Collaborative writing and meetings at work involve groups of two or more individuals combining their efforts to prepare a single document and share authorship for the common good. Valued skills for collaboration include interacting successfully, networking, participating and providing constructive feedback. Collaboration has advantages such as building on collective talents, increasing productivity, and boosting morale. For successful collaboration, groups must work together by planning, researching, preparing drafts, and revising.

1. COLLABORATIVE WRITING &
MEETINGS AT WORK

2. Occurs when...
 A group of 2+ individuals do the following:
 Combine their efforts to prepare a single document
 Share authorship
 Work together for the common good

3. Valued Skills
 Interact successfully on an interpersonal level
 Network to access and achieve information
 Participate and provide feedback
 Give and take constructive criticism
 Raise important and relevant questions
 Get assistance from resource experts in other
departments and fields
 Put the good of your company above your ego
 Work toward consensus
 Contribute to costumer service and satisfaction

4. Advantages
 Collaboration builds on collective talents
 Allows for positive feedback and critique
 Increases productivity and saves time and money
 Ensures overall writing effectiveness
 Accelerates the decision making time
 Reduces corporate risk
 Boosts employee morale and confidence while
decreasing stress
 Contributes to customer satisfaction
 Affords a greater opportunity to understand global
perspectives

5. The Writing Process
 Groups must work together
 Plan before they write
 Do research
 Prepare drafts
 Revise and edit

6. 7 Guidelines for Success
 Get to know one another
 Set up a preliminary meeting to establish guidelines
 Agree on the group’s leadership
 Identify each member’s responsibilities and roles that
allow for individual skills and talent
 Establish the time, places and length of group
meetings
 Followed an agreed upon timetable, but leave room
for flexibility
 Use standard reference guides for matters of style,
documentation and format

7. 10 Proven Ways to be a ValuableTeam Player

8. Sources of Conflict
 Resisting constructive criticism
 Giving only negative criticism
 Dominating a meeting
 Refusing to participate
 Interrupting with incessant questions
 Inflating small details out of proportion
 Being overly deferential to avoid conflict
 Not respecting cultural differences
 Violating confidentiality
 Not finishing on time or submitting an incomplete
document

9. Computer Supported Collaboration

10. Advantages
 Increased opportunities to “meet”
 Reduced stress by updating new group
members
 Expanded options for communicating
worldwide
 Improved feedback and accountability
 Enhanced possibility of complete and clear
information

11. Groupware
 Email
 Document Tracking Software
 Web-Based Collaboration Systems
 Wikis
 Online Word Processing Systems
 Google Docs