13 Common Policy Procedure Mistakes Part 2

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Raymond E. Urgo | Principal | Urgo & Associates | [email protected]

Maxwell Hoffmann | Adobe Product Evangelist | Twitter @maxwellhoffmann | [email protected]

13 Common Mistakes about Communicating Policies & Procedures Information

…and How to Avoid Them -- Part 2


About Adobe Systems, Inc.

Adobe Systems (Facts)• Founded December 1982

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• Adobe changes the digital world through the creation of beautiful and powerful images, video and publishing applications.

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Your Webinar host

Maxwell Hoffmann

Adobe Product Evangelist, Tech Comm Suite

Former Product Manager and Sales Training Directorfor Frame Technology

15 years in translation industry, working on “whatever documents walked through the door”

Trained over 1,200 people in hands-on, scalable publishing solutions

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Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

About Raymond Urgo (Mr. P&P)

• Age 7: Wrote neighborhood club rules, played telephone company

• Age 27: Methods & Procedures Analyst, New York Telephone Company

• 1993: Founded Urgo & Associates, management consultancy in P&P

• Professional career mission: To define and promote P&P Communication as a discipline and a way to transform organizations

13 Common Mistakes about CommunicatingPolicies & Procedures Information

…and How to Avoid Them[Part 1 of 2]

Raymond E. UrgoUrgo & Associates

www.urgoconsulting.com

13 Common Mistakes about CommunicatingPolicies & Procedures Information

…and How to Avoid Them[Part 2 of 2]


Preview of Part 2 of 2 for Today’s Webinar

7 of 13 common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Process for Developing P&P Information(#7 and #8)

• Standards for Developing P&P Information (#9 and #10)

• Talents for Developing P&P Information (#11 thru #13)


Free P&P resources AND a Special Offer!

Teach vs. Think


I cannot teach anybody anything,

I can only make them think.

Socrates(469 - 399 BC)

Athenian Philosopher

Mistake #7: No process for self-development

An organization does not have a standard, authorized process in place for self developing and maintaining

its policies and procedures information.


POLL

Avoid Mistake #7: No process for self-development

Define a process with roles and responsibilities for

developing and maintaining P&P among the players in

your organization.

What to do: • Assign a position or group

to own the process• Get buy-in and approval if

affecting 2 or more groups• Design the process into

phases and stages• For each stage indicate

roles, responsibilities, and tasks


Mistake #8: Misunderstanding ownership and

maintenance

An organization’s members assume that policies and procedures information is owned and maintained by

the person or group writing and publishing

the information.


Avoid Mistake #8: Misunderstanding ownership and maintenance

What to do• Assign owners of

content• Inform owners of role,

responsibilities, standardsfor maintenance, andhow to work together


Give the keys to the owners of their content, and let them know

ALL about their role and responsibilities for

ownership and maintenance.

Mistake #9: Not using documentation style standards

An organization does not have documentation style

standards for presenting policies and procedures

information.


Avoid Mistake #9: Not using documentation style standards

Create and maintain a P&P Style Guide unique to your

organization’s decisions about style

What to do

• Have a variety of style guides

• Assign person to develop and maintain your P&P Style Guide

• Develop the Guide with style decisions unique to yourorganization and based onprinciples and rationales,not likes-and-dislikes

• Have a P&P expert advise on style guides and how to get yours established quickly


POLL

Mistake #10: Not using a documentation methodology

Assuming that a standard style guide and a formatting template will

ensure adequate quality for developing policies and procedures

information.

=


POLL

Avoid Mistake #10: Not using a documentation methodology

What to know• What methods are available• Differences and roots in the methods• Which best suites your needs and why

• Best way to implement • Common traps for failure• Indicators of success• Ways to supplement short comings• Ways to get added value


Is your organization ready for a documentation

methodology?

“Everyone can write, right?Wrong!”

Popular expression in the technical communication

profession

Mistake #11: Expecting non-writers to write

Top management informs managers and staff they

are responsible for writing and publishing their own policies and procedures.


Avoid Mistake #11: Expecting non-writers to write

What to do• Have someone interested and qualified

assigned to the role of P&P writer (communicator or content developer)

• Have managers, staff, subject experts, and users assigned as contributors and reviewers to the principal writer

• Position the roles of expert asthe author, and communicator asthe ghost writer

Have someone play the role of

“P&P Ghost Writer”


POLL

Mistake #12: Expecting only good grammatical skills

Management assigns a secretary, administrative

assistant, or someone with a degree in English to write policies and procedures.


Foundations for Today’s Effective P&P Communication

• Cognitive science• Human factors for

communication• Performance-based analysis• Functionality of information

types• Display technology of

information• Effective writing techniques

Avoid Mistake #12: Expecting only good grammatical skills

What to do• Either contract, hire, or develop

talent having an interest in P&P or technical communication

• Be sure selected talent has adequate foundations for writing and analysisof P&P

• Contact professional associations in technical communication and instructional design for courses and seminars


Mistake #13: Seeking wrong kind of talent

Management seeks policies and procedures talent from the

outside by either hiring someone familiar primarily with the subject

(not documentation), or contracting a writer

when really a consultantis needed.


Avoid Mistake #13: Seeking wrong kind of talent

What to do

• Avoid the “what you want” trap

• Determine which of 3 types ofexpertise you need: writer/analyst, subject expert, or consultant

• Avoid the “subject expert” trap

• Determine which of 3 roles youneed: extra pair of hands, expert,or collaborative advisor


Review of Parts 1 and 2 of this 2-Part Webinar

13 common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Understanding the Use of Policies & Procedures Information (#1 and #2)

• Approaches to Developing Policies & Procedures Information (#3 thru #6)

• Process for Developing P&P Information (#7 and #8)

• Standards for Developing P&P Information (#9 and #10)

• Talents for Developing P&P Information (#11, #12, and #13)


Urgo & Associates Policies & Procedures Consulting Services


• Provide assessments and strategic advice on P&P programs and resources

• Lead P&P content development projectsto simplify complex practices and content

• Teach and mentor in P&P Communication

• Advise P&P product and service providers in the P&P Marketplace on trends

Urgo & Associates P&P Resources and Special Offer


Free P&P resources at www.urgoconsulting.com• Articles, book reviews, white papers, presentations

• Award-winning e-newsletterThe Policies & Procedures Authority

Special offer !Complimentary consultation (first 7 requests by email)

Contact informationRaymond Urgo rurgo@urgoconsultingUrgo & Associates www.urgoconsulting.com

323-851-6600


Question And Answer Time

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Contact Information

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InformationRaymond E. UrgoPrincipalUrgo & Associates1616 N. Fuller Ave., #428Los Angeles, CA 90046-3893

LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondurgoEmail [email protected] http://www.urgoconsulting.comPhone +01 323-851-6600

Maxwell HoffmannAdobe Systems, Inc.Product Evangelist

Blog blogs.adobe.com/techcomm Blog blogs.adobe.com/mbhoffmann Twitter twitter.com/maxwellhoffmannTwitter twitter.com/AdobeTCS

Email [email protected] Web www.adobe.comLinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellhoffmannFacebook As Maxwell HoffmannFacebook As Adobe Technical Communication Professionals Group

Previously recorded eSeminars: http://adobe.ly/qo3pzcCalendar of upcoming eSeminars: http://adobe.ly/xdzOYa

13 Common Policy Procedure Mistakes Part 2

Education

Transcript of 13 Common Policy Procedure Mistakes Part 2