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This might work in a large company. But not in a smaller company where you are the domain knowledge for many parts of it. I have raised it with my manager but i

by keyle 3y ago

This might work in a large company. But not in a smaller company where you are the domain knowledge for many parts of it. I have raised it with my manager but it's one of those things "that come with the job". I have this pet theory that you're never as productive as the first year of employment, where you know your stuff and you're getting things done but people don't know it's you yet!!

dasil003 3y ago
yeah I've spent 13+ years in companies of 1-50 engineers, and another 10+ years in larger orgs with thousands of technical staff. Even as a CTO in a small company I still found ways to protect focus time (including telling the CEO to call my cell if something was urgent). There are solutions if you are willing to examine your assumed constraints. Look at it this way: what will they do if you get fed up and leave?
ketzo 3y ago
I mean, in a smaller company, you should theoretically be able to have closer relationships with the people asking you questions; surely you should be able to establish "hey, I might not always respond right away"
tuyiown 3y ago
Tell people immediately that you'll check for the answer ASAP, and delay your response. This will lead to several desirable outcomes: - people might try to figure things out, or find an answer that might not strictly how things works, but consistant with it. (this last thing can be extremely powerful, as it can lead to better communication with clients). - people will internalize that they won't have instant answer and organise themselves with that immuable fact. They'll naturally end up to compound potential questions, and that probable async replies lead them to refine their question in a more precise way. - occasional instant reply gets valued for what it is. If instant replies with sync conversation are expected, there is an organisational problem, and it's not sustainable. It's bad habit, being small business is not a good enough excuse.

by keyle 3y ago

dasil003 3y ago

yeah I've spent 13+ years in companies of 1-50 engineers, and another 10+ years in larger orgs with thousands of technical staff. Even as a CTO in a small company I still found ways to protect focus time (including telling the CEO to call my cell if something was urgent). There are solutions if you are willing to examine your assumed constraints. Look at it this way: what will they do if you get fed up and leave?

ketzo 3y ago

I mean, in a smaller company, you should theoretically be able to have closer relationships with the people asking you questions; surely you should be able to establish "hey, I might not always respond right away"

tuyiown 3y ago

Tell people immediately that you'll check for the answer ASAP, and delay your response. This will lead to several desirable outcomes: - people might try to figure things out, or find an answer that might not strictly how things works, but consistant with it. (this last thing can be extremely powerful, as it can lead to better communication with clients). - people will internalize that they won't have instant answer and organise themselves with that immuable fact. They'll naturally end up to compound potential questions, and that probable async replies lead them to refine their question in a more precise way. - occasional instant reply gets valued for what it is. If instant replies with sync conversation are expected, there is an organisational problem, and it's not sustainable. It's bad habit, being small business is not a good enough excuse.