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Main issue is that content designers are seen as simply publishing monkeys with no respected opinion or expertise. SME's know the subject inside out so have no time or respect for others trying to help to get the content right for the user.

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I warn them it might be a challenging process at times, and can feel slow, but reassure them it's far quicker and more successful than passing a document between us.

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I warn them it might be a challenging process at times, and can feel slow, but reassure them it's far quicker and more successful than passing a document between us.

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Getting readymade content given to you as a fait accompli. 

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Getting readymade content given to you as a fait accompli. 

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SME resilience and multiple SMEs wanting to have input with conflicting opinions!

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SME resilience and multiple SMEs wanting to have input with conflicting opinions!

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Getting SMEs time

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Writing content together efficiently to meet user needs

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Writing content together efficiently to meet user needs

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Can you use pair writing for even small change? I work on an application and small change to pages is very much part of my role alongside building new features - especially during coronavirus lately. Any helpful links or advice appreciated.

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Only work with one SME, it's not practical to have more than one. They can coordinate with other people if needed.

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A way to bring the SME and CD together to start for shape how the content might look

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A way to bring the SME and CD together to start for shape how the content might look

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I find this really difficult; we're using Teams for this now but find that many SMEs don't want to use it.

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I find this really difficult; we're using Teams for this now but find that many SMEs don't want to use it.

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Agree up front who will be in charge of the edits. Suggest switching partway through. Be a really good chair - make sure if one person is talking more than others you ask others what they think of each part.

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Agree up front who will be in charge of the edits. Suggest switching partway through. Be a really good chair - make sure if one person is talking more than others you ask others what they think of each part.

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Writing together to create the best content for the user.

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Writing together to create the best content for the user.

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SMEs sometimes spend ages writing content beforehand then can get defensive when you explain how pair writing works and when you suggest changes, they take it very personally even though we say they don't need to do this

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SMEs sometimes spend ages writing content beforehand then can get defensive when you explain how pair writing works and when you suggest changes, they take it very personally even though we say they don't need to do this

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Yes the clearance merry go round - so many people wanting to input - even up until the last minute.

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Yes the clearance merry go round - so many people wanting to input - even up until the last minute.

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It’s not a great process at the moment - it usually involves sharing a word document or presentation with head of product, clinical, IG and legal. We have recently started regular weekly meetings where we get all of their time to share any new pieces of work

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Not unique to pair writing, but sign off is a perennial problem

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Use only one version of the document to bring multiple people's comments together in one place

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Use only one version of the document to bring multiple people's comments together in one place

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A lot of SMEs are used to the email pingpong - so explaining that this can cut down on that

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A lot of SMEs are used to the email pingpong - so explaining that this can cut down on that

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SMEs not understanding why we can't just publish things in the same way we always have (even when the content designer explains accessibility, user needs, research that's been done etc)

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SMEs not understanding why we can't just publish things in the same way we always have (even when the content designer explains accessibility, user needs, research that's been done etc)

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Pick their brain to write something factually accurate and easy to read

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Pick their brain to write something factually accurate and easy to read

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Actually getting SMEs to commit the time to do it

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Actually getting SMEs to commit the time to do it

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Just identifying an SME - difficulty in getting one person to take responsibility

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Just identifying an SME - difficulty in getting one person to take responsibility

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Lots of time wasted discussing wording which leaves less time to discuss the facts.

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To keep things on track - sometimes need to park certain things and come back to them. You don't have to do everything in one session

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To keep things on track - sometimes need to park certain things and come back to them. You don't have to do everything in one session

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Fear of extra time. And extra work. 'Why are you overcomplicating this? Just get it published.' And as with everything we do people feel as though their primary school teacher is judging them on their grammar and spelling.

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Fear of extra time. And extra work. 'Why are you overcomplicating this? Just get it published.' And as with everything we do people feel as though their primary school teacher is judging them on their grammar and spelling.

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Lack of understanding around what content design is - that it's not just about 'tinkering with the words' 

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Lack of understanding around what content design is - that it's not just about 'tinkering with the words' 

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Always trying to remind them of user needs and challenging why they think something needs to be there.

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Finding time to collaborate with SME's. Content designers being involved from the start.

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Finding time to collaborate with SME's. Content designers being involved from the start.

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Try to limit the amount of SMEs involved. Try to keep to 1 or max 2 - the old saying too many cooks spring to mind!

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Try to limit the amount of SMEs involved. Try to keep to 1 or max 2 - the old saying too many cooks spring to mind!

