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>I'm working on a massive project at an insurance company. There are
>several different contracting companies involved, and I landed on the
>documentation project. I'm currently being "overseen" by a contractor
>from a competing company who doesn't seem to know what she's doing. (This
>is where the order for my "research" came from.) She doesn't know much
>about tech writing, writing user manuals or instructional materials, etc.
(an aside...you mean she doesn't know what you THINK she should know...but I
digress)
>My questions are this:
>
>1) I can see the situation really degrading fast into my stuff with her
>name on it. She's asking for things that she ought to know, if she's
>truly running this project...how do I do my job (write user documentation)
>without losing credit for the work?
Leonard...
First...you're not there for credit. You're there for the money you are
being paid and once they pay you, it isn't yours anymore.
However, if you are concerned about come evaluation time and someone
thinking you haven't produced much, keep a copy of everything you deliver
and quietly put it in a binder. Come that meeting, walk in with the
binder(s). When they ask what is that...you simply say it is everything you
wrote. god forbid if the supv has taken prior credit.
Second.. All communications, do by email. If the conversation was verbal,
follow it up with an email "just to summarize our conversation" and save
them, and come that meeting, print them out an add them to the binder.
>2) How much should I involve her in the process? I don't have time (nor
>the inclination) to do my job AND to train her too. If she doesn't know
>this stuff, is that my problem?
Guarantee...you out-perform like the star you believe you are, others
besides her WILL notice.
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