or clients: the reluctant client, the disorganized client, time-resource crunches, differing visions, and an unstable product. (SR)