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Some of the writers in my department come to me on a regular (almost daily)
basis and fill me in on their projects, ask for advice, etc. I think very
highly of those writers because I almost always know what they are up to,
and when I see my boss or another manager I'm not caught off guard.
Some wait until a regularly scheduled meeting (usually once a month), or
until I ask them. It makes me wonder if they are getting there projects
done, focusing on priorities, or even being productive. That opens the door
for surprises. I hate surprises.
I recommend talking to your boss on a regular basis about what you are
working on, even if it's not project related for the following reasons:
1. It may help open doors with other teams/departments.
2. It let's him (or her) know that you are being productive.
3. It show's your manager that you have initiative and are concerned about
the company as a whole and not just your area.
4. It helps the manager set priorities, assign projects, evaluate
skills/talents, and may even provide ammunition to argue for more staff.
Mike Feimster
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cook, Jenise" <jenise -dot- cook-crabbe -at- pacificlife -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 5:38 PM
Subject: Squeaky Tech Writer Gets the Grease?
Just wondering... for those contributions you make on the job where your
boss is out of the communication loop, do any of you out there ever meet
with your boss to informally share what you've done? (Example of said
contributions: [1] Help a coworker from another team--and, at an off-site
location--create an important PowerPoint presentation. [2] Help a coworker
format a wordy document by "mapping" the content.)
Would you informally meet once a quarter? Or, do you wait until a month
before your annual review and provide a list of what you've done?
Just curious. Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenise Cook-Crabbe
Sr. Technical Writer
Pacific Life Insurance Co.
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