45 Writing with a Team (4.3.1)
Verna Johnson
No matter where you work or what role you hold, you will likely find yourself working as part of a team at some point. In some cases, you may be required to collaborate on a writing project. While writing as a team may sound daunting, it is often a practical and effective way to complete a lengthy or complex task. Team collaboration can also lead to stronger, more creative outcomes by bringing together diverse experiences, strengths, and knowledge.
Some common examples of collaborative writing projects include:
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Reports or proposals
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Presentations or pitches
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Website content
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Advertising campaigns
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Audiovisual materials (e.g., company training videos)
Best Practices for Writing in Teams
Although team writing can be challenging, these challenges can help you build valuable teamwork and leadership skills. The following best practices can help your writing team work efficiently and effectively.
Communicate
Establish clear expectations for how your team will communicate. Consider the following questions:
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What tools will you use to stay in touch—email, Zoom Chat, Slack, or another platform?
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How often will you check in? Will you meet weekly, leave updates in a shared document, or use another method?
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What are each team member’s availability and preferred response times?
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How should team members ask questions or raise concerns?
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How will decisions be made and agreed upon?
Establish Clear Roles
Assign clear roles and responsibilities. Make sure each team member knows exactly what they are responsible for and what the rest of the group expects from them.
Set Deadlines
In today’s fast-paced work environment, people often delay starting or completing tasks. Set clear deadlines to avoid important tasks being missed or forgotten on the pile. Each member of the group should know when they need to complete or deliver their part. For example, instead of saying, “Please have your portion submitted by the end of the week,” be more specific: “Please have your portion uploaded to the Project Dropbox folder by 4:00 PM on Friday, August 23.”
Share Constructive Feedback
A common issue in teams is members’ different expectations and difficulty expressing themselves when these expectations are not met. Establish clear expectations regarding communication, roles, and deadlines to help ensure team members are on the same page. Keep in mind, differences often tend to come up on even the most well-prepared teams.
To foster a collaborative, open, and supportive group environment, discuss with your team when and how feedback will be shared. Sharing not only constructive criticism but also positive feedback can help build rapport so members feel comfortable sharing their feelings and opinions and listening to those of others.
Effective feedback should be specific and action-oriented. For example, “You’re doing a great job!” is encouraging, but it doesn’t provide much helpful information. “I appreciate that you always respond to my emails within a few hours” is much more specific and helps the listener understand what exactly you appreciate. Similarly, “I feel you need to communicate more” may leave the listener confused if they believe they’ve done a good job communicating. “It would be very helpful to me if you could respond to my emails within 24 hours, when possible so that I can make sure my parts are completed on time” is a statement that tells the listener exactly what is expected and why the writer is making this request.
Implement Feedback
Giving feedback is only helpful if the team is also willing to act on it. If something isn’t working, agree on how to make improvements. For instance, if your group planned to meet weekly on Zoom but some members can’t attend, discuss whether to adjust the time, day, or meeting format.
References
References are at the end of this chapter.
