Re: Asking SMEs (was Seeking counsel - yet another)

Subject: Re: Asking SMEs (was Seeking counsel - yet another)
From: "Mike O." <obie1121 -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 10:45:17 -0800 (PST)


Bruce Byfield wrote:
> Unfortunately, it's even less cost effective to have
> people constantly helping out the tech-writer.

Well, organizations that say they believe in teamwork sometimes need to
put their money where their mouth is.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "constantly helping out." If a
TW is constantly asking for help with basic concepts, or easily
learnable or Google-able technology, agreed - that's a waste of time.

But if an SME is pursuing some complex new activity in isolation, and
the TW has been assigned to document it, management needs to make sure
teamwork happens. If management fails to, maybe the TW can overcome the
isolation through clever tactics or sheer force of personality - or
maybe not.

Lots of middle managers are fond of telling their people have to wear
many hats. So sometimes an SME just has to put on the
work-with-the-techwriter hat. And if they won't, management needs to
slam that hat on their head, hard.

Mike O.





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