Integrating a new writer?

Subject: Integrating a new writer?
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 21:03:38 -0500


Mandy wondered: <<So my team population is doubling on Monday, when I have a new writer starting. He's worked as a junior/intermediate writer before, but I've never had an apprentice, as it were. Any suggestions for getting him into the groove?>>

Spend a few minutes figuring out what you do in a given day, then ask yourself what assumptions you're making to get that work done: that is, what have you already learned and now take for granted? This includes knowing where the bathroom is, where the SMEs hide out, which SMEs are user-friendly and which ones should only be approached while well armed, and so on. Then introduce the newcomer to everyone they'll need to work with.

Start with the things they'll need to fit in and feel comfortable that first day, then move up from there. You usually can't expect someone to do much significant work the first day, so dedicate that day to making them comfortable enough that they can start real work the second day.

<<I'll be pretty much his direct supervisor and mentor as far as writing goes, but I'm used to being a lone tech writer/contractor type who just gets dropped in drink to learn how to swim>>

How have _you_ survived in this situation in the past? Teach those skills to the newcomer. What did you hate having to learn all on your own when you arrived at your current job? Make a list, and budget some time to teach those things to the person so they won't have to earn their own scars learning them.

<<I'd like a little more long-term advice to make sure his experience isn't a sink-or-swim one.>>

Make yourself available to answer questions, even the really dumb ones, respectfully--that's the best thing any mentor can do. Explain some of the standard things you do so that the newcomer can start doing them right from the start. Initially, review everything the person writes intensively, starting with small chunks of text, and teach them to correct problems now, before they become a habit. Fix a problem once, right at the start, and you won't have to fix it 200 times when it comes time to review and edit the final docs.

Encourage the newcomer to ask questions about why you do things. Understanding why makes it easier to learn how to do something. And sometimes you'll find that the answer is "there's no good reason--we've always done it that way". In that case, ask yourself whether there's a better way. Intelligent people like being listened to and having their opinions respected, so try a bit of that too. A newcomer offers something very difficult to obtain if you've been working somewhere for a long time: distance and the objectivity that comes with it.

<<I’m also looking for some advice on sharing the work--my initial greedy thought of 'I'll do the interesting stuff; you do the boring scut work.>>

Dogbert school of management, right? <g> Better solution would be to divide up the work so that the newbie gets to take ownership of something and feel like part of the team. For example:

<<Any thoughts on how to split up a two-product, 15-doc set?>>

Spend some time explaining the scope of the full set of docs, and about how the newcomer's experience and skills relate to this set. Maybe they'd be a natural fit for some of the work, and if you're really lucky, it's work you dislike. Ask if they have any preferences. Starting out showing cooperation and consideration always works better than making someone's decisions for them.

<<Mandy...also figuring out how to get my hair looking like there's a big orange marmot living on my head...>>

First, purchase a big, orange marmot...

--Geoff Hart ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)
www.geoff-hart.com


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