Mentoring suggestions

[geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]

 Jennifer Krause asked for advice on getting going in her
 new techwhirling career. Jennifer, there are dozens of good
 books available (check the reviews section of _Technical
 Communication_), so I won't go into the nitty gritty
 technical details. But one thing many books leave out is
 the human side of technical writing.

 So my advice: Start building excellent relationships with
 your colleagues, with subject matter experts, and with
 management... right now. Build them honestly, not as a
 brown-noser or sycophant; if you don't like some of the
 people (which is likely), don't pretend you do, but _do_
 establish a relationship based on mutual professional
 respect. When you hit the wall some time down the road,
 these relationships will save your life, or at least your
 peace of mind. Second, make sure you're part of the
 development team so that you're aware of what's going on
 and can come up with coping strategies for producing good
 documentation. Building good relationships will get your
 foot in the door.

 So how do you build these relationships? Make sure you chat
 with your colleagues about things other than work; you're
 bound to find something of mutual interest, from sports to
 high tech, to discuss. Learn enough about their areas of
 expertise to hold a knowledgable conversation with them, or
 ask them to tell you more about what they do so you can
 learn; most people are more than happy to bore you with the
 details of their work. If you know a bit, you won't ask the
 really idiotic questions that annoy people so much.
 Socialize with them to whatever extent is appropriate;
 sitting with them occasionally in the lunch room is one
 way, playing volleyball every Thursday is another. (No need
 to invite them to family dinners just yet, unless they
 become good friends!) Pass along Dilbert cartoons,
 particularly the ones that give you both a sense of deja
 vu. Tell them the latest Microsoft jokes. Help them with
 their resumes, proposal writing for more resources,
 recording of the minutes of meetings, and business letters.
 Concentrate on being an asset to them, not just someone
 else making demands on their time.

 --Geoff Hart     @8^{)}     geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
 Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.

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