by Jill Mazza
For some, the saying, “Those who can’t do, teach” may be true. For me, it speaks some truth about learners being my best teachers.
I am a trainer on effective technical writing. But my learners and I are not the same type of technical professionals. They are mostly engineers, scientists, and statisticians. While I can’t technically do their jobs, I do help them to see their written content through the eyes of non-technical readers.
At the training firm I work for (WD Communications), I design writing programs using our clients’ technical documents, such as investigation reports and procedures. When first in this niche role of editor-designer-trainer, I was overwhelmed. Literally. My background was in psychology, business communication, and coaching. It was hard enough to see my way through technical content at all, let alone edit anything.
How was I going to tackle such complex content?
During small-group and individual document reviews, I started asking learners to copy and paste small chunks of their content into blank Word documents with extra white space between each sentence. Outside of restrictive templates, text boxes, and deep paragraphs, I was better able to see and tackle readability issues around technical details.
Originally, this copy-paste-extra-space approach was for my benefit, but learners also loved it saying, “I never thought of this before!” This approach quickly became a favorite training takeaway. This worked for me and my learners.
Running Readability Statistics on these smaller chunks of content was easier too. This free Microsoft Word tool was and is still unfamiliar to many learners. An eye-opener to data for editing dialogue between writers and reviewers, this tool is another appreciated training takeaway.
While training these technical professionals in global, corporate classrooms on how to meet their readers’ needs, analyzing diverse content was advancing my editing skills and sensibilities. We were actively learning from and teaching each other.
I’ve developed a rhythm around the time-sensitive process to edit learners’ content while designing training materials. Consultations with subject matter experts (SMEs) still start with that same copy-paste-extra-space approach to focus everyone’s eyes. Deep dives into content to blend technical details with readability are again easier to tackle. This approach continues to work for me and my SMEs.
For the past six years, I’ve evolved within this editor-designer-trainer role. My most cherished attributes are eyes for editing—acquired through the lens of learners.
Those who teach, can learn and do. It is a humbling, revisionary process.
NOTE: The saying “Those who can’t do, teach” is a commonly used, adapted line from George Bernard Shaw’s 1905 stage play, Man and Superman.
Jill Mazza is a technical communication skills program director. She wears a flexible writer-editor-designer-trainer hat with humble confidence and curiosity. Dedicated, detail-oriented, and sometimes demanding, she is harder on herself than anyone else. Building relationships while developing and delivering content feeds her soul. You can reach Jill at mazzacoaching@gmail.com.