RE: Work load question

["Shapiro, Deborah [BWIIL]" <dshapiro -at- bwiil -dot- jnj -dot- com>]

Hi Melissa,

I think the real problem is, what exactly is "billable" documentation. 

I made the mistake of thinking it was ONLY my manuals and project related
stuff that I got a specific billing number for. Thus, maintenance,
housekeeping, basic documentation, creating a style guide all fell through
the cracks. Suddenly, our company is growing, I need to bring in people to
help - but everything is in my head.

I allowed what I knew to be good practice to fall through the cracks because
people like PMs and non-writing professional supervisors could not see the
importance of these items. Don't do this, its not important. I was tired of
fighting for hours to do on "general" because they related to ALL projects.

So now, I really do have too much too do, and when I get help - it is going
to be VERY hard to train them. I've succeeded to outsource certain tasks,
but now the fight is - why do you have to be involved - we are paying THEM
to do it <grin>

At the end of the day, we need to learn to build a better business case for
ourselves, or for each other (easier for me to do yours than my own <grin>).

You are not looking for make-work - you are finally finding time for the
little tasks that if they are not done while there is no pressure - not only
will they never be done - but the day you are no longer there, the company
will indeed suffer. 

Don't know if this helps.

Debbie Shapiro

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dshapiro=bwiil -dot- jnj -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dshapiro=bwiil -dot- jnj -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]On Behalf
Of Melissa Nelson
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 9:02 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Work load question


Hello All,

Happy Friday! I had a Friday poll question of sorts! I am in a light load 
time at work and catching up on some internal documentation that I have not 
had time to do, which is nice but then my finance lady came up and asked why

I have not done any billable documentation...easy answer...none to do! :)
Anyway, I got to thinking that it has always been like that since I have 
been a tech writer. I am either overloaded with documentation or I am making

up things to do. I was wondering if that is typical for a tech writer...do 
you all find that you all seem to have a feast or famine kind of environment

when it comes to documentation?

Melissa

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