Re: R-E-S-P-E-C-T me! (Please!) -- Was RE: Gnaargh! Or, I Am Not Psychic

["Diana Ost" <pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com>]

FLAME ALERT!

I think it's wonderful that Ghandi talked about getting respect, but I don't
ascribe to the (now popular) notion that how everyone treats me is somehow
my fault, and is completely under my control.  My original gut-level
response to that statement about "forcing others to respect me" is (THIS is
the flame part): Now it's MY fault that the controlling, paranoid,
ignorant people I work(ed) did not treat me with respect? Talk about blaming
the victim!  If someone hits me, is that my fault too? That is simply
bull*&^$,  (What, I *made* them act that way?)

I do not have complete control over every person I come in contact with. I
cannot control other people's feelings, thoughts, or actions. I can make
their actions uncomfortable for them if they persist in directing them at
me, but changing peoples' internal attitudes? No way.

I've been doing this for 25 years, and have even taught technical writing at
the university level, and have had varying degrees of success with the
"respect" thing. The best "respect areas" have been in companies with formal
documentation departments that had a good, strong manager who scheduled work
and backed up her people, and did not allow mistreatment. And, important
point, she could *turn down* work if need be (great lever). Those companies
were also professional software development houses that used a formal SDLC
methodology to develop software, test it, and document it. The key words:
professional and methodology. Those folks know the meaning of team work too.


The worst companies? Those who have never worked with a tech writer before,
and those who have no methodology, no clue about how to create, test, and
document software, and no clue about what a technical writer actually does.
Those are the ones who have treated me like I am their typist or something,
and expect me (and I have heard this term) to "pretty it up" instead of
ensure that the documentation is accurate, understandable, free from errors,
and is grammatically correct.

Can you teach people what a tech writer does? Sure. Can you teach people how
to treat you? Sometimes, yeah, you can, if you can back it up with
consequences. But if that person "not respecting" you is your boss, or if
your boss doesn't back you up, you can fuggitaboutit. There are people in
this world who just need to feel superior, and all the "teaching" in the
world will not change a control-freak or their ego-driven need to be "above"
someone else. It's not worth even trying either--life is just too short.

Most of the people I work with treat me as a professional, but there are a
couple that don't. And I can't change them. I can change how I feel about it
though: it's THEIR problem, not mine. I will not take the blame for that
either.

--putting soapbox away---

Di
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help 
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content 
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.