When you or others in your organization mention the term “template” for policies and procedures (P&P), do you really know what type of template you or they are talking about? It is a fact: there is much confusion and misunderstanding about what is meant by “template” and the expectation of using a template for developing or communicating P&P content. Join the recognized P&P authority Raymond Urgo as he defines three types of templates and clarifies their purposes and limitations. He will reveal why people are tempted toward templates for solutions and fall victim to templates for the wrong reasons resulting in poor P&P content.

1. Are You Tempted to Use a Template to Expedite
Policies & Procedure Development?
Raymond E. Urgo | Principal | Urgo & Associates | rurgo@urgoconsulting.com
Maxwell Hoffmann | Adobe Product Evangelist | Twitter @maxwellhoffmann | mhoffman@adobe.com
© 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.

2. About Adobe
 Founded in December 1982  74 Offices in 43 Countries
 $4.2 billion in revenue in FY2011  Corporate Headquarters in
San Jose, California
 More than 10,000 employees
 Adobe donates a minimum of 1%
of net income to philanthropy
We simplify complicated, inefficient, and expensive workflows.
We enable more engaging, compelling content.
We drive greater return from digital media and marketing investments.
© 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. 2

3. About Maxwell Hoffmann
Maxwell Hoffmann
 Product Evangelist, Tech Comm Suite
 Former Product Manager and Sales Training Director
for Frame Technology
 15 years in translation industry, working
on “whatever documents walked through the door”
 Trained over 1,200 people in hands-on,
scalable publishing solutions
 Customers in multiple industries; estimated 1,000,000 pages of
multilingual production
© 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 3

4. About Raymond Urgo (Mr. P&P)
• Age 7: Wrote neighborhood club rules,
played telephone company
• Age 27: Methods & Procedures Analyst,
New York Telephone Company
• Age 40: Founded Urgo & Associates,
management consultancy in P&P
• Professional career mission: To define
and promote P&P Communication as a
discipline and a way to transform
organizations
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

5. 13 Common Mistakes about Communicating
Policies & Procedures Information
Are You Tempted to Use a Template to Expedite
Policies &How to Avoid Them
…and Procedure Development?
[Part 1 of 2]
Raymond E. Urgo
Urgo & Associates
www.urgoconsulting.com
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

6. What You Can Expect in Today’s Webinar
• History and issues with templates for P&P
• Three types of templates for P&P
– Content format template
– Mechanical format and style templates
– Pre-written P&P templates
• Reasons for temptations toward templates
Free P&P resources AND a Special Offer!
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

7. Brief History about Templates and P&P
History
• 1980s personal computing begins
decentralizing content development in
the hands of many (including P&P
owners and writers). Aliases for P&P “template”
• Late 1980s early 1990s desktop • Boilerplate
publishing and online help authoring • Formatting style sheet
technologies offer sophisticated
formatting templates and style sheets • Cascading style sheet
for content development. • Canned procedures
• Packaged procedures
• Late 1990s early 2000s “template” is
an umbrella term for different types of • Pre-written procedures
templates and for different content.
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

8. Issues to Address about Templates and P&P
What to ask
• What are you trying to
achieve with a template?
• Who will use the template?
• What leads you to believe
a template is the answer?
Know the…
• What type of template are -- outcome you are seeking to
achieve with a template
you considering for your -- expertise with P&P
needs; and what are its communication of the intended
limitations for your needs? user of the template
-- type of template needed and its
limitations to use.
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

9. Definition: Content Format Template
Provides the prescribed, sequential layout of
generic sections (such as Purpose, Scope,
Responsibilities, and Procedure) of a P&P
document, so the writer can
“fill in the blanks” with
the information.
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

10. Example: Content Format Template
Characteristics:
• Used with extrinsic (fill-
in-the-blanks) approach
to P&P development
• Has content format with
one level of headings
and barely any
mechanical style
• Good for highly
predicable P&P content
that is brief, simple, and
very consistent in
nature (such as
cookbook recipes)
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

11. Pros and Cons of Content Format Templates
Pros Cons
• Template users know what • Template users do not know what
high-level sections of content and how to present detail content
to include and in what order
• Helps creates consistency and • Does not create consistency and
uniformity in high-level “look” uniformity in expression of ideas
and style, unless a P&P
documentation pro rewrites it
• Content users know what • May have missing content and/or
high-level sections and in what unnecessarycontent
order to expect from
document to document
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

