1. Writing With a
Distributed Team
@lauracreekmore

4. I call bullshit.

5. Exercise 1

6. Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/sa-venues/
e dream

7. Reality
http://www.flickr.com/photos/familymwr/

8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfm/
Reality

9. What we want

10. What we want
Managing
flexibility

11. http://www.flickr.com/photos/polandeze/
Communication

12. Shared understanding
Shared understanding
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myndemayfield/

14. http://www.flickr.com/photos/skistz/

15. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfm/
Love the one you’re with

17. IM

18. Chat rooms

19. File sharing

20. Email

21. Web meetings

22. Shared calendar

23. Project management

24. When and how
to break the rules

25. Emergency planning

26. Emergency planning
Agreement
on
emergency

27. Emergency planning
Agreement
on
emergency
Contact
info
for
everyone

28. Emergency planning
Agreement
on
emergency
Contact
info
for
everyone
Designate
on-­‐duty

29. Emergency planning
Agreement
on
emergency
Contact
info
for
everyone
Designate
on-­‐duty
Good
Samaritan
rules

30. Emergency planning
Agreement
on
emergency
Contact
info
for
everyone
Designate
on-­‐duty
Good
Samaritan
rules

31. What we want
Managing
flexibility
Shared
ownership

32. Pre-Mortems

33. Culture

34. Planning

35. What we want
Managing
flexibility
Shared
ownership
Accountability

36. But not CYA

37. Mutual responsibility

38. Build the Checklist

39. Common ideas

40. Style guide

42. Simple:
Pick
one

43. Simple:
Pick
one
More:
Industry-­‐specific
usage

44. Simple:
Pick
one
More:
Industry-­‐specific
usage
Customize:
Org-­‐specific
info

45. hBp://styleguide.yahoo.com

48. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/

50. We
believe
in
excellence.

51. funny comforting
serious hopeful
reserved timely
innovative honest
consistent conservative
helpful kind
snarky robust
irreverent lively

52. Showing voice and tone:
Examples!

53. E|Spaces
attracts
entrepreneurs,
businesses
and
freelancers
who
need
to
create
a
professional
image
and
focus
in
their
work.
We
promote
learning
and
collegiality.

55. We
say...Join
today.

56. We
say...Join
today.
We
don’t
say...E|Spaces
is
the
hottest
spot
in
town.
Join
up!
[too
slangy]

57. We
say...Join
today.
We
don’t
say...E|Spaces
is
the
hottest
spot
in
town.
Join
up!
[too
slangy]
We
say...E|Spaces
means
top-­‐notch
speakers
and
networking.

58. We
say...Join
today.
We
don’t
say...E|Spaces
is
the
hottest
spot
in
town.
Join
up!
[too
slangy]
We
say...E|Spaces
means
top-­‐notch
speakers
and
networking.
We
don’t
say...E|Spaces
members
find
that
the
networking
and
speakers
are
beyond
compare.
[too
stilted,
passive]

60. Internet
or
internet?

61. Internet
or
internet?
email,
e-­‐mail,
E-­‐mail,
what??

62. Internet
or
internet?
email,
e-­‐mail,
E-­‐mail,
what??
members,
customers,
E|Spacers?

63. Internet
or
internet?
email,
e-­‐mail,
E-­‐mail,
what??
members,
customers,
E|Spacers?
615.500.4131,
615-­‐500-­‐4131,
(615)
500-­‐4131?
What
about
the
1-­‐
?

64. Internet
or
internet?
email,
e-­‐mail,
E-­‐mail,
what??
members,
customers,
E|Spacers?
615.500.4131,
615-­‐500-­‐4131,
(615)
500-­‐4131?
What
about
the
1-­‐
?
Should
we
call
out
time
zone
in
copy?

65. Internet
or
internet?
email,
e-­‐mail,
E-­‐mail,
what??
members,
customers,
E|Spacers?
615.500.4131,
615-­‐500-­‐4131,
(615)
500-­‐4131?
What
about
the
1-­‐
?
Should
we
call
out
time
zone
in
copy?
Should
we
mention
that
prices
are
in
USD?

66. Grammar, punctuation
Spelling
Terminology
Policy
Look & feel

67. What we want
Managing
flexibility
Shared
ownership
Accountability
Sustainability

68. Diversity

69. “While
homogenous
groups
feel
more
confident
in
their
performance
and
group
interacNons,
the
diverse
groups
are
more
successful
in
compleNng
their
tasks.”
—Bunkhuon Chhun, writing about the
research of Katherine W. Phillips,
Katie A. Liljenquist and Margaret A. Neale

70. Post-Mortems

71. Show and Tell

72. What we want
Managing
flexibility
Shared
ownership
Accountability
Sustainability

73. What we want
?
Managing
flexibility
Shared
ownership
Accountability
Sustainability

75. Laura Creekmore
hUp://creekcontent.com
laura@creekcontent.com
@lauracreekmore