/Like it or not, a project management mindset can get you to your next level in your technical writing career.
When people think about technical writing, they often imagine someone immersed in markdown files, fiddling with APIs, and even dabbling in a bit of code. (Or maybe that’s how I want people to think about me.)
And while those skills are helpful, there is one under-mentioned superpower of a technical writer that almost no one talks about: project management.
Yes, coding is cool, but project management—paired with your role as a communication specialist—is what turns technical writers into indispensable assets.
At the end of the day, I think that has helped my career more than any other abilities I’ve gained through the years. Let’s dive into why.
The ultimate communication specialists
At its core, technical writing is about communication. You’re a bridge between developers, product managers, and end-users. Your job is to take complex information, simplify it, and make it accessible. But being a communication specialist is more than writing clear sentences; it’s about navigating relationships and extracting the right information from the right people at the right time.
Enter project management.
Wrangling stakeholders, aligning priorities, and coordinating with subject matter experts (SMEs) are all forms of project management. The better you are at managing these moving parts, the more effectively you can fulfill your role as the communication linchpin.
Why project management is a game-changer for technical writers
You’re the documentation advocate
Technical writers are often the ones championing documentation in a sea of competing priorities. To do this well, you need to:
- Schedule reviews with SMEs who are perpetually busy.
- Align timelines with product launches.
- Balance the scope of what’s realistic versus what’s ideal.
Strong project management skills let you push documentation initiatives forward without alienating stakeholders.
SME Wrangling: The art of collaboration
Getting time with subject matter experts can feel like herding cats. Project management techniques—like setting clear expectations, sending well-structured agendas, and following up with concise action items—can make these interactions more productive.
Lately, I’ve been trying to keep most of my meetings with SMEs and stakeholders to 15-20 minutes. And it works.
SMEs appreciate working with someone who values their time. And when you demonstrate strong organization and communication, you’ll earn their trust, making future collaborations even smoother.
What happens when you need extra info? You can use different communication channels. Remember that you have to adapt to your audience. Some devs and stakeholders rather have an email or a chat message than a full-fledge meeting.
Learn how to collaborate. And exploit it.
The crossroads of product and people
Docs don’t exist in isolation. Or at least they shouldn’t. They should be included every part of a product’s lifecycle: design, development, marketing, and support. Understanding where your work fits into this bigger picture is crucial, and managing those touchpoints requires a project manager’s mindset.
With project management skills, you can juggle these overlapping needs while keeping your focus on delivering valuable, user-focused documentation.
5 key project management skills for technical writers
You don’t need a PMP certification, but honing these skills will make you stand out among the other tech writers:
Planning and Prioritization
Break big projects into manageable chunks. Prioritize tasks based on user needs and deadlines, and always clarify deliverables before starting to avoid scope creep.
Stakeholder Communication
This is where your communication expertise shines. Keep stakeholders in the loop with regular updates, concise emails, and well-organized meetings. When you’re proactive and transparent, you make their lives easier—and yours, too.
Information Management
You’re often the “single source of truth” for how a product works or why certain decisions were made. Use project management tools like Jira Trello, Asana, or Notion to track progress, capture SME feedback, and store key insights for future reference.
Risk Assessment
Anticipate roadblocks before they happen. Are your SMEs known for slow responses? Build buffer time into your schedule. Is a product launch date still in flux? Have a contingency plan ready.
Time Management
Your days are a mix of meetings, writing, and editing. Use time-blocking or task-batching techniques to maximize productivity. Learn to say “no” when additional requests threaten your deadlines.
How to Develop Project Management Skills
If you feel your project management chops could use some work, don’t worry—it’s a learnable skill. Here’s how to start:
- Practice stakeholder wrangling: Volunteer to coordinate a small initiative, like updating a style guide or organizing a doc review.
- Observe the pros: Shadow a product manager to see how they handle cross-functional collaboration and conflicting priorities. This has helped me personally.
- Experiment with tools: Familiarize yourself with tools like Jira, or whatever they use in your org. And use it to your advantage.
- Reflect on Your Workflows: Identify bottlenecks in your current process and think about how you could improve them.
But What About Coding?
Let’s be clear: learning to code is useful. It builds your technical credibility, helps you understand what you are working on, and enables you to troubleshoot environments independently. But coding is situationally useful, whereas project management is universally essential.
As a communication specialist, your value lies in synthesizing complex information and orchestrating the processes that make documentation happen. Project management is what allows you to thrive in this role, regardless of the technology or industry.
Wrapping it up
Technical writing is much more than just crafting polished documents. It’s about understanding people, managing processes, and advocating for the user. By combining your communication skills with a project management mindset, you’ll not only meet deadlines—you’ll also become a trusted partner to your team.
What’s your take on project management as a core skill for technical writers? Let me know in the comments!