13 Common Policy Procedure Mistakes Part 2

13 Common Mistakes about Communicating Policies & Procedures Information …and How to Avoid Them -- Part 2 Raymond E. Urgo | Principal | Urgo & Associates | rurgo@urgoconsulting.com Maxwell Hoffmann | Adobe Product Evangelist | Twitter @maxwellhoffmann | mhoffman@adobe.com© 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.

About Adobe Systems, Inc. Adobe Systems (Facts) • Founded December 1982 • 2012 Revenue - $4.216 billion (11% growth) • Adobe changes the digital world through the creation of beautiful and powerful images, video and publishing applications.© 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 2

Your Webinar hostMaxwell 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© 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 3

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 organizationsCopyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

13 Common Mistakes about Communicating 13 Common Mistakes about Communicating Policies & Procedures Information Policies & Procedures Information …and How to Avoid Them …and How toof 2] Them [Part 1 Avoid [Part 2 of 2] Raymond E. Urgo Urgo & Associates www.urgoconsulting.comCopyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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!Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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.Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Avoid Mistake #7: No process for self-developmentWhat 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 Define a process with roles phases and stages and responsibilities for• For each stage indicate developing and maintaining roles, responsibilities, and P&P among the players in tasks your organization.Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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.Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Avoid Mistake #8: Misunderstanding ownership and maintenanceWhat to do• Assign owners of content• Inform owners of role, responsibilities, standards for maintenance, and Give the keys to the owners of their content, and let them know how to work together ALL about their role and responsibilities for ownership and maintenance.Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Avoid Mistake #9: Not using documentation style standardsWhat 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 your organization and based on principles and rationales, not likes-and-dislikes• Have a P&P expert advise on style Create and maintain a P&P Style Guide unique to your guides and how to get yours organization’s decisions established quickly about styleCopyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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. =Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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 Is your organization ready for a documentation • Ways to get added value methodology?Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Mistake #11: Expecting non-writers to write Top management informs managers and staff they are responsible for writing “Everyone can write, right? and publishing their own Wrong!” policies and procedures. Popular expression in the technical communication professionCopyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Avoid Mistake #11: Expecting non-writers to writeWhat 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 Have someone play contributors and reviewers to the the role of principal writer “P&P Ghost Writer”• Position the roles of expert as the author, and communicator as the ghost writerCopyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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.Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Avoid Mistake #12: Expecting only good grammatical skillsWhat to do• Either contract, hire, or develop talent having an interest in P&P or Foundations for Today’s Effective P&P Communication technical communication • Cognitive science• Be sure selected talent has adequate • Human factors for foundations for writing and analysis communication • Performance-based analysis of P&P • Functionality of information types• Contact professional associations in • Display technology of technical communication and information instructional design for courses and • Effective writing techniques seminarsCopyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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 consultant is needed.Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Avoid Mistake #13: Seeking wrong kind of talent What to do • Avoid the “what you want” trap • Determine which of 3 types of expertise you need: writer/analyst, subject expert, or consultant • Avoid the “subject expert” trap • Determine which of 3 roles you need: extra pair of hands, expert, or collaborative advisorCopyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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)Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Urgo & Associates Policies & Procedures Consulting Services• Provide assessments and strategic advice on P&P programs and resources• Lead P&P content development projects to 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 trendsCopyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

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-newsletter The Policies & Procedures Authority Special offer ! Complimentary consultation (first 7 requests by email) Contact information Raymond Urgo rurgo@urgoconsulting Urgo & Associates www.urgoconsulting.com 323-851-6600Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

Contact Information Information Raymond E. Urgo LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondurgo Principal Email rurgo@urgoconsulting.com Urgo & Associates Web http://www.urgoconsulting.com 1616 N. Fuller Ave., #428 Phone +01 323-851-6600 Los Angeles, CA 90046- 3893 Maxwell Hoffmann Blog blogs.adobe.com/techcomm Adobe Systems, Inc. Blog blogs.adobe.com/mbhoffmann Product Evangelist Twitter twitter.com/maxwellhoffmann Twitter twitter.com/AdobeTCS Email n mhoffma @adobe.com Web www.adobe.com LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellhoffmann Facebook As Maxwell Hoffmann Facebook As Adobe Technical Communication Professionals Group Calendar of upcoming eSeminars: http://adobe.ly/xdzOYa Previously recorded eSeminars: http://adobe.ly/qo3pzc© 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 26

13 Common Policy Procedure Mistakes Part 2

by Adobe TechComm on Jun 24, 2012

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