Friday, June 6, 2008

Changing what I do at work

A couple of weeks ago (6/1- 6/4), I attended the STC conference in Philadelpha. STC = Society for Technical Commuication. In other words, a tech writer/tech editor and related professions conference.


It was surprisingly good. I had low expectations. When I originally looked at the sessions, I didn't see a lot that interested me. But, there was an open slot and I knew I would be attending the conference with some of the really cool people in my group. So, I went :-)

And came back. With ideas about how to change my role at work. About time. I've spent the last year or so, trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. I was promoted to a Consultant level position, but giving up the day-to-day writing projects that I was doing previously was proving very hard for me. (letting go of anything is a problem for me...more about that in an upcoming post).

But something "clicked" for me while out in Philly. I realized that I had to change my work focus in order to feel satisfaction that I was working up to my real capabilities. So, I had a talk with my manager and she was all for it...yes, I could start going into research mode and focusing more on content management, structured writing, and all the other stuff related to bringing our group into a more modern way of working.

Ironically, right after we made this decision, I ended up with another writing project on my plate. No one else was available and I felt it was only right to volunteer. Oh well.

But, I am feeling good that I finally have reached the point where I can let go of being "just a writer" and am happy to move into being a content managmenet/information engineer. I'm just hope I don't lose all this motivation too quickly!

No comments: