Re: Myths and Facts From SSI

[Dan BRINEGAR <vr2link -at- VR2LINK -dot- COM>]

Alexia Prendergast <alexiap -at- SEAGATESOFTWARE -dot- COM> shared these fine thoughts:

>I think Mike's got a good point -- let's make this post work
>for our benefit.
>
>1. What would we do if Bonney came to our companies selling his
>   product/system/method and upper management started to listen?

This would be an ideal opportunity to link technical communications with
core business issues, because the bosses are thinking about it. I can
guarantee they won't *quite* understand  what SSI is talking about, and
will be open  to suggestion while they're trying to understand. *And* this
is where technical communicators can really shine -- we can communicate!

I'd do my best to scam up an opportunity to make a presentation on the
*real* issues in technical communications: That is, I'd start with the core
of my "Re: Odd Survey Explained" rant from last night

  "There's.... Systems to take the dull routine out of work so people  can
concentrate on whatever it is they do best, rather than just keeping the
system going ...and then there's just bureacracy."

I'd use "real" business authorities (such as Peter Drucker, Tom Peters,
Robert Mager and Rosabeth Moss-Kanter -- and whomever my bosses happened to
feel was a "real" authority) to define the basic business issues that show
which solutions work, and which don't.

I have a ton of notes from my "E-myth" research to show that the Gurus
agree that the only business processes that work are the ones that rely on
highly skilled, creative people within the organization who are allowed the
maximum discretion possible to solve problems.

This presentation would, of course, be made up a printed executive summary
and several simple foils with 5 +/- 2 short punchy bullets each followed by
a Guru-quote foil -- delivered quickly and with minimal extra wordiness.
Promise them a white-paper within two days based on their Q&A and feedback.


>   He's using management-speak and half-truths to play on management's
>   fears. Sneering would not be an effective counter-argument, no
>   matter how satisfying it might be ;)

Because we also speak English, we can turn management-speak right back at
'em: But it will mean something! It'd be an infomercial for managers, but
it would be selling SOMETHING VALUABLE.

>
>2. There are some valid points twisted into Bonney's post --
>   what are we (as individuals, departments, or a profession) doing to
>   address these problems?

That's at least 1/4 of my "book," and it's far enough along that I can
steal stuff out of it for the white-paper.  Authorities cited could include
the company techcomm guru, Robert Horn, Ginny Redish, JoAnne Hackos, Bill
Horton, Cynthia Geary, et al...  we've been working on all these issues but
generally preaching to the choir or crying in the wilderness: the
pointy-hairs just haven't heard what we've been doing all these years, and
it's time to go to Rome.

<waving a powerbook over my head and charging up the hill towards the
executive suite>
" Let's DO ITTTTTTTTT!"

-------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Brinegar   Information Developer/Research Droid/Mac Guy
http://www.vr2link.com

Who was it that said:
"I believe the only way to get the scale of change we really need is
to focus on educating citizens so they have the principles,
the framework and the tools necessary to effect change on their own."

vr2link -at- vr2link -dot- com     -- CCDB Vr2Link
                                         Performance S u p p o r t Svcs.

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