Mixing Oil & Water: The Support and Tech Doc Dilemma

In my 23 years of working with more than a dozen companies, I have seen a range of good and bad. So, I thought I will compile a list of "horsemen of doom" in technical documentation, something that commonly ails the tech doc teams, direction, and effectiveness.

So the first horseman of doom is a support mindset seeping into technical documentation's leadership. If your manager is made to report into the support director <cringe!> - what happens? A lot of us may have seen it happen for a (hopefully) short, painful time.

Keeping It Real

Imagine oil and water trying to mix...That's our cue that Customer Support and Tech Docs should keep to their lanes. But don't get me wrong - I am all for technical documentation deriving customer insights or even workers from tech support - just not the leadership who may think they will scale up their practices to manage technical documentation in the same way.

When Support Sneaks Into Tech Docs

Here's the lowdown: when the quick-fix, "let's solve it now" attitude of Support starts calling the shots in Tech Docs, things get shaky. Support's all about quick wins and making customers smile ASAP.

Tech Docs? We're the long game players, crafting content that stands the test of time. Mixing these mindsets? It's like watching your solid strategy crumble because we got too caught up in the now.

When a support mindset dominates leadership in technical documentation:

• Rewards and skill development are neglected.
• Productivity is narrowly defined by the number of tickets resolved.
• Focus shifts from quality, comprehensive documentation to quick fixes.
• Team morale and motivation decrease.
• The strategic value of technical documentation is undermined, affecting its potential to educate and support users proactively.

A Friendly Heads-Up for Support people entering Technical Documentation

For my Support buddies eyeing a Tech Doc adventure, here's a piece of friendly advice: jump in with both feet, but remember to switch gears. Ditch the "solve yesterday" hat for a "build for tomorrow" cap. It's a whole new ball game, but your insights? Gold. Just don't let the quick-fix fever cloud the big picture.

Wrapping It Up

Have you ever had the painful experience of reporting into a leadership with support/cost mindset? Share your views even if it worked out very well for you and you do not agree with the article.