Re: Seeking Input On CM-Idiot Issue

["Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM>]

At 01:40 PM 1/7/99 PST, Marybeth S. wrote:
>...As the team lead/documentation manager/whatever you want to call me, I am
>responsible for timelines, deadlines, and final products...
>
>The company has hired a Configuration Management guy ... a total moron.
>... now has management convinced that he should
>not only have total control over versioning of MY team's documentation,
>but that he should hold all original and electronic copies which we have
>to check out (not electronically, because he doesn't know how to do that
>- he's made a cute little handwritten signout sheet) in order to use as
>reference material.
>
>I am so frustrated and angry that I can't see straight. Is it me, or
>should I have been allowed some input into his dictation? Do any of the
>tech writers on this list maintain their own libraries separate from CM?

While I sympathize and, well okay, giggle a little at the handwritten
checkout sheet, I can understand *why* you're in this particular pickle.
Your mistake was in not being (if you'll excuse the expression) proactive
about CM. Engineers *love* CM/version control -- the engineering world
runs on CM! Mention instituting CM procedures on docs and an engineer's
eyes light up! So any CM, even a system that uses a handwritten sheet for
checkout, is better than no CM at all. If you'd had a well-documented
procedure for CM already in place, this guy would'a' been SOL* when he
presented his little scheme.

So now it's time to regain control, which you can probably do, but it'll
take some work.

First, come up with your own plan -- and make sure it's better than his.
By the sounds of things, this shouldn't be too hard. Then, create a
proposal in which you outline your plan, highlighting the weaknesses
in his plan and how your plan overcomes these weaknesses.

Whether you regain control of your docs or not, save your research for
your next job. The next time you're appointed manager/team leader/whatever,
pull out your bag of manager tricks and whip the group into shape from
the start. Your bag of tricks should include CM/version control procedure,
style guide, and departmental procedure doc, minimum. Alter these docs
to suit the situation as you move from job to job.

Remember, when nobody has control, any idiot can grab it.

HTH!
-Sue Gallagher
sgallagher -at- expersoft -dot- com


*SOL = shit outa luck ;-)

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