[thechat] No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

[Luther, Ron]

Jack Timmons asked:

>>Ron:
>>Do you lay out plans and file them by design flaw? When you're asked about
>>them, do you get giddy and fetch said plans, laying them out like Patton?


Hi Jack,

Almost.  It's more anger and frustration than giddiness.  I take joy in solving the problem ... not in having people say "Oh yeah, you're right" after I've explained the situation 300 times.

I'm 4+ years into this project.  I have spent a *LOT* of time trying to think through to the root causes that would explain WHY this new major system is such an absolute frikkin failure.

I have spent a *LOT* of time trying to think through the best way to explain those issues to my upper management in a clear and concise manner. 

So maybe it -is- close to that.  Sometimes the turning point on a project comes in your 30 second reply to the VP's "How's it going?" question in the elevator.  You have to be ready for that opening.


Remember all those times you looked at a confusing bit of the system ... and the really old guy in the corner would explain that 'that bit was put in to solve problem x from 6 years ago'? ... I wind up cast in that role a lot cuz I remember that stuff.  Heck, I probably wrote those solutions.

Ineffably,
RonL.