Slides from panel discussion at #stc11 (STC Summit 2011)

1. EXPANDED ROLES & ADDED VALUE
FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATORS
STC TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION SUMMIT ’11
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
MONDAY, 16 MAY 2011
PANEL PARTICIPANTS:
CINDY CURRIE-CLIFFORD
BARBARA GIAMMONA
VIRGINIA GLASS
DAWNELL CLAESSEN
CONNIE KIERNAN
LINDA OESTREICH, MODERATOR

2. CINDY CURRIE-CLIFFORD, PMP®
BUSINESS PLANNING MANAGER
 Where I work: Hewlett-Packard Company, Enterprise Services
Business – Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), Americas
 How I got here: Broad skill set, with a strong mix of
communication, technical, and business skills; including 25+ years
of project and program management experience
 Key messages:
 Good communication skills are highly valued in business;
many people do not possess them.
 Be very willing to try new things. Stretch a little, and often.
 Learn to lead from behind or below; good leaders are everywhere
in an organization, so don’t be afraid to be one of them.
 Be a thinker, as well as a grinder.
 Obtain a meaningful certification.

3. BARBARA GIAMMONA
EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS
 Where I work: Invensys Operations Management (Senior
Manager, R&D Technical Publications and Communications)
 How I got here: Took risks. Developed political savvy. Networked
well. Reached out to senior management. Saw a need and
stepped up to meet it.
 Key messages:
 You, too, can parlay your experience as a Technical Communicator into a
successful and strategically important role in Corporate Communications

4. VIRGINIA GLASS
SYSTEM VISUALIZATIONS
 Where I work: Information Designer for ExactTarget,
System Architecture Team
 How I got here: Degree in Computer Science, English
teacher, mother, created my own training company, worked
for cutting edge software companies, mastered new skills
at every opportunity
 Key messages:
 Keep your skills inventory sharp and up-to-date to be ready for
the next opportunity!
 ATTITUDE = 100%
 (A=1, T=20, I=9, U=21, D=4, E=5)
 Be open to new ideas and new skills
 Eagerness to learn makes a difference in a fast-paced
environment

5. DAWNELL CLAESSEN, CISSP
MANAGER, P&P SIG
 Where I work: Information Policy Analyst for the Military Health
System. Mostly Certification & Accreditation work
 How I got here: Publish, Teach, Learn. Be relentless on this.
 Key messages:
 Don’t be afraid to specialize. Be a SME for something that clearly
demonstrates value.
 Do what you like. Take “cautious initiative” if see a process or an area that
interests you.
 Manage your skill set portfolio. Always be ready and willing to re-tool.
Certifications are important these days.

6. CONNIE KIERNAN
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
 Where I work: United States Mint, Information
Technology Division (Chief Information Officer)
 How I got here? Broad skill set and willingness to
research to create new job opportunities
 Key messages:
 Communication skills are the key to a wealth of
opportunities
 Offer your skills throughout your company
 Broaden your skill set—never stop learning and growing

7. LINDA OESTREICH
SENIOR STRATEGIC ANALYST
 STC leadership and technical communicator skills can help propel you
into areas of work and salary levels you had never dreamed of!
 Where I work: Omnitec Solutions, Inc., assigned to Space and Naval
Warfare Systems Command
 How I got here: Society-level committees and boards plus doc
management activities
 Key messages:
 STC leadership provides avenues of education and experience that can
supplement your daytime jobs
 Technical communication skills have a broad range of application
 Do what you love; love what you do and the salary & satisfaction will follow

8. REFERENCES & RESOURCES
 Business Analysis Body of Knowledge:
http://www.theiiba.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Body_of_K
nowledge
 Business Process Management; John Jeston and Johan
Nelis; Elsevier, 2006
 Business Process Modeling, Simulation, and Design; Manuel
Laguna and Johan Marklund; Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005
 Business Process Improvement Toolbox; Bjorn Andersen;
ASQ Quality Press, 1999
 Gamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James
Macanufo, O’Reilly, 2010, www.XPlane.com
 International Association of Business Communicators (IABC):
http://www.iabc.com/
 Melcrum’s Source for Communicators: www.melcrum.com

9. REFERENCES & RESOURCES
 Strategic Business and Competitive Intelligence Professionals
(linkedin.com group)
 http://blogs.hbr.org/ Harvard Business Review blogs
 http://www.fastcompany.com/ Fast Company Magazine online
 http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/ National Institute for Standards
and Technology

10. ORGANIZATIONS THAT CERTIFY
 American Society for Quality (ASQ)
http://asq.org/certification/
 International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI)
http://www.ispi.org/certification
 Project Management Institute (PMI)
http://www.pmi.org/Certification.aspx
 Society for Technical Communication (STC)
http://www.stc.org/education/stc-certification