Re: Dilemma

[Rebecca Phillips <rebecca -at- QRONUS -dot- CO -dot- IL>]

>Incredulous, you ask one of the bosses if it is true: he tells you it is.
>They used you as a way to get the publications into an empty office. You
>feel used and abused. What do you do?

Dear Brad:

It is true that you have two choices: to stay or to quit. However, one important thing to keep in mind is that *every* office has politics and every office has problems. 

I won't give specific suggestions on how to approach the boss, because several good ideas were already posted. I was in a similar situation a couple of years back. The R&D manager wanted to move the documentation department to another building. As the team leader, I immediately became outraged and went straight to the General Manager of the company. This was the wrong thing to do. I should have waited until I calmed down and thought about it. Instead of coming across as someone with a legitimate complaint, I came across as a someone who bad-mouthed his superiors. 

I am not saying you shouldn't go to the top, if you think it will help. Realize, though, that if there is a political atmosphere in middle management, it is coming from top management. You have to play by the same rules. (Read Dilbert for good corporate politicking tips.) If your work is respected, you will find that you can slowly expand the amount of pull you have.

Don't be fooled into thinking some other company will have less silly politics. If you really don't want to deal with this kind of BS on a regular basis, find a place where you can become a member of a technical writing team. That way the team leader will deal with the BS and you can just write. 


Rebecca M. Phillips
Documentation Manager
Qronus Interactive Ltd.
Automated System Testing
http://www.qronus-int.com
rebecca -at- qronus -dot- co -dot- il