Re: About responsibility and fault

Subject: Re: About responsibility and fault
From: "Robert E. Simanski" <rsimanski -at- yourpubpro -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2003 22:13:59 -0400


At 04:53 PM 4/6/2003 -0700, Bruce Byfield wrote:

It seems to me that, if writers aren't responsible for their work, then they forfeit the right to be called professionals, and all the complaints about lack of respect are unjustified. If they refuse responsibility, then they are going to be regarded as on a par with filing clerks and receptionists. If you're not responsible, then you won't have status.

For me, it all comes down to taking pride in my work. If my name goes on the documentation, then I want it to be as good as I can possibly make it, because I don't ever want my name associated with something of which I am not proud. What matters to me is whether the work measures up to my own standards, which I like to believe are higher than those of many others.

Even if my name doesn't go on the documentation, the buck stops with me. The reader might not know that I wrote the documentation, but I do and so do all of the other people associated with the project. If the documentation is wrong, the reader doesn't care who's to blame. All that they care about is that it's wrong.

I believe that we have to take ownership of our projects. That includes taking responsibility for the quality of the final product. It also includes taking the initiative and making things happen.

We have to communicate with the other people involved in the project, and effective communication works in both directions. If we're not getting the information that we need in a timely fashion, we should talk with the other people involved and figure out a better way of getting it. Let them know that we care as much about our work as they do about theirs.

We must learn to accept the fact that mistakes are going to slip through, if only because nobody is perfect, but we must also do my darndest to keep them to a minimum. We owe that much to the reader. But we owe the reader even more. We owe them the best possible documentation that we can deliver, given the circumstances and resources available to us. If we can accomplish that, then we will be able to hold our heads high and feel good about ourselves.

As for passing the blame for mistakes in our work, I have a very simple motto: If you screw up, own up. Do this even if there are extenuating circumstances and the mistake was not your fault.

If we are in charge of the documentation, the bucks stops with us, period. Everyone expects us to make excuses and try to pass the buck. When we accept responsibility for a problem, it stops them in their tracks. When that happens, we can move on to a constructive discussion of how to avoid the problem in the future.

If we want to gain the respect of our co-workers, the best way that I know of is to accept responsibility and do the best darn job that you can do, regardless of the circumstances.


**************************************
Robert E. Simanski, Owner, Business Pro Services
Publications * Web sites * Proposals * Computer Support
751 South Sugarland Run Drive, Sterling, VA 20164-1328
Voice: 703-404-8665 Fax/Data: 703-404-8156
rsimanski -at- yourpubpro -dot- com * www.businessproservices.com


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References:
Re: About responsibility and fault: From: Bonnie Granat
About responsibility and fault: From: Eric J. Ray
Re: About responsibility and fault: From: Kat Nagel, MasterWork Consulting
Re: About responsibility and fault: From: Bruce Byfield

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