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What you've got is in fact a people problem

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Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#121

Post by [deleted] »

CraigJPerry wrote: post #60
ilaksh wrote: post #8

My suspicion is that a lot of this comes down to budget pressure causing management to constantly discourage efforts by technical teams to invest time in the quality of their systems rather than push out more features. Then the same problems start popping up and the manager loses faith in their team. The times they said "no" to infrastructure development and working down technical debt may not even enter their mind.…

>> a lot of this comes down to budget pressure causing management to constantly discourage efforts by technical teams to invest time in the quality of their systems Anecdata follows but I’m certain this has been getting better in recent years. It’s more common today for management to be swayed by data - my recollections of the 2000s were interactions more along the lines of “I’ve been doing this for 20 years son, wha…

[deleted]

Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#122

Post by StreetChief »

PH95VuimJjqBqy wrote: post #117
hinkley wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which leadership? I've had one favorite boss get fired, and at least two leave (forced out/encouraged to go) because they agreed with us but their peers or boss didn't. Agreeing with them is fine until it isn't, and then you're a collaborator. And then there's agreeing with the VP or CTO, but the people between you don't, and try to suppress your enthusiasm. If you go over their heads it better be to get transferred…

> And then there's agreeing with the VP or CTO, but the people between you don't heh, been there. Sometimes I feel sorry for those that high up, especially the ones that DO mostly see the problems but are powerless to do much because of all the shit between them and the solution. The higher up you go the more power you have but the less control you have. That seems paradoxical but consider the old adage 'if you want…

The people in charge have the power and the responsibility to ensure they are doing the right thing, and that their subordinates are too. If your subordinates aren't doing the right thing, or aren't listening to you as the leader, you as the leader need to act.

Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#123

Post by EchoChamberMan »

JR1427 wrote: post #91
geraldhh wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i too remember my first company very fondly and wonder if there is some cognitive bias at play

I'm still at my first company after switching career in to development. It's nice here, and the people including management are great. But I feel I should probably move on for the sake of my career progression, but I'm scared to leave and find myself somewhere worse.

Be very very sure of what this supposed "career progression" is before you leave something you enjoy.

Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#124

Post by StreetChief »

Swizec wrote: post #26
OldGuyInTheClub wrote: post #17

"As a consultant, I’m going to be seen as some random guy wasting their time with a meeting." Yes, he will and that's because he is. His approach may work with midsize companies where word might not get aound. In large diversified one where his specialty is one of thousands? No. There is an industry of consultants who come in with a similar approach promising to listen and claiming that they have the ear of senior le…

> Corporate "Safe spaces" are not real. Any manager is a representative of the company 24/7 and everything is on the record I have had a lot of success with knowing this, saying “Great! Let’s go” and loudly complaining about things that are fucked up to anyone who will listen. This has opened a lot of doors and gotten me into a lot of meetings that I otherwise wouldn’t have access to. Sometimes it has enabled me to c…

I feel like this implies that for years, one must remain silent while building trust.

Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#126

Post by hinkley »

EchoChamberMan wrote: post #123
JR1427 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm still at my first company after switching career in to development. It's nice here, and the people including management are great. But I feel I should probably move on for the sake of my career progression, but I'm scared to leave and find myself somewhere worse.

Be very very sure of what this supposed "career progression" is before you leave something you enjoy.

If I hadn't moved to a new town, and if they hadn't also, I would have tracked down some of my old coworkers and asked them very nicely for a job. But we all 'graduated' and flew away.

Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#127

Post by [deleted] »

VierScar wrote: post #89
chopin wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But exactly that is hard. Backups have a high price tag when missing but none when not needed.

Similar issues happen for justifying security. But if you've got a price tag, then just do expected utility. What's the odds that you'll need a backup? 1%? 0.1%? Per year? And what's the value of that backup price tag during that time? $10m? 0.1% per year * 10m = 10k per year.

[deleted]

Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#128

Post by JR1427 »

EchoChamberMan wrote: post #123
JR1427 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm still at my first company after switching career in to development. It's nice here, and the people including management are great. But I feel I should probably move on for the sake of my career progression, but I'm scared to leave and find myself somewhere worse.

Be very very sure of what this supposed "career progression" is before you leave something you enjoy.

I just worry that if I stay for years, and then for some reason do have to leave, it'll be harder to find a new job with my first as a dev having been at the same company for many years.

Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#129

Post by StreetChief »

JR1427 wrote: post #128
EchoChamberMan wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Be very very sure of what this supposed "career progression" is before you leave something you enjoy.

I just worry that if I stay for years, and then for some reason do have to leave, it'll be harder to find a new job with my first as a dev having been at the same company for many years.

Generally I think long tenure is a positive signal, but you have to be growing. If you are growing and learning, and enjoying it, I recommend you continue to do so. Stop and smell the roses while you're at it.

In theory, skills are what matter, but I don't find that true in practice. Appearance matters more. A long tenure is a good look to most.

Re: What you've got is in fact a people problem

#130

Post by PH95VuimJjqBqy »

StreetChief wrote: post #122
PH95VuimJjqBqy wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And then there's agreeing with the VP or CTO, but the people between you don't heh, been there. Sometimes I feel sorry for those that high up, especially the ones that DO mostly see the problems but are powerless to do much because of all the shit between them and the solution. The higher up you go the more power you have but the less control you have. That seems paradoxical but consider the old adage 'if you want…

The people in charge have the power and the responsibility to ensure they are doing the right thing, and that their subordinates are too. If your subordinates aren't doing the right thing, or aren't listening to you as the leader, you as the leader need to act.

people manage up and I'm sure as shit not going to be the one to tell the VP that my director is bullshitting them.
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