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--Bonnie Granat wrote:
>> I am trying to figure out why I feel very uncomfortable whenever people
>> talk about the need to "demonstrate our value." I don't mean to
>> criticize any particular individual or organization, but this idea is
>> talked about a lot. I just don't get it.
--And Dood said:
> Join the club. :-)
It's like this, at many places--my current gig is the poster child for
this--managers perceive that anyone with a college education is
capable of being an excellent technical writer in their native tongue.
The reason for having technical writers around, I would guess, because
I can never get this answered, is because programmers and engineers
are needed elsewhere. Thus, the writing skills are not valued and tool
skills are, because the programmers and engineers don't have time or
the inclination to become FrameMaker experts.
You can open their minds a crack by pointing out that if everyone is
so damned good at writing, how come they haven't written "Harry
Potter" or "Red Storm Rising," and they then perceive that native
language use is perhaps not the only element in technical writing, but
they then go and pass off some translation chore to a programmer- or
engineering-buddy just because they happen to be a native speaker. One
step forward, one step back. You can wedge the door open a little by
pointing out that everyone has been driving since 16 or so but nobody
in the office has yet won the Daytona 500 or LeMans ... still, a crack
in the doorway is the most you get.
So, proving value sometimes, I would argue often, is necessary and I'm
surprised you don't get it. I guess you've just always had cool and
froody employers, Pan Galactic Gargleblaster anyone?
For example, one can demonstrate a 40-80 hour per-project savings by
hiring a good technical writer, but those managers apply that to tools
and not skill.
Perhaps you have had the fortune to prove yourself by reinventing the
tech docs process and saving your employer 1/2 million bucks per annum
in the process ... I expect proof like that would be quite a feather
....
So, I perceive demonstrating value is important and it is not a mystery why.
======
T.
Remember, this is online. Take everything with a mine of salt and a grin.
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