So are the days of our lives...
#8601
**** that
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I'm still a young engineer, although it does say senior on my title, it sounds more impressive than it is. It's really equivalent to what used to be engineer 3. How long do I have to wait to start skipping and or leaving pointless meetings so that I can actually do the work that the meetings are asking me about doing? I swear I spend more time talking about and planning than actually doing or problem solving. The meeting talking is explaining things that the 3 engineers in the room already know to the 8 project managers who don't understand and never will.
Sorry, it's a bit of a touchy subject at the moment. We inherited the PM mindset from another company, and it's awful. So, much, overhead.
Sorry, it's a bit of a touchy subject at the moment. We inherited the PM mindset from another company, and it's awful. So, much, overhead.
While it may seem ideal to just "do it", few things can be worse than spending time coming up with a great solution for the wrong problem. Or a solution that is great but not practical, etc.
Some companies handle this well by keeping "foot soldiers" out of most meetings, letting the managers do their job - planning strategy etc.
#8602
**** that
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Wait, I can say hell, but I can't say the three letter word for the group of things that ***** and ****** are part of? I was reading through a bunch of my old track racing reports, and noticed that everywhere there used to be that word, it was censored. Most of my race reports would say "from the ***", or "at the ***", etc. Ridiculous. That's some really crazy censoring.
#8603
RacingBear
Just wait until you have to interact with other teams, and some of them are in different business groups. All with their own agendas and looking to justify their team/product/tool existence. Good times, good times.
#8605
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I'm still a young engineer, although it does say senior on my title, it sounds more impressive than it is. It's really equivalent to what used to be engineer 3. How long do I have to wait to start skipping and or leaving pointless meetings so that I can actually do the work that the meetings are asking me about doing? I swear I spend more time talking about and planning than actually doing or problem solving. The meeting talking is explaining things that the 3 engineers in the room already know to the 8 project managers who don't understand and never will.
Sorry, it's a bit of a touchy subject at the moment. We inherited the PM mindset from another company, and it's awful. So, much, overhead.
Sorry, it's a bit of a touchy subject at the moment. We inherited the PM mindset from another company, and it's awful. So, much, overhead.
#8606
No matches
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Originally Posted by UmneyDurak
Just wait until you have to interact with other teams, and some of them are in different business groups. All with their own agendas and looking to justify their team/product/tool existence. Good times, good times.
edit: merging posts
Last edited by Flatballer; 05-08-15 at 06:33 AM. Reason: merge
#8607
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Man, the project managers here clearly didn't read your book.
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
I think the book they read is "hold a meeting, have lunch, hold another meeting, hold some more meetings, hold one more meeting. Ask someone who is an expert some things. Ask them the same things in the next meeting. Have another meeting with a different group of project managers. Ask the same questions. Have more free lunches. Hold more meetings".
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
I think the book they read is "hold a meeting, have lunch, hold another meeting, hold some more meetings, hold one more meeting. Ask someone who is an expert some things. Ask them the same things in the next meeting. Have another meeting with a different group of project managers. Ask the same questions. Have more free lunches. Hold more meetings".
#8609
**** that
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I'm also an engineer and I've come to find that these types of meetings are pointless and are pretty much just ways to make the day go faster. My strategy has become to let the PMs and upper management talk themselves out. Once they're done justifying their existence I explain the problem/solution/etc in layman's terms so they can understand. When all else fails, I throw in some technical jargon to make sound like they're in over their heads. That usually makes them leave me alone long enough to do my work.
#8610
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You want to see some ugliness, hatred and namecalling? Talk about weapons and presto, moron central.
#8611
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The pm's I work with are pretty good about keeping the number of meetings in check, although that may be because they work with a couple of crusty old engineers who just get up and leave when they decide a meeting has gotten pointless. Apparently after thirty odd years you're you finally lose the training from elementary school.
I'm curious who this is, both from a promoter as well as a racer point of view. I haven't seen someone ride like that but it seems so… sadistic?
Nothing riles me up like dirty riding. Well maybe teammates that don't ride like teammates, but don't get me started on that. I don't ride dirty against others first but man, if someone starts messing around, I can be the absolute dirtiest rider around.
