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Expanded Roles and Added Value for Technical Communicators
1. EXPANDED ROLES & ADDED VALUE
FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATORS
STC TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION SUMMIT ’11
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
MONDAY, 16 MAY 2011
PANEL PARTICIPANTS:
CINDY CURRIE-CLIFFORD
BARBARA GIAMMONA
VIRGINIA GLASS
DAWNELL CLAESSEN
CONNIE KIERNAN
LINDA OESTREICH, MODERATOR
2. CINDY CURRIE-CLIFFORD, PMP®
BUSINESS PLANNING MANAGER
Where I work: Hewlett-Packard Company, Enterprise Services
Business – Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), Americas
How I got here: Broad skill set, with a strong mix of
communication, technical, and business skills; including 25+ years
of project and program management experience
Key messages:
Good communication skills are highly valued in business;
many people do not possess them.
Be very willing to try new things. Stretch a little, and often.
Learn to lead from behind or below; good leaders are everywhere
in an organization, so don’t be afraid to be one of them.
Be a thinker, as well as a grinder.
Obtain a meaningful certification.
3. BARBARA GIAMMONA
EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS
Where I work: Invensys Operations Management (Senior
Manager, R&D Technical Publications and Communications)
How I got here: Took risks. Developed political savvy. Networked
well. Reached out to senior management. Saw a need and
stepped up to meet it.
Key messages:
You, too, can parlay your experience as a Technical Communicator into a
successful and strategically important role in Corporate Communications
4. VIRGINIA GLASS
SYSTEM VISUALIZATIONS
Where I work: Information Designer for ExactTarget,
System Architecture Team
How I got here: Degree in Computer Science, English
teacher, mother, created my own training company, worked
for cutting edge software companies, mastered new skills
at every opportunity
Key messages:
Keep your skills inventory sharp and up-to-date to be ready for
the next opportunity!
ATTITUDE = 100%
(A=1, T=20, I=9, U=21, D=4, E=5)
Be open to new ideas and new skills
Eagerness to learn makes a difference in a fast-paced
environment
5. DAWNELL CLAESSEN, CISSP
MANAGER, P&P SIG
Where I work: Information Policy Analyst for the Military Health
System. Mostly Certification & Accreditation work
How I got here: Publish, Teach, Learn. Be relentless on this.
Key messages:
Don’t be afraid to specialize. Be a SME for something that clearly
demonstrates value.
Do what you like. Take “cautious initiative” if see a process or an area that
interests you.
Manage your skill set portfolio. Always be ready and willing to re-tool.
Certifications are important these days.
6. CONNIE KIERNAN
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
Where I work: United States Mint, Information
Technology Division (Chief Information Officer)
How I got here? Broad skill set and willingness to
research to create new job opportunities
Key messages:
Communication skills are the key to a wealth of
opportunities
Offer your skills throughout your company
Broaden your skill set—never stop learning and growing
7. LINDA OESTREICH
SENIOR STRATEGIC ANALYST
STC leadership and technical communicator skills can help propel you
into areas of work and salary levels you had never dreamed of!
Where I work: Omnitec Solutions, Inc., assigned to Space and Naval
Warfare Systems Command
How I got here: Society-level committees and boards plus doc
management activities
Key messages:
STC leadership provides avenues of education and experience that can
supplement your daytime jobs
Technical communication skills have a broad range of application
Do what you love; love what you do and the salary & satisfaction will follow
8. REFERENCES & RESOURCES
Business Analysis Body of Knowledge:
http://www.theiiba.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Body_of_K
nowledge
Business Process Management; John Jeston and Johan
Nelis; Elsevier, 2006
Business Process Modeling, Simulation, and Design; Manuel
Laguna and Johan Marklund; Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005
Business Process Improvement Toolbox; Bjorn Andersen;
ASQ Quality Press, 1999
Gamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James
Macanufo, O’Reilly, 2010, www.XPlane.com
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC):
http://www.iabc.com/
Melcrum’s Source for Communicators: www.melcrum.com
9. REFERENCES & RESOURCES
Strategic Business and Competitive Intelligence Professionals
(linkedin.com group)
http://blogs.hbr.org/ Harvard Business Review blogs
http://www.fastcompany.com/ Fast Company Magazine online
http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/ National Institute for Standards
and Technology
10. ORGANIZATIONS THAT CERTIFY
American Society for Quality (ASQ)
http://asq.org/certification/
International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI)
http://www.ispi.org/certification
Project Management Institute (PMI)
http://www.pmi.org/Certification.aspx
Society for Technical Communication (STC)
http://www.stc.org/education/stc-certification