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Currently doing a death march. Not sure how to deal with it once it's done.

by seivan 13y ago

dsr_ 13y ago
Assess carefully: does the company have a history of doing this? Are they likely to do it again? Is it just your group, or is it the whole company? Does it make the company profitable? Is the company only profitable because of death marches? Are they giving you a reward at the end sufficient to make it worthwhile for you personally? Don't go interviewing while you're on a death march with a known deadline. You won't be able to think clearly or present yourself well.
- seivan 13y ago
  Thanks for the kind words and advice. I'll keep these minds. The hardest part is how tightly coupled this project is with myself. If it fails, it's me failing, not the team or the project. Given the fact there were 4 UX people and a project manager. I'm the one doing the death march at the end when all their work was done. I need advice on how to properly deal with that. It falls on me.
  - davidgerard 13y ago
    Do these two things in parallel: 1. Demand help. "No, this is too large." Make it clear you seriously need assistance here, or it's not going to be done by deadline. 2. Prepare your resume in case 1. doesn't work.
    - VLM 13y ago
      Managers don't like hearing "no" but they love dollars and cents and being a "decision maker". "I hear you'd like this done in a month... well its going to take me two months if I work alone. The good news is I know two consultants and the three of us can do it in a month for $abcxyz. Why will it take 50% more labor hours to get it done quickly, well much like nine women can't pop out a baby by cooperating in a month ... and BTW here is a nice book for you called the mythical man month and it would be well worth your reading time. So get back to me on that decision"
    - seivan 13y ago
      The manager asked if I needed help, I said yes, he said you didn't give it any thought. I decided that it was fruitless.
  - watwut 13y ago
    Unbundle project and yourself: it is not failure not to achieve impossible. Is there anything you can push to other people? Some self contained part or may something mechanical they can easily learn?

Currently doing a death march. Not sure how to deal with it once it's done.

by seivan 13y ago

Currently doing a death march. Not sure how to deal with it once it's done.

dsr_ 13y ago

Assess carefully: does the company have a history of doing this? Are they likely to do it again? Is it just your group, or is it the whole company? Does it make the company profitable? Is the company only profitable because of death marches? Are they giving you a reward at the end sufficient to make it worthwhile for you personally? Don't go interviewing while you're on a death march with a known deadline. You won't be able to think clearly or present yourself well.

seivan 13y ago
Thanks for the kind words and advice. I'll keep these minds. The hardest part is how tightly coupled this project is with myself. If it fails, it's me failing, not the team or the project. Given the fact there were 4 UX people and a project manager. I'm the one doing the death march at the end when all their work was done. I need advice on how to properly deal with that. It falls on me.
- davidgerard 13y ago
  Do these two things in parallel: 1. Demand help. "No, this is too large." Make it clear you seriously need assistance here, or it's not going to be done by deadline. 2. Prepare your resume in case 1. doesn't work.
  - VLM 13y ago
    Managers don't like hearing "no" but they love dollars and cents and being a "decision maker". "I hear you'd like this done in a month... well its going to take me two months if I work alone. The good news is I know two consultants and the three of us can do it in a month for $abcxyz. Why will it take 50% more labor hours to get it done quickly, well much like nine women can't pop out a baby by cooperating in a month ... and BTW here is a nice book for you called the mythical man month and it would be well worth your reading time. So get back to me on that decision"
  - seivan 13y ago
    The manager asked if I needed help, I said yes, he said you didn't give it any thought. I decided that it was fruitless.
- watwut 13y ago
  Unbundle project and yourself: it is not failure not to achieve impossible. Is there anything you can push to other people? Some self contained part or may something mechanical they can easily learn?