12. Definition: Mechanical Format and
Style Templates
Provides instructions or macros for
• creating a pre-set layout for pages
or screens, and
• applying pre-set fonts and type
sizes for headings, text, tables,
and more.
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

13. Example 1: Mechanical Format and Style Template with Instructions
Pre-Set within the Document Template
Characteristics:
• Used mostly with
extrinsic (fill- in-the-
blank) approach to P&P
development
• Has pre-set style
settings and may also
have pre-set
instructions on what to
include
• The writer saves the file
as a document under a
new name than the
document template.
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

14. Example 2: Mechanical Format and Style Template (with Macros)
Attached to a Document File
Characteristics:
• Used mostly with intrinsic
(create from inside out)
approach to P&P
development
• The writer attaches the
template or style sheet to
the document being
created.
• Works best when the
writer knows and masters
principles and techniques
of P&P communication
• Useful for topic and sub-
topic authoring with
ability to create content
in non-linear manner and
with generic and non-
generic headings
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

15. Definition: Prewritten Policies &
Procedures Templates
Provides generic content about
a P&P-related subject for adaptation to
the respective needs of an
organization or user.
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

16. Issues with Pre-written P&P Templates
Issues to know and remember
• Organizational issues “Our management only cares
that we have P&P content to
• Documentation issues show for audits and
• Don’t forget the certifications. Forget
responsibility to “adopt, employees using the content
to learn and perform
modify, and maintain”
properly.”
• Expect to get in value what
you pay -- Technical writer
explaining why his
organization purchased pre-
written P&P templates
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

17. What You Can Expect in Today’s Webinar
• History and issues with templates for P&P
• Three types of templates for P&P
– Content format template
– Mechanical format and style templates
– Pre-written P&P templates
• Reasons for temptations toward templates
Free P&P resources AND a Special Offer!
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

18. Reasons for Temptations Toward Templates
for Policies & Procedures Development
• Concerned only that P&P
“Templates are tools that aid in
content exists the application of the
• Thinking templates are the principles and techniques of
solution because fast is best effective Policies & Procedures
Communication.”
• May not know alternatives
“Know the rules
for developing content nor before the tools.”
where to get assistance
-- Raymond Urgo,
• Thinking templates teach Internationally
and guide people to recognized leader in
develop and present P&P Communication
P&P content
effectively
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

19. Urgo & Associates
Policies & Procedures Consulting Services
• Provide assessments and strategic advice
on P&P programs and resources
• Lead P&P content development projects
to simplify complex practices and content
• Teach and mentor in P&P Communication
• Advise P&P product and service providers
in the P&P Marketplace on trends
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

20. Urgo & Associates
P&P Resources and Special Offer
Free P&P resources at www.urgoconsulting.com
• Articles, book reviews, white papers, presentations
• Award-winning e-newsletter
The Policies & Procedures Authority
Special offer !
Complimentary consultation (first 7 requests by email)
Contact information
Raymond Urgo rurgo@urgoconsulting
Urgo & Associates www.urgoconsulting.com
323-851-6600
Copyright 2012 Raymond E. Urgo

21. Questions and Answers
© 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. 21

22. Contact Information
Information
Raymond E. Urgo LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondurgo
Principal Email rurgo@urgoconsulting.com
Urgo & Associates Web http://www.urgoconsulting.com
1616 N. Fuller Ave., #428 Phone +01 323-851-6600
Los Angeles, CA 90046-3893
Maxwell Hoffmann Blog blogs.adobe.com/techcomm
Adobe Systems, Inc. Blog blogs.adobe.com/mbhoffmann
Product Evangelist Twitter twitter.com/maxwellhoffmann
Email n
mhoffma @adobe.com
Web www.adobe.com
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellhoffmann
Facebook As Maxwell Hoffmann
Facebook As Adobe Technical Communication Professionals Group
Calendar of upcoming eSeminars: http://adobe.ly/xdzOYa
Previously recorded eSeminars: http://adobe.ly/qo3pzc
© 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 22

23. © 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.