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Being given a draft piece of content  that's very hard to understand and needs a lot of work

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Being given a draft piece of content  that's very hard to understand and needs a lot of work

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I would try to have a single point of contact. From past experience, the more checkers you have, the messier it gets.

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Google docs - comments but not editing persmissions to trace who wants what change and why

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Google docs - comments but not editing persmissions to trace who wants what change and why

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Folks thinking they are already good writers and writing has been part of their role (especially for policy folks) so they don't need a content designer or are resistant to working with a CD

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Folks thinking they are already good writers and writing has been part of their role (especially for policy folks) so they don't need a content designer or are resistant to working with a CD

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If it's a big piece of content, break it into different sessions so you don't get fatigued by it!

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If it's a big piece of content, break it into different sessions so you don't get fatigued by it!

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Unwillingness - being told something has already been signed off, or can't be changed

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Unwillingness - being told something has already been signed off, or can't be changed

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People thinking that good content = wordy content.

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People think that anyone can write! And don't recognise content designers as experts

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People think that anyone can write! And don't recognise content designers as experts

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Sensitivities of some SMEs - feel like you're attacking their 'baby' with content design change suggestions

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Sensitivities of some SMEs - feel like you're attacking their 'baby' with content design change suggestions

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Identifying which content needs to be included

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Identifying which content needs to be included

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so you don't overload the user with information! Hard to make that call as a CD but SMEs often want to include everything.

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Self doubt and having the courage of my conviction as a content designer! Knowing when to fight and when to concede

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Self doubt and having the courage of my conviction as a content designer! Knowing when to fight and when to concede

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Get all the players in the meeting to discuss 

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Get all the players in the meeting to discuss 

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Take regular breaks if it's a long session

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Take regular breaks if it's a long session

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SME's focused on their niche area and not appreciating the wider picture and that content shouldn't be duplicated

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SME's focused on their niche area and not appreciating the wider picture and that content shouldn't be duplicated

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Organisation used to publishing in long PDFs that don't change for years so everything has to be 'perfect' - hard for people to get their head round new iterative process

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Organisation used to publishing in long PDFs that don't change for years so everything has to be 'perfect' - hard for people to get their head round new iterative process

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I didnt know there was such a thing as demi pair writing, but I realise that's what I've been doing - but I didnt know it was a 'thing'

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I didnt know there was such a thing as demi pair writing, but I realise that's what I've been doing - but I didnt know it was a 'thing'

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Sounds like you start with a draft, as opposed to taking it in turns to write sentences. Sounds a bit more traditional - but with more conversations 

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Sounds like you start with a draft, as opposed to taking it in turns to write sentences. Sounds a bit more traditional - but with more conversations 

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Collaboration between content designer and SME to review content. Working together to produce a mutually agreed product.

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Collaboration between content designer and SME to review content. Working together to produce a mutually agreed product.

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SMEs who are responsible for defining something we need to write about but who come to us with little idea of what it will be. So they are changing the facts even while we're trying to draft the doc. We are introducing a stage gate to make clear what must happen before documents start.

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SMEs who are responsible for defining something we need to write about but who come to us with little idea of what it will be. So they are changing the facts even while we're trying to draft the doc. We are introducing a stage gate to make clear what must happen before documents start.

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We're working together to make our content easy for the user to understand and act on.

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We're working together to make our content easy for the user to understand and act on.

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Lack of understanding of user centred design and what content design actually is

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Lack of understanding of user centred design and what content design actually is

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Working in the public sector and having to adhere to publics sector accessibility regulations and content 'pair' perceiving that the information is not 'enough' and wanting to add PDFs which are not accessible

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Working in the public sector and having to adhere to publics sector accessibility regulations and content 'pair' perceiving that the information is not 'enough' and wanting to add PDFs which are not accessible

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SMEs often see the benefit after completing a content design project and are bought in - trickier when engaging them for the first time

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SMEs often see the benefit after completing a content design project and are bought in - trickier when engaging them for the first time

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It's all very varied and very much depends on the attitude of the people working together (willingness to learn and collaborate etc) - in the same org I've had good and bad experiences of pair writing

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It's all very varied and very much depends on the attitude of the people working together (willingness to learn and collaborate etc) - in the same org I've had good and bad experiences of pair writing

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I find lots of comments/tracked changes (which some stakeholders love) make me lose...track/heart/the will to go on. 

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I find lots of comments/tracked changes (which some stakeholders love) make me lose...track/heart/the will to go on. 