Nothing riles me up like dirty riding. Well maybe teammates that don't ride like teammates, but don't get me started on that. I don't ride dirty against others first but man, if someone starts messing around, I can be the absolute dirtiest rider around.
Remember when there were buttloads of helmet threads in the 41? They got really ugly and were eventually condensed and moved to P&R. Then came threads about carrying weapons on your bike, and these made the helmet threads seem sedate.
You want to see some ugliness, hatred and namecalling? Talk about weapons and presto, moron central.
You want to see some ugliness, hatred and namecalling? Talk about weapons and presto, moron central.
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Last edited by himespau; 05-08-15 at 08:37 AM. Reason: merged a bunch of posts together
#8612
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#8613
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When I started working a few years ago, I was amazed out how many times Dilbert was just like my office. In fact it still amazes me.
Most of the middle management were engineers once, but they have been in management so long they pretty much forgot everything. Now I have become the default technical expert on everything I didn't learn in school
Most of the middle management were engineers once, but they have been in management so long they pretty much forgot everything. Now I have become the default technical expert on everything I didn't learn in school
#8614
Senior Member
speaking of work stuff, i was one of two candidates up for a promotion, and I was the loser. the way my employer works is that formal notifications come through an HR application website. fine, but my manager, who was the one who made the decision, hasn't even addressed it with me personally and hasn't even spoken to me in two days, despite her office being right by my cubicle and passing by multiple times per day. so I'm going to have to be the bigger person and address it.
#8615
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speaking of work stuff, i was one of two candidates up for a promotion, and I was the loser. the way my employer works is that formal notifications come through an HR application website. fine, but my manager, who was the one who made the decision, hasn't even addressed it with me personally and hasn't even spoken to me in two days, despite her office being right by my cubicle and passing by multiple times per day. so I'm going to have to be the bigger person and address it.
#8616
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As long as you can find a way to phrase it so she knows you're looking for ways to improve. That's the hard bit. Even if you're fine with the decision, letting her know you are not angry so she doesn't start from a defensive position feeling like you're attacking her decision.
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#8617
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speaking of work stuff, i was one of two candidates up for a promotion, and I was the loser. the way my employer works is that formal notifications come through an HR application website. fine, but my manager, who was the one who made the decision, hasn't even addressed it with me personally and hasn't even spoken to me in two days, despite her office being right by my cubicle and passing by multiple times per day. so I'm going to have to be the bigger person and address it.
#8619
Senior Member
Yeah, the thing is that the guy chosen was already acting in that capacity for a bit due to someone else leaving, so whether anyone admits it or not, he had the leg up. I heard secondhand that they were actually blown away by my interview, and had gone into the whole process assuming the other guy would be the pick. So I guess I can feel good about disrupting the process, but I feel like they went for the safe pick. Anyhow, I'm frustrated but ultimately as soon as I'm done with my dissertation (hopefully in the next couple of months, we're polishing up the draft) I'll be focusing on other career options.
#8620
No matches
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Sounds like it was an HR requirement posting and you never had a chance going in. They do that here. They know exactly who they want, they write the job description tailored exactly towards them, and never have any plans to choose anyone else who applies. It's purely so they don't get sued, and it's ridiculous and a waste of time.
#8621
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Our workplace is a pretty normal IT shop, we have some odd people here.
Will Ferrel Guy - Every day comes up and wants to talk about one of the scenes in a Will Ferrell movie. Today it was the scene in Anchorman 2 when he was blind and serving food. Yesterday it was the Other Guys when he was a pimp
Super Enthusiatic Girl - Wow! You rode your bike this weekend? That's amazing!!! How far did you go? OMG!!! That is super.....yep, I rode my bike just like I do every weekend
Koran Dude - Goes out of his way to quote the Koran for everything. Paperclips...yeah there's a Koran reference there somewhere.
Cliche Guy - I got a case of the Mondays, Gotta do what you gotta do, I'm living the dream, just passing the time...Totally devoid of any original thought
Foreign Guy that thinks we're all racists - Despite us telling him over and over that's not appropriate, he insists on making super racist jokes to fit in with the white guys.
Quiet Guy Who is Planning to Shoot Up the Place - Pretty standard, I think every workplace has one of these.
