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Re: When you hear the Axe in the dark...

Subject: Re: When you hear the Axe in the dark...
From: ct <straylightsghost -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:03:38 -0700

The saga is finally ending.

After many, many weeks of negotiation the Iron has landed. I managed
to negotiate my way into the job I wanted. Now? Ah, now I prepare to
give notice to my employer.

Unfortunately, this has not always gone well in the past for employees
taking their leave, and in my case - well, that should be interesting.

Will the Axe finally find its home in the Tech Writer's back? Or will
they kindly put it away?

We'll see tomorrow.

-Collin


A sad story unfolding here...

I am the lone Tech Writer for this company and I've been here for over
1 1/2 years. I'm the first TW they've ever had and, of course, I've
been trying to gently train them into the proper care and feeding of a
TW - to no avail.

Now, due to some...issues...with management and many a "Boss" shuffle,
it would appear that my ownership is about to be handed over to an
individual who sees my employment here as more pain than necessity
(the famous question..."What exactly do you do again?")

To top it off, my "First of year" meeting to go over my 1st quarter's
projects has been blown off twice now.

<sigh>

Now, I just wait for:

1. The "layoff".
2. The other irons I've got out there to catch fire (I've seen this
coming for some time and have been preparing).

(I'm kind of hoping for option 1...then 2 to fall in rapid
succession...for obvious reasons).

The moral here...training a poorly managed company to properly use a
Technical Writer? A daunting and DIFFICULT task. I've tried doing it
for almost 2 years now. Here's what I've learned.

A) GET TOP EXECUTIVE BUYOFF FOR EVERYTHING!!! - Force your way into
everyone's face with a note from the CEO. Make it your top priority,
get it in writing when you're hired. Don't beat people over the head
with it, but be sure they know you have it.

B) Be a pain in the A** when required, but smile all the time anyway.
When you're sitting on that PM or Developer's desk, refusing to go
away until you get your "content"...a laugh and a smile with just the
RIGHT hint of insane threat will go a long way.

C) Know when enough is enough. Know what a dead horse looks like?
Great! Then stop beating it. Go find another horse.

Just thought I'd share.

--
"Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human
soul in this world--and never will."

Mark Twain
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