Phil, That is very good and pragmatic advice and well written. Thanks for taking the time to write that.
Lloyd On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 6:39 AM, Phil <[email protected]> wrote: > First and foremost, management have delivery targets and budget > restrictions. One thing that can be hard for coal-face perfectionists > (of which I am one) to handle is the idea that the solution you are > working on is 'good enough' - i.e. it satisfies the functional and > contractual requirements and can be delivered on time and within > budget. It is unrealistic to go into any situation and expect people > to follow your lead simply because you believe it is the right > approach. You have to sell your idea, put it in terms of the benefits > to the project - management will always be wary of change for the sake > of it, and rightly so. > > Second, a technique I use when making architectural decisions is to > write a white paper on the subject. I identify a shortlist of > alternative solutions and list the selection criteria to be used for > deciding which option is to be adopted. Investigate each option with > respect to the selection criteria with an open mind and document your > findings. Do this with an open mind and the best solution will present > itself. This approach can also be applied to proposing changes. If the > white paper approach has been used then you can validate the original > decision and see how your proposed change stacks up against it. If the > white paper approach hasn't been used then you can produce one that > covers the current approach, your proposal and at least one other > option. > > Don't be tempted to skew this approach in favour of your personal > preference, people will notice! You want the right decision, yes? > > The best thing to focus on is not whether a decision or approch is > 'right' or 'wrong' from your perspective but whether it meets the > technical requirements. I always listen to arguments made from a > technical perspective, I have less respect for arguments that boil > down to "we should do it this way because I think it is the right > way". Be prepared to concede that when all factors are taken into > consideration it may not be possible to adopt what you are proposing. > > Phil. > > On Jan 14, 6:34 pm, Robert Casto <[email protected]> wrote: > > I don't think being right is over rated. It is going to depend on the > people > > you work with and the organization. > > > > One large company I worked for never had problems listening to their > > engineers. Management actually deferred to their knowledge and expected > them > > to stand by what they said. Being right was very important and highly > > valued. > > > > Other places I have worked, people get caught up in politics and spend a > lot > > of time trying to protect themselves. Being right is not as important as > it > > is being a team player. For engineers, this is very hard. They tend to > think > > in absolutes such as right and wrong, good and bad, correct and > incorrect. > > It is part of their analytical nature. They have no malice or ill will > > toward other people. It is just perceived as such. Most of the engineers > I > > know don't care what you think about them. They want to contribute, add > > value, and be told why their idea is not good if it is rejected. They are > > insulted if you tell them it was a stupid idea. If you told them they > look > > funny and insult their mother, they couldn't care less. > > > > Anything you do that improves yourself is very worthwhile. Even if it > only > > helps a little bit, it is something that can help you in every part of > your > > life. Best of luck! > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 1:03 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Being right is over rated, if you need to be right then you come across > as > > > difficult. > > > > > Just try to understand why others have their view it is then much > easier to > > > come up with solutions that everyone is happy with. > > > > > I found this book quite interesting though > > > > > How to get your ideas adopted:(and change the world) by anne miller > > > > > Shaine > > > > > Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device > > > ------------------------------ > > > *From: * Robert Casto <[email protected]> > > > *Date: *Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:53:16 -0500 > > > *To: *<[email protected]> > > > *Subject: *Re: [The Java Posse] Communication skills > > > > > I too have seen the problem described by Rakesh. I frequently find my > > > recommendations ignored or dismissed for some reason. Then a couple > weeks > > > later they are proven true, but now I have to deal with the fallout. > > > > > I have attributed this to be an engineering problem. More specifically, > > > people's problems with engineers. We come off sometimes as arrogant and > lack > > > people skills which makes it hard to communicate effectively. We are > > > frequently not the one's in charge, and so while we might be right, the > > > decision is being made based on many more factors than just our > analysis. > > > > > Being right is not enough though it helps over time to get people to > listen > > > to you. You can try to improve your ability to communicate, but many > times > > > some other reason (such as money) trumps engineering. What I find most > > > annoying is when management asks for an estimate, but then says there > is > > > only a certain amount of time available. They should ask if something > can be > > > done within a time frame and if not, what could be cut out so the rest > can > > > be done in that much time. > > > > > On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 12:37 PM, Viktor Klang <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > > >> My recommendation is to try to see where the others are coming from. > Why > > >> they do what they do, and how you can interact with them without doing > > >> unintentional harm. (honor, rank etc) > > >> Being right isn't key, it's to collaborate to achieve the goals at > hand. > > >> And don't forget to have fun while you do it. > > > > >> On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 5:27 PM, Rakesh <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > > >>> Hi fellow Javaposse'ers! > > > > >>> turns out being right isn't enough. No, I'm not just talking about > > >>> relationships!! > > > > >>> I'm struggling to get my point across in meetings with other > > >>> developers/management and I think its me. > > > > >>> Anyone else feel the same? Anyone done anything about it? NLP? > > >>> Presentation skills? Body language courses? > > > > >>> Cheers > > > > >>> RP > > > > >>> -- > > >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > >>> "The Java Posse" group. > > >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > >>> [email protected]<javaposse%[email protected]> > <javaposse%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > >>> . > > >>> For more options, visit this group at > > >>>http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > > > > >> -- > > >> Viktor Klang > > >> | "A complex system that works is invariably > > >> | found to have evolved from a simple system > > >> | that worked." - John Gall > > > > >> Blog: klangism.blogspot.com > > >> Twttr: twitter.com/viktorklang > > >> Code: github.com/viktorklang > > > > >> -- > > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > >> "The Java Posse" group. > > >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > >> [email protected]<javaposse%[email protected]> > <javaposse%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > >> . > > >> For more options, visit this group at > > >>http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > > > > > -- > > > Robert Casto > > >www.IWantFreeShipping.com > > > Find Amazon Filler Items easily! > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > > "The Java Posse" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]<javaposse%[email protected]> > <javaposse%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > > > > -- > > Robert Castowww.IWantFreeShipping.com > > Find Amazon Filler Items easily!- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Java Posse" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<javaposse%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > > > >--
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