On Looking and Acting the Part

  • Amen, brother. Although sometimes I'm the one who wrote the garbage code many years ago. I just try not to lose my temper at work. Would rather the company get the work done right, even if I don't get the credit.

  • Another delightful piece that I read 4 years after you shared it.

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  • 1974:  My first experience with consultants.  ( this really happened ).  I'll try to be brief.

    I'm hired as first IT manager at company who has hired a consulting group for their first computer system to do order processing.  Business is a food distributor to schools, restaurants, hospitals, places who need complete order delivery with substitutions for shorted items.  These were the days of batch processing of pre-printed invoices on 3-part carbon continuous forms on a chain printer.  There was no inventory control in place.  Invoices were necessary due to poor credit and cash delivery orders.

    Consultants:  We'll enter orders and print invoices, send them to warehouse, pick orders and load 18-20 trucks, then if there are shortages or substitutions send the invoice back to IT for correction and reprinting before the trucks leave.

    Me:  Won't work, too many reprints, need to print 1-part pick list, load trucks, then make corrections and print invoices in delivery sequence.

    My Boss (in private): We're paying these guys lots of money, so back off and let them design the process.

    Two weeks later, (again in private):

    My Boss:  Rick, how long would it take to set up to print pick lists for the warehouse?

    Me:  I can write the program in a few days, but it will take several weeks to order the new pick list forms.

    • This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by  skeleton567. Reason: added info
    • This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by  skeleton567. Reason: additional info

    Rick
    Disaster Recovery = Backup ( Backup ( Your Backup ) )

  • The quote from this editorial that stands out to me is "The ideal consultant first gets a clear idea of the nature of the logjam by listening, and then facilitates a resolution while humiliating nobody and convincing everyone that it was their own skill that fixed the problem."

    I've never been a consultant, but I can't help but wonder how often a boss plays that same role with his/her own employees.  I've been some places with very competent coworkers and some places with mostly useless coworkers.  My current gig is closer to the latter.  I got a new boss a little over a year ago and a few of those mostly useless coworkers have started to become significantly more competent.  I think she probably fits the description of your ideal consultant pretty closely.

    Be still, and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10

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