Giving Thanks for Lessons Learned

by Judith Ellison Shenouda

Giving thanks is part of the human condition. Every religion, every culture finds ways to say "thank you" to friends, family, leaders, a higher power, and whatever entity has helped us in our endeavors. In the U.S., Thanksgiving is a cherished holiday. Families and friends gather together around the customary roast turkey dinner to celebrate. Whether expressed aloud or silently in the confines of one's heart and mind, we give thanks for our blessings.

One of the blessings that I have had for almost 20 years is owning and managing Shenouda Associates Inc., which is certified as a woman-owned business enterprise in New York State, U.S., in the following categories: Communication Consultants, Editorial Services, Technical Manual Preparation, Training and Development, and Writers. The complexities of products, services, processes, and projects are simplified in the publications we develop. Our clients include organizations that design, manufacture, sell, service, purchase, operate, and use products and services that are intended for worldwide use. The success of our clients' organizations in achieving their goals drives our business. Our knowledge workers - technical and marketing communicators, training designers and developers, project managers, localization editors, graphic designers, desktop publishers, Web technologists, and others - are poised to work on a wide variety of projects in a wide variety of work settings.

Operating this business has provided many opportunities to learn about the technical communication craft. During this time of giving thanks, I am grateful for the lessons learned along the way.

Lesson 1: Hone your skills. University courses, community seminars, professional associations, online courses, how-to books, demonstration software, videos, books on tape, and more provide unlimited opportunities to continue to learn and increase your value. As the world of technical communication continues to evolve, be sure that you evolve, as well.

Lesson 2: When a client or employer asks you to do a task, do it. You may have never done the task before and think it is a stretch beyond your capabilities. But you will learn what you can do. There is a first time for everything - the first time you wrote a parts list, a user's guide, a service manual; the first time you leveraged what you learned about a product to write instructional material or marketing collateral; the first time you wrote Web site content; the first time you used new publishing software; the first time you used a corporate document management system. Take ownership of the many skills you have learned. You will then have the confidence to handle new challenges.

Lesson 3: Just as you are open to stretching your capabilities, do the routine, less challenging tasks willingly and graciously. Some of the tasks involved in the technical communication craft are less than glamorous - running the spell checker and grammar checker, correcting all of the those subject-verb and noun-pronoun agreements, using punctuation and capitalization correctly and consistently, giving trademarked terms appropriate treatment, eliminating extra words and redundancies, and more. Yet taking care of the basics every time and in every document shows the importance you attach to the technical writing craft.

Lesson 4: Be a team player. Though writing is often a solitary act with the writer, mouse in hand, clicking away, writers do not work in a vacuum. You need to work with editors, subject matter experts, illustrators, graphic designers, instructional developers, project managers, translators, programmers, and others to produce the finished publication. Whether your publication is electronic - a Web site, online Help, a bookmarked pdf file - or a paper-based site specification, installation guide, or operator's manual, the finished product represents the composite efforts of the team. So do your part to contribute to the overall success. Do it well. Do it on time. Do it with cooperation. Be willing to share the difficulties as well as the glory.

Lesson 5: Think beyond your day-to-day tasks and your specific publication deliverables. Consider how your publications - standard operating procedures, corrective action guides, technical reports, catalogs, and more - help your employers or clients achieve their business goals, which might include a desire for streamlined processes, satisfied customers, repeat business, a competitive edge, recognition, and rewards. When your work makes an important contribution, you become a valuable, respected human resource.

Wherever you live and work, whatever holidays you celebrate, remember to give thanks for the lessons you have learned. Every work day, though it seems routine and ordinary, presents extraordinary opportunities to cultivate a grateful mind, heart, and spirit.

Editor of Technical Communications

Judith Ellison Shenouda is principal of Shenouda Associates Inc. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Literacy Journalism from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, USA. She completed additional courses in curriculum design and development, group dynamics, information studies, publication management, and project management; and has New York State Certification to teach Secondary English. Prior to starting Shenouda Associates Inc. in 1986, she taught English and Language Arts courses, provided academic support and career services, and worked as a freelance writer. She is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication, a member of the Project Management Institute, a member of Toastmasters International, and a frequent presenter at local, national, and international conferences. You can contact Judy at JESheno@aol.com