14 ms·

This shit happens at my job and leaves me feeling depressed and at times questioning my own skills because I know and my bosses know that on my part, I just had

This shit happens at my job and leaves me feeling depressed and at times questioning my own skills because I know and my bosses know that on my part, I just had to make a tiny, tiny change. But when you have a dozen such experiences, I feel like something is wrong with me because when the dust settles, this was a one line code change that took me a week to push to production. It also makes my bosses question my estimates. Of course, when I goto the other extreme and give a ridiculous estimate, that also pisses them off and makes them feel like I don't really know what I am talking about. Saying "I cannot provide an estimate" also does not cut it for the boss. In the longterm, I can feel this killing a part of me. I have always been a start-up guy working for myself. Since getting my first full-time job, stuff that I would expect the start-up me to take an hour to do ends up taking days and weeks, even. I am aware of the (mostly legitimate) excuses to not take too much self-blame but at the end, it still feels shitty because I know, the start-up me knows, this should not have been a one week project. Ah the perils of having a non-tech boss and coworkers and being the only tech guy. Reading stories like I experience at work is comforting in an odd way. Here's how my typical story goes... Boss: So can we make this little analytics thing your #1 priority for tomorrow? Me: Yeah, as long as we don't have anything else for projectX(my #1 priority) Boss: Well, do you? Me: Not right now. But it can pop up any minute Jenny decides she needs something done. --NEXT DAY-- Jenny: Hey this isn't working in ProjectX. Could you look into it? Me: Sure. there goes an hour Boss: I know you're busy but this is very urgent. Can we grab you for few mins for this meeting? Me: Sure goes another 30 mins ... Jenny: That thing you fixed. Can we undo it and push to production because I realized blabla? Me: thinking wtf? Ok sure. ... Amanda: Hey can you check if these 2 users signed up from same IP? Me: You can check that in admin Amanda: Where? Me: The admin panel you emailed me info to when I joined the company.. Amanda: Oh right. Can you fwd me the email I sent, I can't find it. My gmail's not working right. Me: Ok. ... Before I know it, I have spent every day of my job troubleshooting shit to never really get in the flow of doing my own project assigned by my boss. Boss(after a month): How's that project coming? I know you said it's a one day thing. Me: Yeah but the next day we changed the specs in the meeting. Also, projectX is getting a huge rehaul. Boss: But still...you said it's a week after that Me: Yeah assuming I didn't have work for projectX Boss: But you'll always have work for projectX Me: Yeah that's exactly what I told you too Boss: So where does this leave us? Can you finish it in next week? I don't think there is much work for projectX Me: But... Boss: You're the startup guy. We want you to push us to release stuff quick. When you give us deadlines and are so off, it makes us lose faith. Leave work annoyed, put in a quiet weekend with no coworkers around and wrap up said project

ajross 14y ago
This doesn't sound like a process problem at all, actually. Really it's the reverse: your work environment is a mess, no one has the ability to do their own job except to bug you to do things they need. And that's a disaster too, but it would be helped by adding process, not hurt. Also, dude: learn to say no. Learn to prioritize for yourself instead of expecting your slag pile of a management structure to do it for you. i.e. ask: "What things must I get done to make sure I'm successful long term?" (which is entirely different from "What is the highest priority thing I have been asked to do?") and make sure you prioritize your work to get those things done (which is an entirely different thing from "work on those things"). And if your workplace environment really doesn't permit that, move on.
- badclient 14y ago
  And if your workplace environment really doesn't permit that, move on. Doing just that :) It's basically a startup with 10 of us where I am the only in house developer. I've tried many things like asking folks to Skype me instead of walking over to my desk or calling my name. I've gone to great lengths to get em to understand why skyping to get my attention is different than other ways. None of these guidelines really lasted more than ana few hours.
  - ori_b 14y ago
    Did you respond with anything other than "I asked you to skype me" when they ignored your request? If not, there's your problem. People do what works. Reinforce their bad behavior, and you have a problem.
    - badclient 14y ago
      Yeah but I lost that war because my boss hates Skype and doesn't get why someone sitting inches from me should have to Skype me.
      - ori_b 14y ago
        "It breaks my concentration. That makes things take more time. That makes things cost you more money." edit: Suggest that he ask you if you're busy over skype. Talking face to face is more effective, and I'd hate to try to discuss something over it, but interrupting flow really sucks.

ajross 14y ago

This doesn't sound like a process problem at all, actually. Really it's the reverse: your work environment is a mess, no one has the ability to do their own job except to bug you to do things they need. And that's a disaster too, but it would be helped by adding process, not hurt. Also, dude: learn to say no. Learn to prioritize for yourself instead of expecting your slag pile of a management structure to do it for you. i.e. ask: "What things must I get done to make sure I'm successful long term?" (which is entirely different from "What is the highest priority thing I have been asked to do?") and make sure you prioritize your work to get those things done (which is an entirely different thing from "work on those things"). And if your workplace environment really doesn't permit that, move on.

badclient 14y ago
And if your workplace environment really doesn't permit that, move on. Doing just that :) It's basically a startup with 10 of us where I am the only in house developer. I've tried many things like asking folks to Skype me instead of walking over to my desk or calling my name. I've gone to great lengths to get em to understand why skyping to get my attention is different than other ways. None of these guidelines really lasted more than ana few hours.
- ori_b 14y ago
  Did you respond with anything other than "I asked you to skype me" when they ignored your request? If not, there's your problem. People do what works. Reinforce their bad behavior, and you have a problem.
  - badclient 14y ago
    Yeah but I lost that war because my boss hates Skype and doesn't get why someone sitting inches from me should have to Skype me.
    - ori_b 14y ago
      "It breaks my concentration. That makes things take more time. That makes things cost you more money." edit: Suggest that he ask you if you're busy over skype. Talking face to face is more effective, and I'd hate to try to discuss something over it, but interrupting flow really sucks.