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Subject:Re: Writing on a Cross-Department team From:"B. Pfister" <bpfister -at- frii -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>, "Paul Hanson" <PHanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com> Date:Sat, 27 May 2000 06:27:07 -0700
Congratulations!
I am starting the same kind of thing at my company, and I'm sure it's
going to help us a lot. The whole idea of getting so many different
perspectives just helps people see with new eyes, and I'm certain that
can only help our technical and marketing materials. The funny thing
so far is that the only person who is resistant is another manager! To
me, it was a surprise that a manager would try to maintain the status
quo instead of embracing a little "risk" for possible improvements.
Luckily, this person can't tell me what to do, ha! The team members I
have included from other departments are very enthusiastic. For
instance, we have some inexperienced marketing DTP-types who are
downright thankful to get some direction in a group setting.
Betsy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Hanson" <PHanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com>
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2000 9:50 AM
Subject: Writing on a Cross-Department team
> I just completed an exhaustive two days here. I was called into a
> meeting by the VP of Internal Operations to be a member of a team
that
> was assigned the task of creating two documents: one, a Marketing
sheet
> and two, a two page white paper. We were called into the meeting on
> Tuesday at 3:30 and I submitted it to the VP yesterday.
>
> What I wanted to share was the value of working on a
cross-department
> team. There were four of us: the manager of our Training and
> Installation department, a Senior System Designer, a trainer with
> experience in the industry and myself. I took the lead and began
writing
> the Marketing sheet at 7:30 AM on Wednesday. I worked my way through
3
> drafts before the four of us met at 10:00. We hacked my draft apart,
> literally, with all four of us praising and making suggestions. It
> wasn't about that I was on the team because of my writing skills.
> Although I took ownership of the document and typed them up, there
was a
> positive change of ideas.
>
> I had a real warm fuzzy feeling about this experience. I was
surprised
> that a team member who I thought wouldn't contribute ideas,
contributed.
> If you are asked to be on a cross-department team, keep your ears
open.
> You may pick up some ideas that you can bring back to your 'normal'
> task.
>
> How did we do? The VP called it an 'excellent' document and also
said
> that the company 'needs more of this. It's a template for going
> forward.' <patting myself on the back and accepting cyber-pats>
