RE: Preparation for a phone screen interview

[jgarison -at- ide -dot- com]

Susan, I agree 100%. I, too, pride myself on never missing a deadline in
almost 30 years on the job. It all comes down to doing the best you can with
the time allotted.

My approach is generally to get a little bit of everything documented by the
earliest possible deadline, with extra time and attention on the 'hardest'
stuff for people to 'get'. If I get more time, I use it appropriately,
filling in more depth in the places where it is needed most. If I get even
more time, I continue in that vein. Eventually, I either get it ALL done, or
we ship. But regardless, I am always ready with the best possible stuff in
shippable form on a potential release day.

I know what the stuff that needs to be explained is, and I have to get it
out on time. If I have a week, I produce the most appropriate stuff that I
can in that week. If I have a day, I do the best right stuff in a day. If I
have an hour, ditto.

And if I only have 5 minutes, I still do the best I can: "Check back later
for complete documentation."

John G
 

>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Susan W. Gallagher [mailto:sgallagher5 -at- cox -dot- net]
>>
>>When you're writing documentation, you can edit and rewrite
>>and perfect and add features all you want until the day of
>>the deadline. Then you're done. If you document does not go
>>out the door, the product doesn't get sold, your paycheck
>>doesn't happen.
>>
>>Just like you save that unopened box of christmas lights
>>until next year, you save that enhancement until next rev.
>>You can run around like a chicken without a head all you
>>want. You can pull your 80-hour weeks -- I've done my
>>share. But when delivery day comes along, you deliver and
>>go on with life.
>>
>>In 20 years, I have never missed a deadline. I have played
>>Deadline Chicken with the devs lots of times. And I've told
>>management that they can't have what they want in the time
>>allotted lots of times. But when the schedule says the docs
>>go out the door, they go.


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