Collaborative Business Writing

Course overview

Writing and communication skills have degraded with more and more people communicating
through email and instant messaging. Developing writing skills is still important in the business world
as is creating proper documents (such as proposals, reports, and agendas) giving you that extra edge in
the workplace.

The Collaborative Business Writing workshop will give your participants the knowledge and skills to
collaborate with others and create that important document. Your participants will touch on the types
of collaboration, and ways to improve them through certain tools and processes. These basic skills will
provide your participants with that extra benefit in the business world that a lot of people are losing

Objectives

•Define collaborative business writing
• Know different types of collaborative writing
• Know how to collaborate with team members
• Learn methods of handling conflict in writing
• Build collaborative writing teams

Curriculum  

Module One: Getting Started
Workshop Objectives

Module Two: What is Collaborative Business Writing?
Clarifying the Objective
Practical Writing Approaches
Collaborative Writing Strategies
Collaborative Writing Patterns

Module Three: Types of Collaborative Business Writing
Construction – “Cut and Paste”
Parallel Construction – “Puzzle”
Sequential Summative Construction
Integrating Construction

Module Four: Collaborative Team Members
Team Leader Selection
Chief Editor Selection
Characteristics of Team Members
Ways to Build Collaborative Writing Team

Module Five: Collaborative Tools and Processes
Outlines and Storyboards
Collaborative Planning
Collaborative Revision
Collaborative Team Cohesion

Module Six: Setting Style Guidelines
Voice and Person
Format
Consistent Spelling of Commonly Used Words
Numbers as Words or Figures

Module Seven: Barriers to Successful Collaborative Writing
Hoarding
Innovation
Search
Knowledge Transfer

Module Eight: Overcoming Collaborative Writing Barriers
Practice T-shaped Management
Building a Network of Alliances
Implementing Enablers
Assessing the Culture and Areas for Improvement

Module Nine: Styles of Dealing with Conflict
Ensure that Good Relationships are the First Priority
Keep People and Problems Separate
Pay Attention to the Interests that are Being Presented
Listen First, Talk Second

Module Ten: Tips for Successful Business Writing Collaboration
Determine Purpose
Formulate Outline and Organizational Format
When Choosing a Team Leader, Remember…
Assign Writing Tasks and Associated Duties

Module Eleven: Examples of Collaborative Business Writing
Writing Emails
Writing Reports
Writing Training Manuals
Writing Company Handbooks

Module Twelve: Wrapping Up
Words from the Wise