Integrating a new writer?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Mandy wondered: <<So my team population is doubling on Monday, when I 
have a new writer starting. He's worked as a junior/intermediate writer 
before, but I've never had an apprentice, as it were. Any suggestions 
for getting him into the groove?>>

Spend a few minutes figuring out what you do in a given day, then ask 
yourself what assumptions you're making to get that work done: that is, 
what have you already learned and now take for granted? This includes 
knowing where the bathroom is, where the SMEs hide out, which SMEs are 
user-friendly and which ones should only be approached while well 
armed, and so on. Then introduce the newcomer to everyone they'll need 
to work with.

Start with the things they'll need to fit in and feel comfortable that 
first day, then move up from there. You usually can't expect someone to 
do much significant work the first day, so dedicate that day to making 
them comfortable enough that they can start real work the second day.

<<I'll be pretty much his direct supervisor and mentor as far as 
writing goes, but I'm used to being a lone tech writer/contractor type 
who just gets dropped in drink to learn how to swim>>

How have _you_ survived in this situation in the past? Teach those 
skills to the newcomer. What did you hate having to learn all on your 
own when you arrived at your current job? Make a list, and budget some 
time to teach those things to the person so they won't have to earn 
their own scars learning them.

<<I'd like a little more long-term advice to make sure his experience 
isn't a sink-or-swim one.>>

Make yourself available to answer questions, even the really dumb ones, 
respectfully--that's the best thing any mentor can do. Explain some of 
the standard things you do so that the newcomer can start doing them 
right from the start. Initially, review everything the person writes 
intensively, starting with small chunks of text, and teach them to 
correct problems now, before they become a habit. Fix a problem once, 
right at the start, and you won't have to fix it 200 times when it 
comes time to review and edit the final docs.

Encourage the newcomer to ask questions about why you do things. 
Understanding why makes it easier to learn how to do something. And 
sometimes you'll find that the answer is "there's no good reason--we've 
always done it that way". In that case, ask yourself whether there's a 
better way. Intelligent people like being listened to and having their 
opinions respected, so try a bit of that too. A newcomer offers 
something very difficult to obtain if you've been working somewhere for 
a long time: distance and the objectivity that comes with it.

<<I’m also looking for some advice on sharing the work--my initial 
greedy thought of 'I'll do the interesting stuff; you do the boring 
scut work.>>

Dogbert school of management, right? <g> Better solution would be to 
divide up the work so that the newbie gets to take ownership of 
something and feel like part of the team. For example:

<<Any thoughts on how to split up a two-product, 15-doc set?>>

Spend some time explaining the scope of the full set of docs, and about 
how the newcomer's experience and skills relate to this set. Maybe 
they'd be a natural fit for some of the work, and if you're really 
lucky, it's work you dislike. Ask if they have any preferences. 
Starting out showing cooperation and consideration always works better 
than making someone's decisions for them.

<<Mandy...also figuring out how to get my hair looking like there's a 
big orange marmot living on my head...>>

First, purchase a big, orange marmot...

--Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)
www.geoff-hart.com


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