RE: Motivation for Overtime?

["Anthony Markatos" <tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Debbie Heit said (in response to the question, What motivates you to put in 
a lot of free overtime?):

....How about pure passion for what you do and the quality of it?  As a 
technical writer every project should be considered a feather in your 
experience cap.  I never think of it as giving to my
employer, but rather broadening my experience.

Tony Markatos responds:

There is, typically, little correlation between hours worked and a "passion 
for quality".  Let me explain by way of an example that I am sure most of us 
can relate to - developers.  (Note: the same applies to TW's, it is just 
easier to envision for developers.)

I know of a lot of developers who (individually) put in tons of free 
overtime.  And yet, I have never - in almost fifteen years of experience - 
seen one of these individuals produce a flow-chart (let alone a data flow 
diagram or entity relationship diagram) that even approaches academic 
standard.

Quality work is so much more than doing work - it's planning work!  (Please, 
no "but we are too busy to plan" comments.  Very few experts recommend an 
"always think with your hands on the keyboard approach" to development.)

What most (in my opinion, the vast majority) of developers (AND technical 
writers) who play the "hours" game are saying is, "Please Mister boss-man, I 
know that I have not properly planned my work (and that therefore, its 
quality sticks), but I beg - by way of a ton of free overtime - for mercy."  
This is FEAR in its purest form!

Tony Markatos
(tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com)







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