TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: The Sub Shop Guy From:Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- progeny -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sun, 04 Feb 2001 20:39:22 -0800
"Jeanne A. E. DeVoto" wrote:
> There's no faster way to de-motivate people than by letting them know that
> you don't want their best; you don't care about their best; what counts is
> not whether their work is plentiful and of good quality, but how well they
> follow rules that have little or nothing to do with quality and everything
> to do with maintenance of control.
>
All true, but it's amazing how few managers can figure out these
simple facts.
I left a job last March because I was de-motivated in exactly the
way you describe. I had some serious shares, and I was number three
or four in the company, but nobody seemed to care if I (or anyone
else in the company) did a good job and projected a professional
face to the world. While I was trying to get people concerned about
getting the company's product into retail channels, and about the
fact that the sales staff didn't know anything about the product,
the CEO was issuing a stream of threatening e-mails trying to get
someone to confess to dropping gum on the new carpet, while the
Operations Manager was insisting on a mission statement as the first
priority for the company.
Everyone said I was crazy to walk away from a cushy position, and
I'd never have such a good one again. But I was so fed up that I
walked away without any prospects at all.
Fourteen hours later, I was writing for Maximum Linux. Six weeks
later, I had found a job at a much higher salary and double the
stock options.
And, three weeks ago, I got the final payoff: the company I had left
filed for bankruptcy.
Moral: a company that de-motivates is probably in serious trouble in
other ways. If you're in one, leave now and avoid the rush.
--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- progeny -dot- com
Director of Marketing and Communications, Progeny Linux Systems
Contributing Editor, Maximum Linux
"Wherever we go, we celebrate the land that makes us refugees."
-The Pogues, "Thousands Are Sailing"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-Based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver 4 ($100 STC Discount)
**WEST COAST LOCATIONS** San Jose (Mar 1-2), San Francisco (Apr 16-17) http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.
Sponsored by DigiPub Solutions Corp, producers of PDF 2001
Conference East, June 4-5, Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. http://www.pdfconference.com or toll-free 877/278-2131.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
