What Is A Technical Writer?

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I’d like to introduce myself.

I’m a Technical Writer and I know many of you THINK you know my job.

I promise you, you don’t, but the purpose of this article is to provide a “lens” into my world.

The first question, what is a Technical Writer?

I could answer this, but not sufficiently, so I’ll wait for a better time.

I will say my job description morphs and changes depending on the context (Project, Process, Procedure).

An even better question is why - why does a Technical Writer exist?

The first superpower of a Technical Writer is TRANSLATION.

My job is to take ideas, concepts, proposals, fears, anxieties, rules, regulations, requirements, processes, procedures, and whatever else you can think of and magically deliver this “data and content” into a coherent and concrete form.

Does that make me a magician?

Does that make me a genie?

For example, let’s discuss the normal operations of a large corporation and where I fit in.

During a meeting, there should be one UNBIASED person who understands what’s going on and how it fits into the corporate road map. I find it interesting that many people do NOT take minutes and suddenly, they are having more meetings and nothing is getting done.

That’s what happens when you neglect Tech Writing.

During a requirements meeting, there should be one person with CUMULATIVE understanding of several industries that can package what is being said into a palatable form for other employees to understand.

Again, many employees feel they are so advanced, there is no need for documentation or Tech Writing.

When an employee has an incredible idea for a new business model and wishes to present it to Executives, this person is left ALONE to develop the idea and then present the idea.

Idea development has nothing to do with being creative, it has to do with architecture.

Why is this idea unique for us?
Why is this idea innovative for us?
Will this idea work for us?

That final question goes unanswered because many employees, armed with intense understanding of their department, have no clue how the other departments operate.

Let’s say this idea is innovative and burns its way through the department and everyone agrees, this is the greatest process ever!

However, what appears to be a genius-level idea for Engineering may turn out to be counter-productive for HR, Finance, Software, and IT.

So what happens if this idea is implemented without the input of that one UNBIASED person who has an intimate understanding of the other departments?

The second superpower of Technical Writing is INTEGRATION.

This is a huge concept and it involves all aspects of the corporate world.

At its smallest level, it is my duty to complete documentation, ranging from handbooks, manuals, guidelines, videos, training, white papers, and presentations. In the context of this content, I must ask deep and intimate questions.

What is this document’s style?
Is it compliant with this department?
Yesterday’s town hall meeting, where the executives discussed our new compliance policy, will this document interfere with that regulation in the future?
Does this document work in isolation or in congruence with others?
Is this document referenced anywhere else?

On a larger scale, my job entails finding the potholes of information that often drip through unnoticed.

The business requirements of the new Cybersecurity proposal, the section about Confluence and Google Docs, how will this impact our productivity in Admin, Finance, and HR?
Has our Agile Development increased our proficiency or was it an empty idea pushed by a former VP who blatantly disregarded our corporate mission, value, and ethics?
How many departments should sign off on a change in documentation software to ensure it doesn’t destroy our corporate culture and values?
How many successful projects were completed last quarter? Of those successful, how many were done by the same person or team?
Why was this person/team not promoted or recognized?
Why do we have a meetings?
What is a successful meeting?
Are meetings scraps of metal from an ancient tradition that is no longer applicable?

And this brings us to the final superpower of Technical Writing - HONOR.

As a Technical Writer, I constantly balance Truth and Duty, but it is honor that ensures I am doing my job correctly.

There are situations where one VP wants his documentation done this way and another executive wants their presentation template to look like this and the Software guys think Dropbox Paper is the answer and the list goes on and on.

It is my duty to go in, survey the risks involved, and present my findings to the appropriate party.

However, if a corporation has a lot of Egotistical and Vain Personnel, it is easy to see why this model will not work and as such, you won’t see many Tech Writers in this structure.

They will most likely be replaced by Project Managers, Executive Assistants, and Consultants.

It is honor that drives me to review the corporate landscape and ask:

Are we innovating or copying our competitors?
Are we controlling our assets or putting our future in danger by outsourcing?
Have we properly documented and patented our intellectual property?
Have we allowed number-crunching to supersede efficiency?
Has one department’s influence grown out of control and hindered our corporate productivity?

It is my job to work unbiased and to be impartial to all people, places, things, data, and content.

It is my duty to protect the corporate image, culture, and vision.

My first love is to truth and presenting this truth in all facets of my being.