Christine Hastie

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  • Law 3. Identify the writing mandate and agree on a process
Changes come to goals and priorities

Law 3. Identify the writing mandate and agree on a process

Christine October 22, 2013 3 Comments 10068

When there is writing to be done, most people expect some magic to happen. The mystique surrounding the creative process is powerful. There is no magic, though. Setting words on the page is a process and having a plan is key.

Very early on in the development process, your team must capture the expectations for the project. Ask some simple questions:

  • What are we writing about and why?
  • What do we accomplish by writing  about this topic?
  • What are the expectations for this document?

These questions give rise to many others; answering them brings your mandate into focus and guides the development process. No single person has all the information to write the piece. Knowing what is needed, the team can gather the pieces that make up the whole document.

The discussion about the goals and expectations has other benefits. The discussion—whether in meetings, by email, or other channels—guides the formation of a team. In the process, you identify who the main contributors are. You become aware of factors such as time frames, tools, and challenges, that have an impact on the project.

The third of 10 laws of collaborative writing limits the risk in your project. Without a plan, you’ll have a haphazard, meandering process with no clear objective. It will be hard to know when you’ve finished. Ask the right questions, and your team will be on course to success.

Photo credit: The untitled feature image is by Ruminatrix via Photo pin as cc

Christine
2013-10-22
Tags:
#collabowriter 10 laws approval process business continuity business writing project Collaboration collaborative discussion collaborative questions collaborative writing essentials collaborative writing project document aims document development document goals document objectives expectations laws of collaborative writing managing information timelines writing performance metrics writing performance standards writing process writing project management writing roles writing skills writing strategy writing team writing team integration writing team strategy
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Written by Christine

Christine Hastie specializes in coaching writers, collaborators, and teams to success. Working in creative, technical, and therapeutic fields, she guides people to find their true message, especially when producing written resources that advance knowledge and help others.

View all articles by Christine

Website: http://christinehastie.com

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3 Comments

  1. xrumer
    February 26, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    Great post but I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this
    subject? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more.
    Cheers!

    Reply
    1. Christine
      February 27, 2015 at 06:19 pm

      I looked at your site xrumer and you appear to be a “bot” and not in need of collaborative advice at all … Do correct me if I’m wrong, though.

      Reply
  2. AndreasPDorcy
    June 04, 2015 at 04:21 pm

    whoah this weblog is wonderful i really like
    studying your articles. Stay up the great work!

    You understand, lots of people are hunting around for this info,
    you can help them greatly.

    Reply

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