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

This workshop will give 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 participates with that extra benefit in the business world that a lot of people are losing.

At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

• 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

Course Outline:

Module One: Getting Started

Housekeeping Items

The Parking Lot

Workshop Objectives

Action Plans Form

Evaluation Form

Module Two: What is Collaborative Business Writing?

Clarifying the Objective

Practical Writing Approaches

Collaborative Writing Strategies

Collaborative Writing Patterns

Case Study

Module Two: Review Questions

Module Three: Types of Collaborative Business Writing

Parallel Construction – ‘cut and paste’

Parallel Construction – ‘puzzle’

Sequential Summative Construction

Integrating Construction

Case Study

Module Three: Review Questions

Module Four: Collaborative Team Members

Team Leader Selection Chief Editor Designation

Characteristics of Team Members

Ways to Build Collaborative Writing Team

Case Study

Module Four: Review Questions

Module Five: Collaborative Tools and Processes

Outlines and Storyboards

Collaborative Planning

Collaborative Revision

Collaborative Team Cohesion

Case Study

Module Five: Review Questions

Module Six: Setting Style Guidelines

Voice and Person Format

Consistent Spelling of Commonly Used Words

Numbers as Words or Figures

Case Study

Module Six: Review Questions

Module Seven:  Barriers to Successful Collaborative Writing

Hoarding

Innovation

Search

Knowledge Transfer

Case Study

Module Seven: Review Questions

Module Eight: Overcoming Collaborative Writing Barriers

Practicing T-shaped Management

Building Network of Alliances

Implementing Enablers

Assessing the Culture and Areas for Improvement

Case Study

Module Eight: Review Questions

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

Case Study

Module Nine: Review Questions

Module Ten: Tips for Successful Business Writing Collaboration

Determine Purpose

Formulate Outline and Organizational Format

Selection of Team Leader

Assign Writing Tasks and Associated Duties

Case Study

Module Ten: Review Questions

Module Eleven:  Examples of Collaborative Business Writing

Writing Emails

Writing Reports

Writing Training Manuals

Writing Company Handbooks

Case Study

Module Eleven: Review Questions

Module Twelve: Wrapping Up

Words from the Wise

Review of Parking Lot

Lessons Learned

Completion of Action Plans and Evaluations

Recommended Reading