Society for Technical Communication

Chapter Presentation2007

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Susan Burton, CAE• Certified Association Executive (CAE)• Highest score in nation (and $3.95 will get you a latté

at Starbucks)

• 30+ years experience• Worked for 8 associations; 3 as Chief

Executive Officer (CEO)• 4 interim CEO assignments• Consulted with 150+ associations• Passionate about STC’s mission

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Help Me Understand You

Profile of Audience– Years in profession– Years in STC– Special Interest Group (SIG)

membership

Why are you a member?

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Basic Association Facts

• Individual membership association• Tax exempt because of STC purpose

– Charitable, educational foundation– 501(c)3 under U.S. tax code

• Nonprofit– Can make a profit– No one can “take” home the excess

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STC Basic Facts

• Founded in 1953 • Incorporated in New York• Headquarters in Virginia• 14 full-time staff/contractors; 3 part-

time staff• Outside legal counsel

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STC Governance Structure• 14 Member Board of Directors• 5 Officers plus Immediate Past President

• President – 1-year term• 1st VP – 1-year term• 2nd VP – 1-year term• Secretary – 2-year term• Treasurer – 2-year term

• 8 Directors– Past: Director-Sponsors for chapters in regions– Future: Directors at Large

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STC Communities

• Chapters– 130+– Geographic

• Special Interest Groups (SIGs)– 20– Virtual

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Transformation Goals

• Elevate STC to be a major player in the field

• Board members must re-envision their role

• Directors’ focus:– Definition and status of profession– Changes in industry affecting profession– National and international issues

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Strategic Objectives

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Getting Into Alignment

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Getting Into Alignment: Strategy

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STC Is In the Association Business

• STC is not in the software business– Current “homemade” accounting

software: an elaborate checkbook– Membership database: Frankenstein– Web site: navigation and content

management

• BOARD ACTION: Bring STC into 21st Century

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Bring STC Into 21st Century• New accounting software

– Accrual– Trends analysis– Better management decisions

• New AMS software– Relational database: one entry– Easier for you to use

• New Web site– Content management– Key resource for profession and industry

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Telling Our Powerful Story

• Technical communication – Changes the way the world works– Improves the quality of life– Fundamental to bottom line of industry

• Raise the image• Change the perception• Need to define the profession to have

a powerful story to tell

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Two Sources of InformationBureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Occupational Employment Statistics

• Conducted triennially• Broad-based survey

– Includes 800 occupations– 1.2 million firms over three years– Reviews selected

occupations/professions– Technical writers in review for

2006 survey – next opportunity: 2009!

• Data collected by industry – not by occupation

– Limited to tech writers (under-reports new tech communications users)

– Reporting subject to employers’ perceptions of tech writers

– Only includes industries that are traditional employers of tech writers

STC Salary Survey

• Conducted annually• Narrow focus

– Limited to STC members– Misses those doing tech writing

who define themselves outside the profession

– Definitions unclear– Lack of historic continuity– Random self-selection– No statistical validity

• Supplier (profession) based– Little input from market

(employers)– Definitions derived from existing

members’ experiences– Under-reports new career paths

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Confusion When Measuring the Profession

• BLS reports 45,000 technical writers

• STC claims 100,000 technical communicators

Implication: STC has more inclusive coverage

• BLS reports $31,000 median entry level salary

• STC claims $41,000 median entry level salary

Implication: STC has less inclusive coverage

Worst Case: The two organizations are measuring different occupations!

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So What?• Good information critical to STC strategic plan

– Creating benchmarks– Publishing information– Adopting market mindset– Identifying partnering organizations– Encouraging collaboration among STC communities and

academia– Creating new revenue streams– Identifying research funding priorities

• Quality of data reflects on credibility of the association– Contradictions in data undermine STC’s perceived expertise

beyond our members– “Telling our powerful story” depends on STC’s credibility– Possibly harm efforts to “Grow relationships and choosing

partners”

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BackgroundThe Standard Occupational Classifications (SOC) • List of 820 professions and occupations with formal definitions and terse

descriptions• Used by:

– Bureau of Labor Statistics• Monthly Occupational statistics

– BLS has been projecting a steady decline in technical writers for five years

• Employment projections by job type– Employment and Training Administration

• Occupational Handbook• ETA works with career counselors, educators, guidance counselors,

state and local employment agencies• Any wonder why people are abandoning the TC degree programs?

• Office of Management and Budget solicited changes that reflect new occupations or fundamental changes to existing ones.

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Reasons for Change• A definition based only on “writers” sends false market

signals• It’s not about the media

– “all activities, means and systems providing information that enables the user to understand the functioning of the product, to handle, maintain, repair and dispose it correctly and safely.” TC Europe definition of a “technical document”

• Output playing new role in– Consumer protection– Economic access– International competitiveness

• Communication changing from one-way static to two-way dynamic

– “Technical communicators manage content and relationships with users.” Larry Kunz

– Wiki capabilities

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SOC StructureEvery occupation falls within one of 24 major groups:

• Major Group 27 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations– 27-1000 Art and Design Workers– 27-2000 Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related

Workers– 27-3000 Media and Communication Workers– 27-4000 Media and Communication Equipment Workers

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Where Tech Writers Are27-3000 Media and Communication Workers

27-3010 Announcers27-3020 News Analysts, Reporters and Correspondents27-3030 Public Relations Specialists27-3040 Writers and Editors

27-3041 Editors27-3042 Technical Writers

Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.27-3043 Writers and Authors

27-3090 Miscellaneous Media and Communication Workers

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Where Technical Communication Belongs

27-1020 Designers27-1021 Commercial and Industrial Designers

Develop and design manufactured products. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.27-1022 Fashion Designers27-1023 Floral Designers27-1024 Graphic Designers

Design or create graphics to meet a client's specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.27-1025 Interior Designers27-1026 Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers27-1027 Set and Exhibit Designers

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Recommended Definition

27-1028 Technical CommunicatorsDevelop and design instructional and informational tools needed to assure safe, easy, proper and complete use of technical goods and services. Combine multi-media knowledge and strong communication skills with technical expertise to educate across the entire spectrum of users’ abilities, technical experience, and visual and auditory capabilities.

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How You Can Help

• Tell your powerful story– Chapter competition– Submit articles to Intercom

• Participate in SIG discussions• Respond to requests on surveys• Come to Minneapolis

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• Thank you for this opportunity to serve you!