PWG-Success Stories

Managers at a local biopharmaceutical company were frustrated by the amount of time they spent editing technical reports, particularly for what they described as grammatical and stylistic issues. The Professional Writing Group was asked to design a course that would improve the quality and create consistency in these reports.

We developed a 30-hour course that addressed everything from understanding the needs of multiple audiences to using punctuation correctly. Examples and exercises were based on text from the company’s actual reports. Discussions and exercises were supplemented with revision sessions and draft workshops.

In the first version of the course over 95% of respondents had a positive or extremely positive reaction to the course and its relevance to their work. PWG was invited to repeat the course four more times, and we expanded the training program with a commenting and responding course for managers and reviewers.

During the reviewers’ course we heard many positive comments about the writing course. The managers could definitely see significant improvement in the tech reports overall; they could see the difference between those authors who had taken the course and those who had not. One manager noted that though he was initially concerned by the amount of time the course would take his people out of the lab, he now knew that it was well worth the time.

For more information about our writing courses for scientific workplaces, visit our “Science” page, or contact us directly.

A manufacturer of mobile shelters and decontamination equipment produced vital technology for first responders and hazmat workers, but the product manuals for these users needed some help.

Instructions were difficult to follow and left out important substeps. Visuals were not used effectively. Formatting was inconsistent within and between documents.

PWG was asked to redesign the existing documents and craft new manuals for the company’s product pipeline.

We visited the manufacturing facility and interviewed engineers and designers. They led us through the set-up for each product, step-by-step. We also met with the company’s marketing team to create templates that presented information in an attractive and usable format. Our technical writers then crafted text that captured all the important information in clear and precise language.

The result: a series of consistently formatted manuals with concise instructions that are easy to implement under emergency conditions.

For more information about PWG’s design and production services, visit the “Editorial Services” page, or contact us directly.

A mid-sized trade association wanted to get more out of its meetings. Meetings went on for hours but didn’t accomplish much. Planners were disorganized. Attendees were bored.

The Professional Writing Group developed a half-day course to make these meetings more meaningful. The course taught participants to approach a meeting like other communication situations: know your purpose, accommodate your audience, recognize your constraints.

Participants learned strategies for assessing if a meeting is necessary and how to segment complicated issues across multiple short meetings. They also learned how to keep things focused with goal-oriented agendas and follow-up documents that track action-item progress. Finally, participants practiced these skills in a series of mock meetings.

For more information about our courses for administrative professionals, visit the “Administration” page, or contact us directly.

Improving the Emails of Advocates

A national advocacy organization wanted to offer an email- and memo-writing course for its field officers, but the training had to take place during the organization’s semi-annual meeting, and there were only two, two-hour time slots available in the busy meeting schedule.

PWG developed a customized course on emails and memos that quickly addressed a range of writing concerns. This pared-down version of our typical correspondence-writing course covered the basics of audience analysis and email etiquette, and it reviewed strategies for writing in clear, concise, and correct language.

Participants enjoyed the course … and wanted more. One participant noted, “The session was so informative that it could EASILY have been longer and even more info-packed.” Others wanted more time for workshopping: “I wish we could have spent more time writing concise emails.” Another participant said, “It would have been nice to do more sample writing and get feedback on it.”

PWG is now working with this organization to create longer custom courses that will include time for writing and editing workshops.