communication department

By Karen Mardahl, STC SIG Advocate

In each issue of Tieline, a representative of the twenty-one STC special interest groups (SIGs) shares wisdom, hints, and lessons learned. The wide range of topics arise from the basic wish to provide benefits to SIG members, to nurture and support SIG leaders, and to strengthen and develop the SIG community. We share our thoughts proudly with all STC community leaders as a part of the continuous conversation that is technical communication.

While participating in a panel on Leadership Day together with my colleagues in the SIG Advisory Council, I heard many ideas that inspired the thought "that would be a great Tieline article." The panel—Judith Herr, outgoing SIG Advocate and incoming STC Director; Dan Charles (Emerging Technologies); Richard Mateosian (Management SIG); Shari Gray (Lone Writer SIG); and me (AccessAbility SIG and incoming SIG Advocate)—covered a range of topics, including recruiting, motivating, and keeping volunteer leaders—virtually. This article contains just a few of the ideas shared that day.

Virtual vs. Physical

Let's demystify one thing right away. In his own presentation, Richard Mateosian stated that "Virtual is the same as physical, it's just different." I continued on that theme when I spoke. What we are doing as community leaders in STC is just life in miniature. We have tasks, deadlines, conflicts of interest, management issues, employee issues, and the list goes on.

So, work as a volunteer in STC is no different from so many other things we do. We don't need to hesitate when we see the word "virtual." Of course, meeting people virtually is different. You don't have the body language, the handshake, and other non-verbal forms of communication. We have been using email long enough now that we ought to know about netiquette and good old-fashioned values like respect and tolerance. Also, we are communicators, aren't we? And professionals? We are already involved. Therefore, we can just move our very professional approach from the physical world to the virtual.

Recruiting

Now that we are in the virtual world, how do we get others to join in the fun that we're having?

STC members should be clamoring for an opportunity to write for an STC publication or serve in some other capacity. According to some of the discussion lists within the Society, we want attention and respect as technical communicators. We claim that we love to write or that we have a huge body of knowledge in our heads concerning a specific tool or methodology. The Society has the proper forums for writing or sharing, from the discussion lists and STC Forum to the Technical Communication journal. The Society also allows us to put our ideas into action in the 150-plus communities of STC, both SIGs and chapters. We should be turning away the hordes, not begging for one solitary volunteer.

In another Tieline article I wrote (Invest in an STC Membership, October 2007) last year, I discussed the virtues of renewing STC memberships. I called it an investment. We are not talking about a passive investment like gold bars. Membership is an active investment. We all need to do something with our membership if we—and our Society—want to develop. It is up to us to prioritize and communicate our priorities, and we must respect our personal needs and the personal needs of others.

Don't force tasks on volunteers. Instead, use the psychology you use in any life situation. Show or explain the value the volunteers will receive. They may not want to do a task for you, but you can nearly always get them to do something to benefit themselves! When you use a positive and constructive approach, you rarely, if ever, get negative results.

What's in It of Me?

Once you prioritize time for involvement in STC activities, you have good opportunities to show your talents to your peers. Yes, it is scary. The technical communication community is a very difficult audience. But isn't that a fantastic learning opportunity? If you can practice with a tough audience like STC members, your paying work should end up dazzling your customers.

Performing duties for the communities can always translate back to your job. Long-term members should realize this. We should find opportunities for new volunteers to do a task that has substance, but is less daunting. With smaller tasks, we can help develop their skills—and get work done for our community.

Never forget to point out the value in all tasks. All tasks should be treated with respect, and that should give you quality in return. This is also the time to consider whether you really need to get all those tasks completed. Perhaps your list of tasks is too long and too complex. Rethink your goals, and consider pruning your list. A less overwhelming list of duties may be all you need to attract new volunteers. Ultimately, I'd like to see people stop saying "what's in it for me?" and start saying "what's in it of me?" All attendees at the conference and those who could not attend have potential. Find out where you can give someone an opportunity to shine and give of themselves. Share your experiences-and shine-in a future Tieline article so we can all learn. Who's first?