> Computers don't stress me out. Management politics stress me out. :-/ And 
> being considered to be some kind of nobody idiot who doesn't know what 
> they're talking about and can't be trusted with anything stresses me out. 
> The actual computer-related parts don't really stress me.

Hehe, you should read more BOFH :-)  Seriously though, a few incidents that 
you manage well (ie informing management continuously what is happening) 
will put you in better light.  Speak to your boss about what he did and why 
he didn't ask you first, if you don't get a satisfactory answer then *tell 
him* that, that it's not acceptable, explain why, and speak to someone else 
if necessary.  Tell him why it's important that nobody can modify the IT 
systems without your knowledge, you should fix things so that it's 
*impossible* for him to make any changes like that again without you 
knowing.  If you don't have a good talk with him he will do it again and 
annoy you more.

> Yeah. But not when computing is your only commercially important skill.

Well (from what I remember) your company is certainly not paying you as 
someone with a commercially important skill.

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Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:12:52 +0200, andrel wrote:
> 
>> On 07-Oct-08 22:56, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>> On Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:48:32 +0100, Invisible wrote:
>>>
>>>>>> Does that work when the offender is your boss?
>>>>> It does if you copy in his/her boss :-)
>>>> Yes, because upper management are more likely to believe me than
>>>> believe the Senior Director of IT. Oh, wait...
>>> Hey, the worst that can happen is they fire you -
>> I think our Andy is mortally afraid of fire.
>>
>>> which frees you up to find other employment.
>> Interesting concept, I am not sure if he already tried that. ;)
> 
> Maybe, but also as I have said before, document, document, document.  If 
> it ain't written down, it didn't happen.
> 
> Andy, you listening?
> 


so - he should write down the bad stuff his boss does and the good stuff 
he does...

but the bad stuff that he does he should let fall under the table ;-)

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Tom Austin wrote:
> 
> 
> so - he should write down the bad stuff his boss does and the good stuff 
> he does...
> 
> but the bad stuff that he does he should let fall under the table ;-)
> 

Well, naturally; unless, that is, he's feeling suicidal. Oh, wait ...

John

-- 
"Eppur si muove" - Galileo Galilei

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On Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:21:40 +0100, Orchid XP v8 wrote:

> Computers don't stress me out. Management politics stress me out.
> :-/ And being considered to be some kind of nobody idiot who
> doesn't know what they're talking about and can't be trusted with
> anything stresses me out. The actual computer-related parts don't
> really stress me.

Sure, but the "pointy haired boss" type stuff is part of it.

My brother will soon finish his masters and then pursue a doctorate in 
Electrical Engineering. He will make a very comfortable living. However, 
he could make an even more comfortable living practicing EE law. He's got 
the mental horsepower, but EE law doesn't fit his personality.

A new "skill set" can be acquired, but personality is nearly impossible 
to change. 

> Yeah. But not when computing is your only commercially important
> skill.

How important is it? Aptitude isn't so important. You learn a job in two 
weeks, the guy next to you learns it in two months, and a year later no 
one remembers the difference. That's what aptitude will do for you. 
Motivation, on the other hand, is very important. If you're happy and 
motivated, you are very likely to experience commercial success (along 
with not suffering at work).

 -Shay

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On Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:19:10 -0400, Tom Austin wrote:

> so - he should write down the bad stuff his boss does and the good stuff
> he does...
> 
> but the bad stuff that he does he should let fall under the table ;-)

Well, of course, that's the idea. :-)

I learned the lesson that "if it's not written, it didn't happen" about 
10 years ago, but I've been over that story here before, so I won't 
rehash it. :-)

Jim

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On Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:16:41 -0400, Shay wrote:

> A new "skill set" can be acquired, but personality is nearly impossible
> to change.

Agree 100%.  I started as a pure tech, moved into teaching, and then by 
way of doing online support and community building into a program 
management position.  What do program management and IT have in common?  
Very little, it turns out - the ability to think logically and (to an 
extent) the ability to take complex problems and design solutions that 
are hopefully not more complex than the problem was to start with.

Jim

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On 8 Oct 2008 11:24:55 -0400, Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:

>What do program management and IT have in common? 

They are natural enemies IMO.
I've just come off a project that is being program managed to death, More time
is spent in meetings, deciding how to catch up than doing the work to catch up.
-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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On Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:59:54 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 8 Oct 2008 11:24:55 -0400, Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
> 
>>What do program management and IT have in common?
> 
> They are natural enemies IMO.

I am my own enemy? ;-)

> I've just come off a project that is being program managed to death,
> More time is spent in meetings, deciding how to catch up than doing the
> work to catch up.

I'm using "Program Management" not in the PMP sense of the term - but 
running a program (like a partner program, for example).  I understand 
that PMP defines "Program Management" as essentially "managing a bunch of 
little interrelated projects".  In the sense of program management that 
I'm using, there's actually very little project management.

Jim

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On 9 Oct 2008 12:13:51 -0400, Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:

>On Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:59:54 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>
>> On 8 Oct 2008 11:24:55 -0400, Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>> 
>>>What do program management and IT have in common?
>> 
>> They are natural enemies IMO.
>
>I am my own enemy? ;-)
>

Aren't we all to some extent? :)


>> I've just come off a project that is being program managed to death,
>> More time is spent in meetings, deciding how to catch up than doing the
>> work to catch up.
>
>I'm using "Program Management" not in the PMP sense of the term - but 
>running a program (like a partner program, for example).  I understand 
>that PMP defines "Program Management" as essentially "managing a bunch of 
>little interrelated projects".  In the sense of program management that 
>I'm using, there's actually very little project management.
>

I think that I need a lexicon. Maybe we can use the British spelling of
programme/project management for those eedgits and program for computer stuff.

You might be able to tell that I'm a bit tee'd off with my last project but not
as much as they will be when one of the other configures hands in his notice
next week :D
I just didn't renew my contract.
-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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On Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:06:21 +0100, Stephen wrote:

>>> They are natural enemies IMO.
>>
>>I am my own enemy? ;-)
>>
> Aren't we all to some extent? :)

Hmmm, that's a fair point. :-)

>>> I've just come off a project that is being program managed to death,
>>> More time is spent in meetings, deciding how to catch up than doing
>>> the work to catch up.
>>
>>I'm using "Program Management" not in the PMP sense of the term - but
>>running a program (like a partner program, for example).  I understand
>>that PMP defines "Program Management" as essentially "managing a bunch
>>of little interrelated projects".  In the sense of program management
>>that I'm using, there's actually very little project management.
>>
>>
> I think that I need a lexicon. Maybe we can use the British spelling of
> programme/project management for those eedgits and program for computer
> stuff.

I haven't found anything that defines a difference between the two 
usages.  That's one of the problems with overloaded words.

> You might be able to tell that I'm a bit tee'd off with my last project
> but not as much as they will be when one of the other configures hands
> in his notice next week :D

Just a touch, yeah, I'd noticed.  I've had a few like that myself.

> I just didn't renew my contract.

That'd be one way of dealing with it. :-)

Jim

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