Back to Basics: Working During the Coronavirus Crisis

Posted on April 2, 2020 by

If you’re still working in this crisis, congratulations! As you might have noticed, not everyone is. In the U.S., over 3 million people have lost their jobs permanently or temporarily. Still, given the uncertain environment out there, it can be hard to stay focused. Today I’ll offer some suggestions for keeping all of you (and all of me) healthy, positive, and productive. Continue reading →

Quote | Posted on April 2, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Map Readability in Crisis Situations

Posted on March 30, 2020 by

One thing that’s driving me a little crazy with COVID-19 news coverage is the use of colors on maps. Some maps are more useful than others, and if readers want to have a clear picture of what’s going on, a reader-friendly color scheme is critical to their understanding. Alas, some maps are less friendly than others. Continue reading →

Quote | Posted on March 30, 2020 by | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Who Are You Becoming in This Crisis?

Posted on March 26, 2020 by

I was going to post this to my personal blog, but my state of mind–as it has for a lot of people–is definitely affecting my state of mind when I work, and part of “keeping it real” here on Heroic Technical Writing must include the current circumstances. I am still working, fortunately, and I’ll try to talk about conducting business in this environment soon, but I don’t think it’s out of place to talk about social matters, too. Continue reading →

Quote | Posted on March 26, 2020 by | 2 Comments

How Can You Reduce Stress? Count All the Ways

Posted on March 23, 2020 by

The current virus-induced situation has caused some folks (including myself) to stress out a bit. Today’s post is a meditation (so to speak) on the various ways you can reduce the level of stress in uncertain times. My primary recommendation: don’t rely on just one! Continue reading →

Quote | Posted on March 23, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Is This Really Necessary? Expediting Work Procedures in Times of Crisis

Posted on March 19, 2020 by

Some of you already know this, but I was infamous during my corporate career for raising my hand in meetings and asking if some new, additional meeting or procedure was really actually needed. I got so predictable that at one point the manager of Disney University saw my hand go up and said, “Yes, Bart, this is necessary.” However, the coronavirus situation is causing governments and businesses to give that anti-bureaucracy crank at the back of the room some more consideration. I’m not thrilled with the circumstances, but I guess I have to say, “Better late than never.” Continue reading →

Quote | Posted on March 19, 2020 by | Tagged , | Leave a comment