I agree with Tom. Every time someone changes a deadline or the major parameters of a job on me, I give them some consequences that make them think twice about doing it again. I always display a positive attitude "Sure, I can do that for you" but there is a cost "but we'll have to send the manual without an index". I try to pick something that I know they absolutely want, and then show them how it's put into jeopardy because of their last-minute changes. I once had a product manager decide to change the name of the product five days before release. It took two circuits of the block before I was calm enough to tell him the implications of his cavalier decision. The thing he was most concerned about -- releasing on time -- was the first casualty in my plan to accommodate his wishes. In a product with a 2-year development cycle, and a suite of 11 manuals as documentation, a "global search and replace on the product name" was not going to cut it. It's okay to pull the rabbit out of the hat; make sure it's always to your advantage.
Thomas Johnson wrote: > The problem is the manager solved someone else's problem and not yours. Now > you've shown you can pull the rabbit out of the hat and he or she is going > to expect you to do that on a regular basis. If the manager is a good one, > you'll be compensated accordingly. > ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. DITA West 2007--Use a discount code of "TECHCOMMPROS" to get a discount rate of $200 off the $800 price if you register before close of business January 15, 2007. http://www.travelthepath.com/conf/dita2007.shtml _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
