Taking the initiative

It doesn’t matter what the profession, there is always a totem pole, whereby the tea lady is at the top, or on a par with the CEO, and the cleaner is at the bottom, and in the hi-tech world on a par with the technical writer. If the cleaner does not speak English the tech. writer might move above her (sexist I know), but if she does speak English, well she could probably write the user guide so she deserves to be on the same rung of the ladder.

No-one ever has time for the poor sap who has to explain the genius of the developer to the waiting masses. And if the masses don’t like the product, it is only because the writer didn’t explain clearly enough its brilliance and simplicity of use.

So the world has little time for the writer, unless of course they have something that needs a “page or two” yesterday, and that should take at most, what, let’s say thirty minutes to rattle off, and definitely no more than an hour.

I exaggerate slightly, or do I? The question is not my levels hyperbole but rather how you handle these situations.

First, the idea of the cleaner or secretary or anyone with a smidgen of English being able to create the sort of masterpieces that you churn out for breakfast. The only way to combat this, apart from letting the secretary try her hand at putting together the guide for the next version, is to gain the respect of the developers. This leads into the argument about technical expertise versus writing acumen, which was covered in The half-way point. Suffice it to say, you must be able to ask pertinent questions at pertinent times to be pertinent.

The next point to tackle is the misguided concept that what we do is so easy that it doesn’t take very long to do it. It’s about as easy as cooking. Most people can boil an egg, but to get just the right result, a soft yolk and hard white, etc. takes practise. So when you think it will take a couple of hours, double the time when giving your estimate, and even this is probably not enough, because what they want will change, and other people will demand your time. So a net two hours of work on the document might actually take a day to produce. After completing whatever it is, sit on it. Don’t rush to hand it in. Waiting a half day means that when you look it over again, before delivering it, you are looking at it with a freshness that means you are more likely to see the mistakes that were not there a few hours earlier. Also, however important, I am willing to bet that they will not use the document immediately, but will also sit on it – so cut their “sitting time” and not your own. Also, the quicker you deliver the greater the expectations are for the next time, when you really will need the extra time.

And finally, to wrap up both the points dealt with: Ask sensible, pertinent questions. In the first scenario, you start to gain the respect that helps you get the information you need to do a good job. In the second scenario, asking a relevant question buys you time as they figure out an answer. Being passive and waiting for them to ask where is the promised masterpiece puts you in a weak position. Being active and asking for additional information to help write the piece buys you time and kudos.

To sum up: When in doubt ask (but make sure what you ask for is valid).