TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Re: Education and Productivity: Whats the Correlation?
Subject:Re: Education and Productivity: Whats the Correlation? From:Barb Philbrick <caslonsvcs -at- IBM -dot- NET> Date:Wed, 25 Jun 1997 15:50:54 GMT
>On a constructive note, does anyone have suggestions for how to get the
>info you need from a reluctant SME? How do you overcome hurtles like
>being younger, being female, being not a programmer/engineer, being new
>to the company? I'm interested to hear how different people deal with
>these things.
Listen. Most people love to talk about what they do, and SMEs meet few
people whose eyes don't roll back into their heads while they're
talking about their work.
Be good at what you do. Never say "it sounds better." Instead, have
sound reasons for why you do what you do.
Don't compete with them. They're good at what they do (at least you
can act like it) and you're good at what you do. Don't tell them how
to do their jobs. That does not preclude suggestions on usability - I
look at my job as being a user advocate. But approach it from the user
advocacy point of view, not the "didn't you learn to program" POV. (Of
course, if your SME is a usability engineer . . . )
For a really reluctant SME, I make stuff up (within reason) about the
product and what I know so far. Nothing brings an SME out of his shell
faster than having his or her product be misunderstood. If the SME is
really introverted, sometimes this results in an almost note-passing
writing method, but if I can use it to create a good document, I'll do
it.
Re: Your comment on education. It's not a "it was better back then"
issue. Many of the new degree programs focus on job skills, rather
than learning skills. I know that the way I think, learn, and approach
problems changed as I progressed in my degree. I'm not sure that
classes that focus on job skills would produce the same results.
(Whether the way I think is a good model is another issue!) This is
extremely subjective, since different colleges and programs adapt the
job skills approach at different levels. As one who hires, it concerns
me because I'm more concerned with ability to learn than a pre-defined
set of skills.
Barb
Barbara Philbrick, Caslon Services Inc.
Salutation, by Ezra Pound
O generation of the thoroughly smug / and the thoroughly uncomfortable,
I have seen fishermen picknicking in the sun, / I have seen them with untidy families,
I have seen their smiles full of teeth / and heard ungainly laughter.
And I am happier than you are, / And they were happier than I am; / And the fish swim in the lake / and do not even own clothing.
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
