February 4, 2015 at 8:22 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Interrupt Me, I'm Stagnating
February 5, 2015 at 12:13 am
Sometimes I find the answer when I am stagnating (it's me stagnating - not the job!!!) to go away and have a blow out of a weekend. The format of this blow out varies, and it certainly would person to person, but it can be from going to a Hockey or Rugby club ball (anyone who has been one will know what I mean), a weekend away at a friends or a couple of days in the outdoors with the family. When I return to work I see with greater clarity what is and isn't working, liked, enjoyed, good for my career, good for my current role, etc.
Once I have regained clarity I can then assess what I am prepared to put up with and why (sometimes it is as simple as "it pays the bills" but sometimes it is something like "if I do X I get the opportunity to do Y"). Once this assessment has been done I find that I am more content in the knowledge that I am choosing what needs to be done rather than having it forced upon me.
Everything is easier to deal with when you know it is your own choice.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
February 5, 2015 at 7:09 am
Everything is easier to deal with when you know it is your own choice.
+1000
Develop your skills when you can. Don't wait until you have to.
It's also nice to have a work environment that allows for this.
February 5, 2015 at 7:34 am
In reading today's "Voice of the DBA" column, I could have sweared that Andy poked into my world and explored it thoroughly before putting his piece together.
In the face of stiff competition with cheaper labor due to outsourcing/globalization of services (in developing nations) within an IT department of a company, et al., an IT worker in the western hemisphere is expected to deliver more. And how do you do that... by putting in insane hours because cuts had been made (blame improper adoption of six sigma Lean practices) and you are now supposed to be doing the work of what 2-3 DBAs would have. Coupled with family commitments (music, soccer, swimming, skating, etc. practices), finding the time for career development or even for oneself (me-time) in our hectic calendars is not only a challenge, but almost impossible. I could update my resume and start looking elsewhere, but doubt that would improve the situation... plus, with a stagnation in the skills department, do I even see myself as a viable candidate? Welcome to my catch-22 world, because I don't have any control to the amount of work given to me, and my only fight would be to accept it.
February 5, 2015 at 7:53 am
I actually enjoy the little interruptions, the little problems I solve throughout the day for people. They are little victories. I have many successes every day. It makes me feel good.
February 5, 2015 at 7:57 am
Interruptions aren't all bad, I think few of us want a work life that never varies from some plan. It's the rate of interruptions that has to match the role, or there is a negative impact, eventually!
February 5, 2015 at 8:00 am
Rob, I'd like to think that most places aren't quite that demanding, at least not all the time, so maybe it is worth looking at the market now before your situation/skills deteriorate more. You might also think about whether you're learning in different areas; soft skills, project management, OS stuff, etc, that perhaps not 100% relevant, are still things that you are adding to your game. I've found that by always looking for those opportunities, I tend to find them. Something takes down a server and the other team working on it? I wander over to watch. I watch how managers handle odd situations. Not perfect, but not stagnant either.
February 5, 2015 at 8:07 am
One of the things I've done to help me get the bigger picture is to limit checking email to four times a day. I work in a large enterprise with a lot of activity and I found I was spending most of my time managing email. Not a happy way to spend your day. If someones hair is really on fire then they can pick up the phone and explain how I can help:-)
By limiting inerruptions I find I can better focus on the task at hand. It also allows me space to think and be aware of whether I am moving forward or just treading water.
February 5, 2015 at 8:11 am
Yeah, I guess I came across being somewhat cynical there. There are many facets to a job that allows someone to explore other areas; being open to explore and immerse oneself to those opportunities when presented, could definitely position that someone on a path to success.
February 5, 2015 at 8:22 am
Rob, I don't think it was cynical, more frustration. It can surely seem like a catch22 or worse! Being tired and/or stressed will just add to that, and it's easy to give in/up to reduce our internal stress. Fight to find 15 mins a day (home or work) and make them count, you'll feel a lot better for trying (and succeeding) to do something to stay current. Don't forget that reading and replying to the SSC newsletter is part of that staying current - it counts.
February 5, 2015 at 8:38 am
Andy Warren (2/5/2015)
Rob, I don't think it was cynical, more frustration. It can surely seem like a catch22 or worse! Being tired and/or stressed will just add to that, and it's easy to give in/up to reduce our internal stress. Fight to find 15 mins a day (home or work) and make them count, you'll feel a lot better for trying (and succeeding) to do something to stay current. Don't forget that reading and replying to the SSC newsletter is part of that staying current - it counts.
