Re: anyone else in the same boat?

[John Posada <jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

--- Christine -dot- Anameier -at- seagate -dot- com wrote:
> John Posada sniffed, cattily:
> And you are absolutely sure, without a shred of doubt, that you
> understand your client's users better than he does. My compliments.
> 
> Am I absolutely sure? No. I gather as much information as I can, I
> make the best judgment I can, and that's about as close 
> to "absolutely sure" as any of us are likely to get.
> 
> "The client" may not have the users' best interests at heart. They

And the client wants you to be the their user's advocate, even when
it is against their own wishes?

> (he/she, whatever; I'll use the plural) may be much more 
> interested in meeting an arbitrary deadline, preserving someone's
> ego, or making a tactical move in an ongoing interdepartmental
> feud. If the client really is concerned primarily with the users
> and can make a decent case for the way they want to proceed, I'm
> not likely to object.

If you are taking their money, the clientdoesn't have to convince you
to do it their way. While you are taking their money, you must do it
their way, regardless of the reasons. It is necessary to have an open
dialog where you can express your wishes, they theirs, and everyone
comes to an understanding. However, sometimes, they may have a
legitimate and honorable agenda that simply don't wish to disclose to
you. 

> 
> "The client" is not a single unified entity. You may be reporting
> to someone in the organization who doesn't have the best vantage
> point for understanding the users. Suppose you're dealing with two
> groups in the
> organization: Group A talks to the users every day and is telling
> you one
> thing; Group B never talks to actual users and is telling you an
> opposite
> thing. Who do you listen to? Group B signs your timesheets. Does
> that make
> them "the client"? Or do you take the rest of the organization into
> consideration?

You get Group A and Group B involved together and make sure that
Group B understands that Group A is the correct way. However, if
Group B maintains their position AND if you want them to continue
signing those sheets, you do it Group B's way. Or find another
company. In any case...you still wouldn't be producxing swill. In one
case, you are producing what the client wants. In the other case, you
aren't producing ANYTHING (and thereby, not producing swill).

However, while the person, who you report to, wants it done X way,
you do it X way or not at all.

> 
> If "the client" understands the users and makes the users' needs

As you understand them?

> the top priority, they're not going to be demanding swill.

Don't get me wrong. You do everything in yuour power to make your
cleint "see the light". However, if you have used all your resources,
and they maintain their stances, it's their way or the highway.


=====
John Posada, Senior Technical Writer
"How to be happy in life: Never impose your beliefs
on anyone else and never fry bacon in the nude."
 -- Anon
mailto:john -at- tdandw -dot- com, 732-259-2874

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