RE: Reviewers who don't review

Subject: RE: Reviewers who don't review
From: "Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>
To: "'Gene Kim-Eng'" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>, "'Siliconwriter'" <siliconwriter -at- comcast -dot- net>, "'TECHWR-L List'" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2006 19:26:57 -0400

I see. Isn't the product manager going to be interested in a defective
product being delivered to customers? Are you saying that the tech support
manager is untouchable?


Bonnie Granat
http://www.GranatEdit.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gene Kim-Eng [mailto:techwr -at- genek -dot- com]
> Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 7:18 PM
> To: Bonnie Granat; 'Siliconwriter'; 'TECHWR-L List'
> Subject: Re: Reviewers who don't review
>
> What I am suggesting is not so much "agreeing" to the other
> person's terms as beating him over the head with them.
>
> Unfortunately, the reality of life, especially in this romper room
> we call Silicon Valley, is that as tech writers and publications
> managers we do not get to define the job requirements of other
> developers and most especially other managers, but are often
> still held accountable if we are unable to secure their participation
> some way or another. Hence the common advice you see about
> doing things like bribing engineers with candy and cookies.
> This is the stick to that carrot. Taking the recalcitrant person
> at his word and doing what he suggested, to whatever over-the-
> top extremes are necessary to achieve the results he claims it
> will yield, is sometimes the only thing one can do to make a dent
> in an otherwise rock-hard skull.
>
> However, I have also worked in environments where publicly
> calling the schmuck in question a schmuck as John suggested
> and talking to him as if he really was the child whose behavior he
> is emulating can also work. You just have to know where you are
> and what kind of response your company's culture calls for and
> accepts.
>
> Gene Kim-Eng
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>
>
> > Of course you cannot ensure people won't behave
> outrageously. That's not
> > the
> > point really.
> >
> > I think agreeing to the person's terms is not a good idea.
> The writer is
> > kept from productive work and babysitting someone who
> should be able to
> > perform his job without supervision.
> >
> > Perhaps if his job performance requirements included, in
> writing, the
> > accuracy of the documentation, he would pay some attention.
> It is *his*
> > job
> > that needs to performed right, and if I am the technical
> writer's manager,
> > I
> > do *not* want her babysitting a grown man who needs to be
> financially
> > motivated to perform his job.
>
>
>


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help includes a one-click RoboHelp project converter. It's that easy. Watch the demo at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

References:
Re: Reviewers who don't review: From: Gene Kim-Eng

Previous by Author: RE: Reviewers who don't review
Next by Author: RE: Reviewers who don't review
Previous by Thread: Re: Reviewers who don't review
Next by Thread: Re: Reviewers who don't review


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads