Being able to communicate on many different levels, with any kind of colleague, is a crtical component of the technical writer’s skill set. Knowledge of subject, obtained on the fly from any source almost all at once, still requires help for the writer to outline, sort and organize this information and knowledge.
Interviews with people on vastly different organizational levels is not always as easy as it appears. Sometimes…full text or downoad to print.
Asking good questions sounds easy. Moreover, when preceded by good lstening, it is. The most competent technical writer has planned a way of obtaining information. It’s the “Invisible Outline.”
The Invisble Outline constitutes the interviewer’s plan of action. Outline the subject, drill down and outline the separate segments of the subject, and then go interview a “Subject Matter Expert.” Am I really saying “Know what you’re writing about before you do an interview?” Well, yes!
The outline is the “Big Picture.” It’s why I’m a writer. See the whole text, or download.
…Enter the “Documentation Specialist”. Now we’re getting somewhere. Now we can finally call’em like we see ‘em. Bob asks Sally to stop turning in her hang orders without filling oput the proper variables. Sally tells Bob it’s redundant because the spec form has the same information. Then the Customer Service Manager finds in the suggestion box yet another request tochange the forms. On and on and on.
In the middle of it all, the technical writer hasd come to save the day. Find out where it went wrong…, or print the full story.