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once they see something that somewhat resembles the final product they get really impatient. (Especially for internal tool) Is it possible that what they've se

once they see something that somewhat resembles the final product they get really impatient. (Especially for internal tool) Is it possible that what they've seen is, actually, good enough? Or at least, good enough to solve 90% of the problem while you fill in the missing piece that covers the rest.

Declanomous 9y ago
Kind of. There are a few people who I don't mind using tools as soon as I have even a minimum functionality working. Then we have a few people who completely ignore any limitations I put of tools and use them in ways in which they are explicitly not working. Case-in-point: I created a process that automated a particular task. Said task bears a resemblance to another task, but there are a lot of edge cases in the other task. The manager who runs the second task got upset that I had automated one task but not the other, and complained in a senior staff meeting about this. I mentioned that the second process was much more complex, and a lot could go wrong if she tried using the new process for it. Anyways, I took a sick day yesterday, and she had sent an email to me CCing my boss, complaining about how the new process was broken. She had tried changing the settings to work with her process and broken both processes. She is fully convinced I am just keeping tools from her because I don't like her. The reason she doesn't have any tools is because I have to build the most robust tools possible or she'll break everything, and I can automate 10 other processes with that sort of time.
- monknomo 9y ago
  Maybe it's a false economy to automate other processes if the political fallout from not automating hers is big?
  - Declanomous 9y ago
    Eh, my boss is the director of the organization. I keep him informed of what is going on and he lets me know what to prioritize. So I'm somewhat protected from backlash, it's just tiring having to deal with angry emails because someone doesn't have the same things as someone else. I'd say that my boss generally makes the right decision when it comes to what is best for the organization, and I'm not in the habit of rewarding people for being abusive.

Declanomous 9y ago

Kind of. There are a few people who I don't mind using tools as soon as I have even a minimum functionality working. Then we have a few people who completely ignore any limitations I put of tools and use them in ways in which they are explicitly not working. Case-in-point: I created a process that automated a particular task. Said task bears a resemblance to another task, but there are a lot of edge cases in the other task. The manager who runs the second task got upset that I had automated one task but not the other, and complained in a senior staff meeting about this. I mentioned that the second process was much more complex, and a lot could go wrong if she tried using the new process for it. Anyways, I took a sick day yesterday, and she had sent an email to me CCing my boss, complaining about how the new process was broken. She had tried changing the settings to work with her process and broken both processes. She is fully convinced I am just keeping tools from her because I don't like her. The reason she doesn't have any tools is because I have to build the most robust tools possible or she'll break everything, and I can automate 10 other processes with that sort of time.

monknomo 9y ago
Maybe it's a false economy to automate other processes if the political fallout from not automating hers is big?
- Declanomous 9y ago
  Eh, my boss is the director of the organization. I keep him informed of what is going on and he lets me know what to prioritize. So I'm somewhat protected from backlash, it's just tiring having to deal with angry emails because someone doesn't have the same things as someone else. I'd say that my boss generally makes the right decision when it comes to what is best for the organization, and I'm not in the habit of rewarding people for being abusive.