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Stansbury, Stan wrote:
> So far in this thread no one has mentioned the one factor that I think
> is crucial in understanding it: the consequences of poor performance.
Well, there was a recent discussion that mentioned the insurances an
independent contractor must carry to get tech writing work, from gov't
contractors or aviation manufacturers, if I remember correctly. We are
seen as a link in the liability chain and must have insurance coverage
to a pretty big number.
But anyway, professionalism may have some implied ability to avoid
creating risks for an employer or client, but I mostly see myself as a
professional line item in the budget. You spend what it costs to get me
to do it, and I'll give you timely, managed, accountable work that is up
to your standards. I'm a pro. I am risk averse, so you don't have to be.
What is unfortunate is that many tech writing scenarios are virtually
designed to fail because they are treated as apart from the engineering,
apart from the development cycle, marginalized among the afterthoughts
that come at the tail end of a project. Picking up on Gene's advice that
we eschew work where we're not ranked as professionals, I would advise
shunning work that is not integrated into the project and designed for
success. This is only slightly harder than turning down work you're not
qualified for.
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