Mensa Guy - Brings up that he's a genius and references Mensa whenever he can. Doesn't wash his hands after he uses the bathroom.
If you ask them about me I'm probably face palm guy.
I'm missing about 30 others, but I have work to do. If management finds this they might promote me.
Will Ferrel Guy - Every day comes up and wants to talk about one of the scenes in a Will Ferrell movie. Today it was the scene in Anchorman 2 when he was blind and serving food. Yesterday it was the Other Guys when he was a pimp
Super Enthusiatic Girl - Wow! You rode your bike this weekend? That's amazing!!! How far did you go? OMG!!! That is super.....yep, I rode my bike just like I do every weekend
Koran Dude - Goes out of his way to quote the Koran for everything. Paperclips...yeah there's a Koran reference there somewhere.
Cliche Guy - I got a case of the Mondays, Gotta do what you gotta do, I'm living the dream, just passing the time...Totally devoid of any original thought
Foreign Guy that thinks we're all racists - Despite us telling him over and over that's not appropriate, he insists on making super racist jokes to fit in with the white guys.
Quiet Guy Who is Planning to Shoot Up the Place - Pretty standard, I think every workplace has one of these.
Mensa Guy - Brings up that he's a genius and references Mensa whenever he can. Doesn't wash his hands after he uses the bathroom.
If you ask them about me I'm probably face palm guy.
I'm missing about 30 others, but I have work to do. If management finds this they might promote me.
#8622
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Our workplace is a pretty normal IT shop, we have some odd people here.
Will Ferrel Guy - Every day comes up and wants to talk about one of the scenes in a Will Ferrell movie. Today it was the scene in Anchorman 2 when he was blind and serving food. Yesterday it was the Other Guys when he was a pimp
Super Enthusiatic Girl - Wow! You rode your bike this weekend? That's amazing!!! How far did you go? OMG!!! That is super.....yep, I rode my bike just like I do every weekend
Koran Dude - Goes out of his way to quote the Koran for everything. Paperclips...yeah there's a Koran reference there somewhere.
Cliche Guy - I got a case of the Mondays, Gotta do what you gotta do, I'm living the dream, just passing the time...Totally devoid of any original thought
Foreign Guy that thinks we're all racists - Despite us telling him over and over that's not appropriate, he insists on making super racist jokes to fit in with the white guys.
Quiet Guy Who is Planning to Shoot Up the Place - Pretty standard, I think every workplace has one of these.
Mensa Guy - Brings up that he's a genius and references Mensa whenever he can. Doesn't wash his hands after he uses the bathroom.
If you ask them about me I'm probably face palm guy.
I'm missing about 30 others, but I have work to do. If management finds this they might promote me.
Will Ferrel Guy - Every day comes up and wants to talk about one of the scenes in a Will Ferrell movie. Today it was the scene in Anchorman 2 when he was blind and serving food. Yesterday it was the Other Guys when he was a pimp
Super Enthusiatic Girl - Wow! You rode your bike this weekend? That's amazing!!! How far did you go? OMG!!! That is super.....yep, I rode my bike just like I do every weekend
Koran Dude - Goes out of his way to quote the Koran for everything. Paperclips...yeah there's a Koran reference there somewhere.
Cliche Guy - I got a case of the Mondays, Gotta do what you gotta do, I'm living the dream, just passing the time...Totally devoid of any original thought
Foreign Guy that thinks we're all racists - Despite us telling him over and over that's not appropriate, he insists on making super racist jokes to fit in with the white guys.
Quiet Guy Who is Planning to Shoot Up the Place - Pretty standard, I think every workplace has one of these.
Mensa Guy - Brings up that he's a genius and references Mensa whenever he can. Doesn't wash his hands after he uses the bathroom.
If you ask them about me I'm probably face palm guy.
I'm missing about 30 others, but I have work to do. If management finds this they might promote me.
I'm technical middle management, and have been a formal PM. I pity some of you guys and the places where you work. I'm at the end of my career and doing some bleeding edge stuff.
#8624
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Welp, got added to the 'big' local racing team today At least there's another woman (Cat 3) to train and race with (we raced together on Tuesday).
#8625
**** that
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Congrats @canuckbelle!