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.
Sona Mehta <sona -dot- mehta -at- haysmt -dot- co -dot- uk> wrote:
>I thought of giving a presentation to the
> developers in my office, telling them about TW in general.
The various strategies mentioned in this thread all sound like a
lot of work. They may also be counter-productive. The very fact
that you make a special presentation can signal that what you're
trying to assert isn't so. For example, in one company I worked
for, the CEO had a meeting and a series of e-mails to tell the
office that the operations manager was in charge. Unfortunately,
the manager lacked the leadership skills or the knowledge of the
company's business to do her job, so the CEO's efforts only
reinforced her inadequacy.
Except for extreme cases like the one mentioned by another
poster, in the end the only way to get people to understand your
worth as a tech-writer is to do your job well and to get along
with the rest of the office. It's not a quick fix, and probably
sounds corny, but it's the only thing that works.
--
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
"The Open Road" column, Maximum Linux
3015 Aries Place, Burnaby, BC V37 7E8, Canada
bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604.421.7189
"Nevertheless, it moves" - Galileo on his deathbed