Re: What to do in slack times?

["Meek, DavidX L" <davidx -dot- l -dot- meek -at- INTEL -dot- COM>]

One thing to remember:  if you look busy, people tend to think you are busy;
if you don't look busy, people tend to think you're lazy or unnecessary,
regardless of *why* you're not busy (i.e., you're extremely good at your
job).

I have worked at companies where the pace is  s l o w (usually government
agencies).  In the slack times, I keep busy by studying technical materials,
either documents related to the technology I'm documenting, or technical
writing journals such as STC's Intercom.  People will a) see that you're
busy, and b) appreciate that you're engaged in improving your value to the
company.

-Dave
(Any statements made above are mine, and mine alone.)



-----Original Message-----
From: Anonymous User
Subject: FWD: What to do in slack times?

Name withheld upon request. Please reply on list.

*************************************************

Hello everyone,

I am not in the middle of a crisis, but I do need advice about
how to handle an on the job situation.

I am working for a terrific company, I am paid well, and I am
respected for the work I do. See, I told you there was no crisis.

My problem is this ... When work is slow, I don't know what to
do with myself. I like working under pressure and I feel almost
dishonest, like I am not working hard enough, when the pressure
is off. The other problem is boredom. After the tenth week spent
editing and massaging the same documentation, I start craving
something new.

Don't get me wrong -- I am not being unproductive. Bugs are
being fixed in the product and in the documentation. New sections
are being added now that I have the time to write them. Technical
details are being fleshed out with the help of the QA and
technical support departments. The staff are simply maintaining
the existing (software) product and preparing for the next push.

So, how do you deal with steady, predictable, post-release work?
What tricks do you employ to add variety to your workday? How
do you deal with (your own) impatience and desire for front-line
action?

-Anon


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