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Re: Technical Writing and the Business Perspective
Subject:Re: Technical Writing and the Business Perspective From:"Chuck Martin" <cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 24 Oct 2003 11:49:19 -0700
"T. Word Smith" <techwordsmith -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote in message news:217548 -at- techwr-l -dot- -dot- -dot-
<snip>
>
> To sum up: Goober is right. Do what your boss and
> other movers-and-shakers want, even when it is not the
> right thing (suck up), and eventually you will be
> dubbed "Sir Team Player," at which point you can try
> to change things for the better and your readers'
> benefit, if the brainwashing hasn't gone too far.
>
How can you create quality when you don't believe in what you're doing? (The
irony, this very stroyline played out on this week's West Wing.) More
importantly, how can you enjoy what you're doing what you don't believe in
what you're doing?
Oh yes, we've all hunkered down in joyless tedium when we've been told "Do
it because I say so." But I'll never go down without a fight, and I think
smart managers don't really believe suck ups are true team players. sucking
up is incredibly self-serving and ultimately damages the company--and its
bottom line.
I was talking just yesterday with my manager and a guy we had just brought
on board, who has an iPod. Now this is generally considered to be an elegant
piece of engineering. However, most reviews I've seen recognize its elegance
and ease of use, and also universally decry its p*ss-poor battery life.
I also mentioned an mp3 player that I've been looking at and described a
flaw in its engineering. Rio designed the hardware of its 1.5GB Nitrus mp3
player so that it gets power through the USB connection, but doesn't
recharge. (I've writtne Rio tech support about this and they say it's not a
bug because it was designed that way. D'oh!)
My boss asked me if I'm critical of everything, and my response was that I
always believe things can be better. I shoudl add that this includes me: I'm
always looking to improve myself, my body (by working out), my mind (by
reading, taking classes, etc.), and so on. As an extension of that, I also
always want to make thing bette for the users of whatever product I'm
working on.
Isn't pushing for a better product much better than sucking up?
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