Member Profile: Carol Green
Occupation:	Manager and Editor, Technical Publications in Telecommunication
	When the economy’s vortex swept away eighty-five per-cent of her Technical Publications (Tech Pubs) group, Carol dedicated nearly every waking moment (for sixteen months) toward a campaign to keep the group and its morale intact. However, the group was condensed, her title reduced, and the editing and configuration management functions became hers. Adds Carol, “Those of us who are left know that we have to work as a team to accomplish our goals.” Carol entered the company as an editor. From there, she “moved into the management career path fairly early.” During that time, she had ample opportunity to identify the desirable characteristics of technical writing, and says: “I believe strongly that a technical writer must first be able to write, second have an aptitude for understanding technical products, and third be able to learn new writing and publishing tools. The product and tools are always going to be changing. But good writing is good writing is good writing.” When defining quality, the most memorable concept she recalls is “Doing the right things right.” She maintains and refines the group’s documentation process as an important quality measurement. Carol explains, “that if our process is one that produces a high-quality document then a writer following that process will produce a high-quality document.” With an increase in outsourcing, she ponders the usefulness of her current quality metrics in providing a future of meaningful data. As a manager, she enjoys working with and leading her group’s individuals and, "removing roadblocks.” She balances the team member respect she receives for her knowledge, with the expectation that the members will “have skills and knowledge about the products and tools that I don’t have.” Carol updates her knowledge through membership in related documentation organizations, as well as pertinent periodicals. Among her resources are the STC, the Quality SIG, JoAnn Hackos’ CIDM organization, and the eLearning Guild. Educating herself in this manner helps “as we begin developing online documentation and ‘blended-learning’ classes. Carol brakes for bookstores. No bookstore within her reach goes unnoticed. She is even known to crack open a novel, mystery, or compelling non-fiction book at red traffic lights. Not only does Carol read for the diversion, but also for the knowledge. What she learns from reading, she might consciously or subconsciously apply to her relationships. She, her mother, and three sisters each have a passion for reading. Together, they participate in an online book club. Every morning at five chimes, Cleo the Labrador wakes Carol for her morning walk. Together, they observe landscaping for ideas. Carol had a patio built that is more Labrador-like in size and style than the old back porch. The newly potted plants have a good supply of tasty flower buds for Cleo’s snacking convenience. Otherwise, Cleo shares Carol’s fondness for Tex-Mex cuisine. The pleasure Carol derives from her pet and family offsets the daily rigors of leading and managing the restructured group. This balance is carefully thought out, treasured, and preserved.
	About the Author: Marla Davis is an STC Senior Member in the Phoenix Chapter. Back to top