RE: Re: Seeking counsel - yet another difficult work situation (very long!)

Subject: RE: Re: Seeking counsel - yet another difficult work situation (very long!)
From: "Downing, David" <DavidDowning -at- Users -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 14:59:57 -0500


Actually, there is one semi-legitimate reason some SME's may not want to
talk to tech. Writers -- and I think this may lead to another issue
besides shyness. Some SME's may feel that the writer should put more
effort into tracking down the information him/herself before asking for
it. I confess I've made that mistake at least once. I asked what
happened when you generated a certain report and got the response, "You
could run the report." The problem is, sometimes you can't make the
software run properly at your workstation, or don't have access to it,
etc. So where do you draw the line between what you should seek out
yourself and what's okay to ask for?

-----Original Message-----
From: Amy Smith/Westford/IBM [mailto:amy_smith -at- us -dot- ibm -dot- com]
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 10:36 AM
Subject: RE: Re: Seeking counsel - yet another difficult work situation
(very long!)


> and they're SUPPOSED to be granting you an audience for doing it. My
> problem is with approaching people -- SMEs in this case -- who may or

> may not want to be approached and may or may not want to talk to me.

Let's forget developer/writer dynamics for minute. Whether someone WANTS
to talk to you is irrelevant. You both work for the same company - a
business that is presumably interested in making a profit. You are both
there to contribute to the bottom line. This may involve working with
(and talking
with) each other.

Do you yourself think, if someone approaches you with a question, "I
REALLY don't want to talk to this person and I wish they would go away!"
Of course not. You answer the question or help the person. (If you do,
then we're talking about a whole other problem here.)

I do not mean this to sound harsh, or to seem like I am berating the
more introverted people. But I'm sensing that, underlying the shyness
discussion is the "I'm a technical writer so I'm not worthy" feeling.
We're not talking about a cocktail party here, where, yes, people talk
to whom they want to talk to. And yes, I've been there/done that/have
the t-shirt. I've been deterred by some developers' less-than-warm
demeanor. But I have a job to do, too, and it is no less important than
someone else's. So you learn how best to deal with various personalities
- who prefers email, who likes having people drop in, who needs a phone
call, or who lives and dies by IM. Some of this will suit you perfectly;
others will take more effort. I've gotten a lot of my answers by
chatting up people in the cashier line in the company cafeteria. And in
the ladies room.*

There is still one developer who intimidates the heck out of me; he's
quite critical of the doc. He is also one of the brightest guys here and
knows more about the product than most other engineers have forgotten.
So I know that, whenever I have to deal with him, it's worth it. It's
painful, but it's worth it.

*Ok, that only works for about half my co-workers. ;-)

Amy

**************************************************************
Amy Smith
Lotus User Experience/IBM Software Group
Phone 978.399.5009 | Tie line: 333.5009 | Email: amy_smith -at- us -dot- ibm -dot- com
"Any idiot can juggle chain saws. It's the day-to-day balloon
animal-making that wears you out." - Anton the Clown


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