More advice

Subject: More advice
From: Paula Reynolds <PAULAR -at- HISPEED -dot- MHS -dot- COMPUSERVE -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1993 17:24:22 EDT

Hello.

I posted yesterday about help in revising our system. Thanks to everyone
who responded; the comments have been very helpful. However, I'd like to
provide more specifics and ask for even more advice. I'd also like to
find out if all companies are like the one I've found myself in.

From: Chuck Banks <chuck -at- ASL -dot- DL -dot- NEC -dot- COM>

Paula,

My advice is to take a page from the contract writers and
pin your employer down to specifics. You cannot be certain
your problem is your system until you are certain what your
bosses want you to achieve.

Chuck, I would love to do this. However, I can barely get my boss to
meet with me. I started here six weeks ago. They knew I'd been coming
for a month, yet there was no office for me, no computer access, and no
phone. Then they were going to stick me in a cube in the middle of a
room (the other tech writer has a real office). I firmly said that I
need a door, a desk, and other amenities (lights, electricity). I got
those, but not much else. The computer can't handle the screen captures
I need to do, and there's not enough memory so the system keeps freezing.

This is a prelude to the actual job responsibilities, which are still
completely and absolutely vague. For example, I'm working on a revision
of a current manual now. When I ask what they want, they say "I don't
know. Something better. Give us a draft." They don't deal well in
specifics.

Do they want improved appearance in your documents? Then
sit down with your managers and determine what they want,
precisely. If they don't know, try brainstorming the
various characteristics of your documentation. For
instance:

Do they want a new typeface?

taken care of.

Do they want a new format?

debatable. They want our manuals to have more cross-references and an
index, but I can't seem to make that happen in Word 5.5 very easily. (To
my knowledge, indexes won't index pages such as 4-3, 6-9, and so on. If
I'm wrong, please clue me in.) Also, when I suggest that we should
contact our customers to see what they would like in the manuals, I'm
ignored.


Remember, neither you nor the software can read minds.
You must be sure of what customers and management want
or buying new tools will be a waste of money.


So far, the current tech writer has problems with Word 5.5 not being able
to handle large documents, several large documents, indexing, and no
table editor. We also need a WYSIWYG display, since we are incorporating
captured screens and need to be able to place them in the most logical
area. Well, I could go on and on, but I think I've whined enough today.


Well, maybe not quite yet. Are other manufacturing firms so dictatorial
over their staff? We're not allowed posters/personalization of our
offices, plants, radios, or much else. We (the exempt people) also punch
time clocks and have no flex time whatsoever. Am I just naive?

Good Luck!

Thanks; I need it!

Paula
Hi-Speed Checkweigher
Ithaca, NY 14850


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