STC Region 2 Conference "Making Cents of Making Sense: Technical Communications and Business" was my first STC conference. I was very much looking forward to it, and it did live up to my expectations. The conference was filled with great presentations. (It was very, very hard to choose which presentation to attend when several presentations took place simultaneously.) The conference provided a wealth of information and a lot of encouragement. Having said that, I'd like to share with you some of the lessons I learned.

Lesson 1: Technical communication conferences are definitely worth attending

We are all busy and it is hard to find the time to attend a conference. It does not seem to be the first priority if all we can think about is hitting the next deadline. However, the knowledge, useful tips and tricks, and inspiration the conferences provide are worthwhile, and in the long run can save us and the companies we work for a lot of time and even money. For example, a few words about some of the presentations I attended:

Patrick Hofmann's presentation on "The ROI of Usability and Information Design" gave a lot of encouragement in getting closer to customers and learning about their needs, and creating visual instructions. It also contained useful tips and tricks on usability testing.

Ian Larner's "DITA: Obtaining Business Value from Information" and Noz Urbina's "XML: The Unknown ROI" provided an expert insight into much-discussed DITA and XML, and the benefits of using both in content management.

"Improving Speed and Accuracy of Technology Transfer: A Case Study of Process Re-engineering" by Geoff Hart was a detailed and informative illustration of rebuilding and improving documentation process and making it much more efficient. It was very useful to everyone whose documentation process is less than perfect.

During his presentation on "A Business Within a Business," James Lawrence described a somewhat different approach to running a Technical Publications department. James shared with us very valuable experience and quite a few useful ideas, especially interesting to those of us working in a corporate environment.

Of course, there are other useful sources of information - magazine articles, webinars, you name it - but a live, face-to-face discussion is a unique experience.

Lesson 2: There are no easy answers

We are all different, even though we have a lot in common and are engaged in the same area, technical communication. We create different content for different industries. We have different ambitions, aspirations, and approach. It is important to get as full a picture and as complete an understanding of the modern world of technical communication as possible. Conferences like this one are a great source of knowledge based on which one can build a unique answer to one's unique needs, even if the answer lies in getting help of an external consultant.

Lesson 3: Interpersonal skills are important

As STC Executive Director Susan Burton wrote in her welcome note, in our changing world "technical communicators take on a new role," they become "interpreters of the world." It is a bigger and more responsible role. Technical skills alone are no longer sufficient. It is not enough to do the right thing; technical communicators need to be able to present their point of view to others, negotiate with them, and persuade them.

Lesson 4: A technical communicator must be proactive

Technical communicators should be proactive and lead the change. We are in a unique position for that. We possess cross-disciplinary experience. For example, working in the IT industry, we speak the language of both end users and developers. We can build bridges across different disciplines as well as between manufacturers and consumers.

Lesson 5: A technical communicator must be flexible

In a changing world it is also important to be flexible, to react quickly to changing environment and needs of our clients, our companies, and our industries.

Lesson 6: A technical communicator must be creative

Being creative means, among other things, not to be afraid to go beyond the guide book. We should do our research and be confident, aim at meeting our customers' needs and refine our design by usability testing. A well-grounded creativity will pay off, as Patrick Hofmann demonstrated during his presentation.

Lesson 7: Business skills are important

During the panel discussion on "Business Meets Technical Communication: Where Do We Go from Here," it was said that technical communicators must speak the language of business to be successful in the modern world. Indeed, knowing our customers and their needs, the industries we work in, how our companies operate, how they price and sell the products, it all contributes to a better understanding of our working environment and our goals. When we see ourselves as part of the "big picture," our work becomes more efficient, our ideas become more apt and to the point, our companies benefit and our end users are happy. In order to achieve that, we should develop at least business awareness, if not strong business skills.

Lesson 8: There are more immediate things to worry about other than tools and technologies

If a new tool is not an emergency, and a documentation process is not a total disaster, it is well worth considering what we produce rather than how we do it. For example, it may be a good idea to evaluate usability of a solution. End users are likely to appreciate good content more than technologies we used to create it.

Lesson 9: When it comes to tools and technologies, plan carefully and proceed cautiously

Noz Urbina recommended in his presentation on "XML - The Unknown ROI" to "manage culture shock with phased roll-out." Careful planning and phased implementation of XML authoring and single sourcing may be the right way for many companies. It may especially be worth considering in companies where writers need to adjust to the new approach to content management. Starting with just XML and getting into the new world slowly may be a good idea for them.

Lesson 10: Unless you create WinHelp, there is no reason to worry about Windows Vista, yet

There is clearly a lot of anticipation about Windows Vista. "The Impact of Windows Vista on Technical Communications" by Stuart Mudie and Derek Torres was a great presentation for those wishing to learn and see more of the new Microsoft operating system. Stuart and Derek told us about Vista's new features, improvements, advantages and disadvantages. They also showed us Windows Vista and other new applications in action. (As a result, I'm already enjoying new multi-tabbed Internet Explorer 7.) However, don't rush to install Windows Vista on your old computer. First, check Vista system requirements and make sure your computer can support Vista, which is resource hungry. If you are planning to buy a new computer, make sure it's got a "Windows Vista capable" sticker.

What about impact on technical communications? Those of us who create HTML Help have nothing to worry about, it seems. Windows Vista Help won't be released to general public any time soon. Those who create WinHelp (.HLP files) might want to consider an alternative (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607) .

I'd like to thank the organisers of the conference for the marvellous job they did, for the working sessions full of great presentations and talks as well as for the London Eye flight and the following dinner. I very much look forward to the next STC event.