Chatting It Up at the Water Cooler Pays Off

by Brenda Phillips

When I was hired as a tech writer, I was told that I received the position because I was the applicant with the most personality. Everyone that applied could write, but I seemed to be a "people person" as well. Apparently in one thirty-minute interview I had dispelled the myth that all technical writers are dull, geeky anomalies that only come out after sunset. My interviewers had learned that we can actually be fun-loving characters who can chat it up at the water cooler like everyone else. What I have discovered in my four years of technical writing is that the better you are at interpersonal communication, the easier your job will be—and it will probably be a lot more fun, too. Below are my top five reasons why all technical communicators should start working on their interpersonal skills right now.

More people equals more resources

In an average eight-hour work day, I deal with people in the following departments: Client Services, Compliance, Marketing, Operations Support, Quality, Customer Service, Business Solutions, Testing, and Information Technology. If I didn't have contact people in each of these departments, my eight hours of work would turn into 12 or more. I have even been able to do this through a series of company changes: three different managers, four different directors, and two mergers.

Be ahead of the game

I have worked long and hard to keep track of department functions and have learned to target certain people in each department that can keep me on top of upcoming projects. Keeping ahead of the game helps me manage my time and schedule for upcoming projects without getting bogged down when they begin. But getting a foot in on some projects is not always easy - sometimes managers and directors only want "high level" participants (department managers and above) involved in the beginning of a project. That's when a little creativity and a lot of finagling come into play. "Getting in the communications loop will also require a fairly high degree of political savvy within your organization. It cannot be done by isolating yourself or communicating with your subordinates," says JoAnn Hackos, author of Managing Your Documentation Projects (93).

In the long run your job is easier

To break down the wall between you and your customers, you must get out and communicate with others in your organization. This is absolutely necessary if you want to succeed in this profession. When writers do not want to take the extra time to do the research, odds are very good that they will be spending even more time revising the project in the end. Writers must remember that technical communication is not an arena where they should be making assumptions; it is an arena filled with facts and data. As Hackos says, "Find out what your audience really needs—don't assume that you know" (Managing 104).

The word gets out

One way to earn a reputation as a solid technical communicator is to make sure you are a key player on project teams. As a result of hard work and persistence, I no longer have to work to get on to project teams - departments know that if there is a project that will affect my specialty (card-member letters), I need to be brought into the process from the very beginning. I feel as if I have followed one of Hackos' guidelines to the tee: "If you want to know what's going on, make sure you're seen as a person whose ideas and opinions matter" (Managing 94).

Doors may open elsewhere

There is one more advantage to honing your interpersonal communication skills—it can help you learn the art of networking, which can often lead to bigger and better opportunities, whether within your company or elsewhere. Networking is one of the ten benefits that the Society for Technical Communication (STC) lists in its "10 Reasons to Join STC" brochure: "STC activities provide excellent networking opportunities for technical communicators. You may hear about your next job at a chapter meeting, or meet your next coworker at the STC annual conference."

Personalities differ in every workplace environment. There are people who see work as a chore—they want to get in, get it done, and go home. There are those who see their job as helping a greater cause. There are those who see their current job as a stepping-stone to something greater. And there are many other ways people see their jobs and careers. No matter how you may perceive yours, if you are a technical communicator of any sort, you need to keep in mind that to make your days easier you will need to utilize, and maybe even sharpen, your interpersonal communication skills. Without them, it may be a long, long road of revisions, rewrites, and low performance review—and no writer wants that!