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Phillip Wilkerson wrote:
>
> In all fairness to Susan, I think her question is legitimate. As a manager
> of 9 people, I can tell you I'm concerned about how my people are spending
> their time. That is, frankly, my responsibility as a manager. While I'm not
> a micro-manager or a "crack the whip" type, I let writers know that company
> time is for company business. Here are some of my indicators that people
> are spending their time inappropriately:
>
> Writing projects are consistently late, with no real explanation as to why.
<long list of performance problems snipped>
>
> Yes, I care about how the technical writer's who work for me spend their
> time. Why? Because I care about the quality of the documentation that
> represents the company. I also care about the writers and their work habits
> being perceived as professional. No, the company is not my life, but to me,
> integrity still means--an honest day's work for my employer. I expect
> integrity of myself, as well as the employees who answer to me.
I hope my post didn't come across as downplaying integrity. I expect the
highest integrity of both myself and my colleagues. If a writer turns in
projects that are late or of poor quality, of course you need to crack
the whip. I wasn't advocating tolerance of poor performance. I just
believe that if you treat people with respect, you can expect more of
them, and you can get it more easily than if you monitor their every
move. (There's some hyperbolic rhetoric there; don't take it literally).
It also wasn't my intention to flame Susan or invalidate her concerns. I
agree they're legitimate, but I think a wise manager learns to build a
relationship of trust with his/her employees.
Regards,
Steve
--
Stephen P. Victor Phone: (713) 513-2552
Technical Writer, Software Training Fax: (713) 513-2019
Schlumberger GeoQuest svictor -at- houston -dot- geoquest -dot- slb -dot- com
5599 San Felipe, Suite 1700
Houston, Texas 77056 USA
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