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Seeking counsel - yet another difficult work situation
Subject:Seeking counsel - yet another difficult work situation From:"Robyn Richards" <robynrrr -at- hotmail -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 17 Dec 2004 03:22:24 +0000
Hello all,
After spending some time thinking about this, I thought I would ask for some
help.
I am in a difficult position at work.
I am the sole documenter in a software development company whose products
are developing at an extraordinary rate. The work environment is geared
towards getting new features out quickly. As a result, almost all of
management's time is directed toward ensuring the development progresses
smoothly.
This, however, does not extend to the documentation. Documentation issues
seem to 'fall through the cracks', with nobody seemingly able (or willing)
to do anything about it.
Although there is a lot of 'lip service' to the documentation (verbal "thank
you's" from development managers and even an email expressing gratitude and
support from the CEO), there is no practical backup for me as the
documentor.
I have been trying to implement procedures to:
a) get the information I need to keep the information up to date, and
b) review the documentation,
but with little lasting success. Requests for assistance, direction or
information to management go unheeded or, more accurately, are ignored (the
implication being the requests are less important than other matters and 'we
don't have time to answer them now'). Often it is the development managers
undermining the 'fledgling' processes.
To make matters worse, there are no SME's who can verify the content -
coupled with the 'unwillingness' of the developers to review, this could
lead to serious problems with the documentation, with the responsibility
lying squarely with me.
I am currently in the position where I don't even know to whom I report (the
company I work for is a recent amalgamation of several software dev
companies and is still in a state of flux).
Needless to say, I am floundering and have no idea how to get out of this
situation.
Has anyone had a similar experience? How have you handled it?
Any thoughts?
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