Re: getting info

["Michael West" <mbwest -at- bigpond -dot- net -dot- au>]

Subject: Re: getting info



> All I had to do was marry one of the 
> software guys and now everyone is quite helpful.


Ah, but how many shots do you get with that old 
ploy before you're found out?

More seriously, this problem can best be addressed
before it happens -- in the planning and scheduling
stages. You should try to make your deliveries
contingent upon scheduled reviews and interviews
with SMEs. Get it into the SIGNED-OFF project plan 
that you deliver a final draft <n> days after the 
completion of the scheduled reviews -- and publish 
the schedule often. That doesn't guarantee you'll get 
their time when you need it, but at least they can't pretend 
that it's something that wasn't in the plan

Other than that, think of how journalists get their
scoops. Do you think they get a friendly welcome when 
they go after a story? Persistence and persuasion are part 
of the successful tech writer's toolkit. Choose your own 
style, but you can be sure that whining and complaining 
will never get you what you want.

Something else that's worked for me in the past -- 
developers and engineers are the least likely people
in the organization to appreciate the importance of
end-user assistance material. Cultivate supporters in
Sales & Marketing or Customer Service who can put 
pressure on developers to give more attention to the 
quality of your deliverables. They know how frequently 
a good documentation package can be the deciding 
factor in a sales decision. Developers don't -- and 
wouldn't believe it if it happened in front of them.

--
Michael West
Melbourne, Austraia


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