Another worthwhile endeavour is try to automate (or even part automate) a simple task so it takes up less time using a skill you don't have yet. This can be a no cost action e.g. if you have a daily 20 minute task and you can automate part of it so it takes 10 minutes and it takes you 2 hours to do it then you are in profit (time wise) halfway through the third week after implementing.
It may be difficult to find those 2 hours but then you have ten minutes a day to try and automate something else.
Of course, this may not be applicable to your situation.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
February 5, 2015 at 8:58 am
robert.mcleod (2/5/2015)
One of the things I've done to help me get the bigger picture is to limit checking email to four times a day. I work in a large enterprise with a lot of activity and I found I was spending most of my time managing email. Not a happy way to spend your day. If someones hair is really on fire then they can pick up the phone and explain how I can help:-) ...
This is an often-promoted concept for improving productivity and resisting interruptions: close Outlook. Of course, if your smartphone also pings you when you get email, you have multiple problems. Or if you receive critical alerts via email. Or....
I don't do this because the phase that I'm in developing this system requires me to gather information from a lot of sources, and since some of them are teachers, I'm obligated to bend to their availability. But it's also not a problem, I get to sit here and listen to my Talking Heads library, or whatever else strikes my fancy, while developing.
Life is good. (Take a look at these hands. Take a look at these hands! The hand speaks! The hand of a government man.)
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]
February 5, 2015 at 9:37 am
Gary Varga (2/5/2015)
Andy Warren (2/5/2015)
Rob, I don't think it was cynical, more frustration. It can surely seem like a catch22 or worse! Being tired and/or stressed will just add to that, and it's easy to give in/up to reduce our internal stress. Fight to find 15 mins a day (home or work) and make them count, you'll feel a lot better for trying (and succeeding) to do something to stay current. Don't forget that reading and replying to the SSC newsletter is part of that staying current - it counts.Another worthwhile endeavour is try to automate (or even part automate) a simple task so it takes up less time using a skill you don't have yet. This can be a no cost action e.g. if you have a daily 20 minute task and you can automate part of it so it takes 10 minutes and it takes you 2 hours to do it then you are in profit (time wise) halfway through the third week after implementing.
It may be difficult to find those 2 hours but then you have ten minutes a day to try and automate something else.
Of course, this may not be applicable to your situation.
This is an excellent solution. Speaking from personal (and team) experience, if your environment doesn't do a lot of automation, then it's an great skill to develop. It's the 'aha' moment that anything that you do multiple time each day can be scripted out. The double bonus is that you'll have more free time to learn other things, as well having learned a marketable skill. If you're not working in the Dilbert Zone, it will also look good at review time.
February 5, 2015 at 1:36 pm
Gary Varga (2/5/2015)
Andy Warren (2/5/2015)
Rob, I don't think it was cynical, more frustration. It can surely seem like a catch22 or worse! Being tired and/or stressed will just add to that, and it's easy to give in/up to reduce our internal stress. Fight to find 15 mins a day (home or work) and make them count, you'll feel a lot better for trying (and succeeding) to do something to stay current. Don't forget that reading and replying to the SSC newsletter is part of that staying current - it counts.Another worthwhile endeavour is try to automate (or even part automate) a simple task so it takes up less time using a skill you don't have yet. This can be a no cost action e.g. if you have a daily 20 minute task and you can automate part of it so it takes 10 minutes and it takes you 2 hours to do it then you are in profit (time wise) halfway through the third week after implementing.
It may be difficult to find those 2 hours but then you have ten minutes a day to try and automate something else.
Of course, this may not be applicable to your situation.
I wear a number of hats due to the vagaries of my position: (Semi-accidental) DBA, Developer, deskside support, IT procurement and general-issue geek. In addition to all that I usually have a number of throwaway projects where I try to learn how to automate something as mentioned above or see if I can address some business need I happen to stumble over. I pull one out and tinker with it a while when my brain needs to shift gears. Some actually turn out to be useful.
Can't tell you how many times I've just set a frustrating project aside for a little bit, tinkered with something else and then returned to the original project and said, "D'OH!! Why didn't I think of that before?"
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Just my $0.02 from over here in the cheap seats of the peanut gallery - please adjust for inflation and/or your local currency.
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