Project Managers And Technical Writers The Outsiders That Make Tech Work

Writen by Nigel Fogden

Project managers need to create plans, form teams and keep track of all of the challenges and deadlines that are part of today's fast paced product development cycle. They stand in the center of a crowd of different people, and have to unite and guide them towards a specific goal.

The irony of project management is that while managers have a hand in everything, they participate only indirectly in all of the different tasks that they watch over. Project managers may not write a line of code, but they are responsible for the getting the product done on time. That distance from the specifics of the product can give project managers the objectivity necessary to deliver the product by its deadline.

Even so, the gap between the project manager and those working with the details of the product can lead to serious problems. Many managers have found that an inability to communicate with and relate to the technology experts working under them can doom the most well planned products.

That's where technical writers can step in. Like project managers, technical writers are not scientists or engineers. Unlike project managers, their specialty is translating the language of technology into language that anybody can understand. That ability to build bridges between the development team and management is a powerful, but often overlooked, ability.

Technical writers can:

• Make sure the project managers knows about problems that threaten the product
• Maintain clear, organized records of the development process
• Develop a clear understanding of the different branches of a project through interviews with technology specialists
• Keep the project focused on the audience for whom the project is intended
• Promote communication between management and the development team

It's easy for project managers to get focused only on concrete progress towards a completed product. Technical writing too often gets the lowest priority, yet it is just this kind of rush forward that leads to the kinds of communication breakdowns that technical writers can help prevent.

To take advantage of technical writer's unique skills, project managers need to integrate writers into the development process as early on as possible. By making sure that technical writers have the time and resources they need in order to follow and closely document a project, management creates an open channel of communication with the development team.

Turn your technical writing staff into the bridge you need to stay informed about your project. Technical writers are communication specialists, and it is clear communication that turns a strong development team into a great completed product.

Nigel Fogden is an English teacher and writer with 24 by 5 Tech Comm, a technical writing company that specializes in fast, high-quality, software documentation. For more articles on writing, technology and business, sign up for the 24 by 5 Tech Comm Newsletter at http://www.24by5.com