Update on Trouble Working with SME

["Melinda M. Carr" <melindac -at- CAPSOFT -dot- COM>]

Stacey Roberts sent me a note asking how my SME situation turned out,
which reminded me that I had never thanked those of you who responded to
me either privately or on the list. It helped to know that I was not out
in left field.

Unfortunately/fortunately, it appears that the email I sent the SME right
before I posted to the list (in which I assured him that we paid carefull
attention to all his suggestions, even those we for some reason didn't
implement, and tried to explain that writing is not an exact science but
involves many factors that we in Publications had been trained to
consider just as he had been trained to develop software). That was the
last I heard from him. However, based on contact in the halls, I think he
was very angry and offended.

Since then, I have tried to be very friendly every time I see him. I have
asked him to review one short section since then, and he provided only a
technical okay, no language comments or other suggestions. (It was a
rewrite, so he'd seen most of it before.) I am hoping continued
friendliness will eventually improve the situation to the point where I
can try going to lunch with him, talking with him about nonwork
subjects, and some of the other suggestions people sent me.

I have also become the department head in the last two weeks, so I am
hoping with my manager gone the SME and I can get off to a fresh start. I
am also hoping my rise in status might help the SME accept my decisions.
(Although the title didn't help my former manager much.)

Thanks again to all who responded.

Melinda (melindac -at- capsoft -dot- com)