Training a writing team

Team training maintains and develops capability as the work changes. It combines role-specific learning, experience on live projects, knowledge sharing and access to internal and external expertise, supported by leaders who make time and resources available.

Changing work and role-specific needs

Training needs continue beyond induction because technology, research methods and product development change what writers need to know. ^{1, 2} Drug–device combinations, software as a medical device and AI products are examples of developments that publication writers and authors need to understand. ² Required capabilities and training differ across medical education, communications, journalism, regulatory writing, clinical-research writing and scientific publications. ³ Many writing activities and skills can nevertheless overlap across document types, despite differences in templates and guidelines. ^{4, 5}

In a publication team, experienced writers need refresher training as well as preparation for scientifically reviewing other writers' documents, training and mentoring colleagues. ^{6, 7} Leadership training covers motivating the team, ownership and decision-making, including balancing client expectations with the need to raise ethical or transparency concerns. ^{7, 8} QC support, submission support, medical editing and project management each need relevant training, also applicable to writers who cover those roles. ⁸

Training as automation changes the work

Automating tasks that previously helped junior writers learn creates a need to reconsider training and the skills taught, rather than a reason to stop automation. ⁹ AI training should identify usable tools and provide practical experience with them. ¹⁰

A medical-writing group's digital-fluency curriculum in May 2024 covered natural language generation, language models, knowledge graphs, business rules, structured and unstructured data, and the shift from document-centred to data-centred work. ¹¹ The group was building this understanding so writers could explain technology to study teams and help lead change, after finding that ordinary writing training had not prepared them to articulate those concepts. ^{12, 11} Learning a new interface can initially consume more time before it produces savings, so capability building needs an initial investment. ¹³

Learning during projects and sharing knowledge

Training extends beyond organised sessions to reading scientific literature and industry resources, practice and reflection during project work. ^{14, 15} Team members should share discoveries such as a new tool or guideline with colleagues. ^{15, 16}

One publication company described voluntary Friday knowledge-sharing sessions around 4–4.30 pm, without a prepared agenda or presentations: the group discussed a project the manager considered worth sharing, with people working on different documents joining in. ¹⁶ Sharing a few minutes or hours of existing work can itself train the group, rather than requiring a separate prepared lesson. ¹⁷ A regulatory-writing training lead with twenty years' experience recognised systematic knowledge sharing as a gap despite having extensive on-the-job and continuing training in place. ^{4, 5}

Time, trainers and access

Learning needs to be prioritised when preparation or attendance competes with other work. ¹⁸ Short modules on narrow topics, such as three-, five- or ten-minute microlearning, can reduce the time required; downtime between projects can also be used for learning. ¹⁹

External trainers and associations can provide training, while internal specialists can share their expertise with the team. ¹⁹ Webinars, conferences and workshops can expose writers to practices in other companies and organisations. ^{17, 20} Many online opportunities are free, so payment is not always a prerequisite. ²¹ Cross-functional colleagues can teach capabilities beyond writing, including project and time management, decision-making and ownership. ^{21, 22}

Resistance to new practices

New templates, processes or technologies can meet resistance from people accustomed to existing ways of working. ²³ Managers should explain the reason and expected benefits, listen to concerns that may be legitimate, and model the proposed practice in their own daily work. ^{23, 21}

A persistently resistant colleague may need repeated conversations and examples of others benefiting, with attention to whether the activity actually improved the process. ²⁴ If the person remains rigid, one publication-team leader's approach was to stop spending excessive time persuading them, allow existing practice to continue and keep sharing positive experiences from colleagues in case their view changed later. ^{24, 25}

Writers struggling with a project task or tool should be encouraged to ask peers and leaders for help rather than conceal the difficulty for fear of being judged. ²²

An environment that sustains learning

Leadership should understand the training requirement and support its integration into the team's programme. ^{22, 26} Training discussions should use current, live projects because challenges change and a case from five years earlier may no longer be relevant. ²⁶ Resources and learning opportunities should be easy to access through a learning management system or a shared folder, with an internal process enabling team members to upload and share material. ²⁶ Proactive knowledge sharing and delivery of training should be recognised and suitably rewarded. ²⁷

A continuous learning and development plan can help improve writing efficiency, productivity, job satisfaction and client satisfaction and retention. ²⁸ It may also reduce staff attrition by helping people remain satisfied in their roles. ²⁸