Collaborative Writing in Tech Teams

In my different leadership roles, I’ve always struggled to get developers to write and maintain relevant documentation. It’s been their bête noire. And when they do write it, it’s usually under managerial pressure, resulting in long SharePoint or Confluence pages that slowly rot, disconnected from the actual architecture and code. In my last mission, I decided to face the elephant in the room and change the approach. Surprisingly, it worked. (Partly thanks to LLMs 😊) Here’s what we did: We moved to collaborative documentation (Microsoft Loop — but it could be Notion, Confluence, whatever fits your team). I encouraged devs to use ChatGPT — not to replace them, but to help them structure, improve, and enrich their writing. We made architecture and design discussions async and doc-first. I introduced a simple rule: 👉 “If it’s not on Loop, it doesn’t exist.” Within a few months, we went from static, outdated SharePoint pages... ...to living docs and Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) — that became a shared knowledge base for the team and the broader company. Of course, AI tools won’t write your docs for you. But they can help your team build a real documentation culture. And you — what’s your experience with documentation? #softwareengineering #engineeringmanagement #documentation #softwaredocumentation #architecture #adr #softwarearchitecture

The closer technical writers are integrated with engineering teams, the better the documentation becomes. When writers are treated as essential members of the development process rather than an afterthought, they can create more accurate, timely, and valuable documentation that truly serves both users and developers. Docs-as-code is one of the most effective ways to achieve this integration. By using the same tools and workflows as developers, technical writers can participate directly in the software development lifecycle, catch documentation needs earlier, and maintain docs with the same rigor as code. For teams looking to get started with docs-as-code, here are some excellent tools to consider: Static Site Generators: - Jekyll (particularly with GitHub Pages) - MkDocs - Hugo - Sphinx (especially for Python projects) Documentation Linters: - Vale for style/grammar checking - markdownlint for Markdown consistency - awesome-lint for README files Version Control & Collaboration: - GitHub/GitLab for repository management - Pull request workflows for doc reviews - GitHub Actions for automated doc testing - LEARN GIT VIA COMMAND LINE The investment in learning these tools pays off quickly in improved #documentation quality, better collaboration with developers, and more efficient workflows. Most of these tools are open-source and well-documented, making them perfect for teams just starting their docs-as-code journey. #TechnicalWriting #DocsAsCode #Documentation #TechComm #DeveloperDocs #TechnicalCommunication

Top teams aren’t just documenting for today, they’re preparing for the future. For years, traditional documentation was the go-to approach. But as projects evolve, teams are adopting structured authoring and collaborative methods to keep up. If you want your team to stay efficient and scalable, You need to explore how these approaches can work for you. Each method has its strengths, But blending elements of all three often creates the best results. Here are 3 key approaches to consider: 📜 Traditional Documentation ↳ Standalone documents created independently. ⚙️ How it works: Content is written manually for each project. Formatting and style are managed document by document. ✅ Pros: ↳ Simple to get started. ↳ No specialized tools required. 🚫 Cons: ↳ Hard to scale across projects. ↳ Inconsistent formatting and style. 📈 How to improve: ↳ Use templates for consistency. ↳ Develop a basic style guide. 📂 Structured Authoring ↳ Modular, reusable content created using predefined frameworks. ⚙️ How it works: Content is written in chunks and assembled across outputs. Tools like DITA and MadCap Flare enable scalability. ✅ Pros: ↳ Increases efficiency and consistency. ↳ Scales well for large projects. 🚫 Cons: ↳ Requires specialized tools and training. ↳ Initial setup is time-intensive. 📈 How to adopt: ↳ Train your team in structured authoring tools. ↳ Build reusable templates for recurring content. 🤝 Collaborative Documentation ↳ Real-time content creation with multiple contributors. ⚙️ How it works: Teams collaborate using cloud-based tools like Confluence or Notion. Changes are visible and tracked in real time. ✅ Pros: ↳ Encourages faster feedback and updates. ↳ Ideal for agile workflows. 🚫 Cons: ↳ Version control can be tricky. ↳ Requires strong moderation to maintain organization. 📈 How to leverage: ↳ Establish clear roles and processes for contributors. ↳ Use tags and folders to keep content organized. Don’t limit your team by sticking to just one method. Many teams find success by combining elements of all three approaches based on project needs. What’s your team’s preferred documentation style? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇 Want more career insights for writers: 1. Follow Joshua Gene Fechter 2. Like the post. 3. Repost to your network.