RE: Drafts Back in Time

["Anameier, Christine A - Eagan, MN" <christine -dot- a -dot- anameier -at- usps -dot- gov>]

Amber wrote:
> . . . it's always OK for a man to be mean and grumpy at work, because
> we all know that it portrays you as goal-oriented and efficient.
However,
> when a woman behaves that way, we are mean b*tches.

Personally, I don't think anybody should be mean and grumpy. Well, OK,
maybe grumpy occasionally when circumstances warrant. We're human.

> Not to start any wars, but I've tried to be serious and determined in
the
> workplace and have found that I'm much more successful when I wear
> cute outfits and flirt like he11. I'm all about making the system work
for
> me if I can't change it <g>!!!

Holy cow, what century are we in?! 

With rare exceptions (usually involving laundry not done), I won't even
wear a skirt or a dress to work: I'm not here to be decorative. I want
to be taken seriously as a colleague--not ogled, flirted with, or
dismissed as some Sweet Young Thing. (The latter scenarios are
increasingly unlikely these days, but I felt the same way when I was a
Moderately Cute Young Thing several years and mumblety pounds ago.)

I liked Cindy Kight's comment: " And then there's another alternative.
Goal-oriented, efficient, effective, etc., AND friendly, warm, etc."
That approach has worked out just fine for me. My reviewers get my
drafts back on time. On the rare occasions they don't, I drop by and
have a friendly chat. Usually the reviewer who's late is swamped with
other stuff but is willing to take ten minutes to review a draft with me
if I'm sitting there.

Geez, people don't have to bribe ME with muffins or flash parts of their
anatomy to get me to write a document. I do my job; I expect them to do
theirs.

In a subsequent post, Amber wrote:
> I'm just a very frustrated, new-to-the-field tech writer asking all
you
> seasoned writers how to get a little respect for my
profession/documents. . . .

Earn respect for your work and let the profession take care of itself. I
do the best work I can do, day in and day out. As one of my SMEs put it,
I turn coal into diamonds. People respect that.

Christine


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