December Meeting Recap:
It's not Technical Writing!

by Carol Lawless, Treasurer

That's the second thing we heard at December's meeting. The first was how Sherry McMenemy wields a mean set of power tools. Sherry, Catalyst, Online Strategies at Descartes Systems also wields a pretty impressive collection of writing tools. She's taken her strong technical writing background and applied it to a successful career at Descartes, where she leads the Web team and handles internal communications. At December's general meeting, she shared her secrets to success.

Internal communications may not be technical writing, but there are definitely similarities:

• Know your audience. The secret to successful internal communications is understanding what people need to know and what they want to hear and then relating them together. This is particularly true of events that elicit emotional or sensitive responses from people (layoffs, for example). Knowing your audience also means setting and meeting expectations. If they expect regular news (especially on the intranet) make sure you don't disappoint them. They're more likely to come back.
• Be an advocate for your audience. If you've done your homework (a.k.a. you know your audience), make sure the communications give them what they need. It's not always about "just in time communications". Share their success stories. Talk about human interest and community news, if it's appropriate. Brag about how they averted or solved problems.
• Understand the right media for the message. Sometimes internal communications are broadcast via the Intranet, but there are times when that's not the best way to communicate a message. Consider things like the timelines, the frequency that some people read intranet news, and the impact -- certain things need to be delivered personally. Press releases and newsletters are great for some types of information.
• Use metrics. Develop a strategy to measure if the message is getting across to the audience. You may have an informal strategy. Sherry favours cruising the hallways or polling her audience to understand their take on key messages. Usually the question, "so, what do you think about . . .?" produces a great response. But remember -- whenever you solicit feedback, protect your credibility and your reader's confidentiality and never, never divulge names.
• Document management is important. You want your audience to find what it needs.

Successful internal communications keep the lines open and encourage sharing both ways. It may not be technical writing, but the bottom line is much the same -- know your audience and give them the information they need. And remember, it's always about the people.