Real-Life Decision Making
Success in the computer software industry, as in most industries, is influenced by timing. "Progress in the computer industry is moving along at such a rate that yesterday's cutting-edge software can turn into a dinosaur in six months' time," says technical writer Tom Lindsay.
As a technical writer for the software industry, the fast-paced change of the software industry means big business for you. The technical communication department at the software company where you work is constantly flooded with assignments.
Your newest assignment has been to head up a crew writing the online help manual for a promising new business finance management program. Unfortunately, your end of the project isn't looking as promising.
The programmers you work with are constantly changing and improving the program as you work on it. This means you and your crew have to change your instructions every time the programmers alter something -- an almost daily event.
In your opinion, the program isn't really finished, so writing user instructions seems a bit premature. Given the number of other assignments piling up in your department, you wonder if you should be working on this assignment at all.
You're tempted to talk to your boss about pulling you and your crew off this assignment and putting you on something new. You don't want your boss to think you're a quitter, but it seems almost impossible to write user instructions for a changing product.
Today, as you walk into the office, your boss stops you to ask you how the assignment is going. Now you have to decide what to tell your boss.
What do you do?