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On Design Approval and Intentional Flaws

13 points by br0ke 14y ago

nathanbarry 14y ago
The one thing I left out of the article is tackling the problem head on. This may not make sense with every manager, but it could be worth trying: Adding an intentional flaw is not addressing the core problem. Consider talking to them directly, pointing out their behavior, and try to get them to only make valid changes. Not just to leave their mark on the design. Like I said, this may not always work, but it is better for your long term relationship with your manager.
- ahoyhere 14y ago
  Like I said, this may not always work, but it is better for your long term relationship with your manager. Is it? I think you're making a pretty big logical jump here. It's just as easy -- maybe easier! -- to argue that letting your manager retain his Feeling of Importance (a la Dale Carnegie) is the better way to maintain a good working relationship. Only you can know whether your husband or wife would be happy if you answered "How does this make me look?" with "Fat." Same principal applies to telling your manager you're faking things to soothe his ego and need to tweak… regardless of how diplomatically you put it.
ahoyhere 14y ago
left this comment on the post: Every problem is a people problem. Managing managers (stakeholders, whatever) is just the same. We "fixers" tend to think that what we're really doing is fixing a problem or building a new thing, but that's rarely how the people hiring us look at it. They're the star of their own show (just like we're the star of ours), and they are doing it for their own reasons. Often those reasons have to do with feeling good about their contribution, looking good at work, leaving a mark, as you say, or CYA, etc. If you don't understand that, and don't want to deal with it, then being a consultant or employee is a bad career choice!
ctruman 14y ago
I often find that a simple way to make a manager feel like they have control and have made a good decision, is to make one version of something that is obviously inferior and one that you like. The manager can then exert his creative vision by choosing the good one. It is a bit of a risky play since there is a chance the manager could choose the terrible one :P

13 points by br0ke 14y ago

The one thing I left out of the article is tackling the problem head on. This may not make sense with every manager, but it could be worth trying: Adding an intentional flaw is not addressing the core problem. Consider talking to them directly, pointing out their behavior, and try to get them to only make valid changes. Not just to leave their mark on the design. Like I said, this may not always work, but it is better for your long term relationship with your manager.

ahoyhere 14y ago
Like I said, this may not always work, but it is better for your long term relationship with your manager. Is it? I think you're making a pretty big logical jump here. It's just as easy -- maybe easier! -- to argue that letting your manager retain his Feeling of Importance (a la Dale Carnegie) is the better way to maintain a good working relationship. Only you can know whether your husband or wife would be happy if you answered "How does this make me look?" with "Fat." Same principal applies to telling your manager you're faking things to soothe his ego and need to tweak… regardless of how diplomatically you put it.

ahoyhere 14y ago

left this comment on the post: Every problem is a people problem. Managing managers (stakeholders, whatever) is just the same. We "fixers" tend to think that what we're really doing is fixing a problem or building a new thing, but that's rarely how the people hiring us look at it. They're the star of their own show (just like we're the star of ours), and they are doing it for their own reasons. Often those reasons have to do with feeling good about their contribution, looking good at work, leaving a mark, as you say, or CYA, etc. If you don't understand that, and don't want to deal with it, then being a consultant or employee is a bad career choice!

ctruman 14y ago

I often find that a simple way to make a manager feel like they have control and have made a good decision, is to make one version of something that is obviously inferior and one that you like. The manager can then exert his creative vision by choosing the good one. It is a bit of a risky play since there is a chance the manager could choose the terrible one :P