I finally got myself in trouble at work
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The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
What will you do if you are my manager
Force you to write documentation two weeks long. Cannot seem to think about a more cruel punishment.
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
The management discovered that I have written code
I would be very glad if my management were aware of all the code I write...
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
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Xiangyang Liu wrote:
What will you do if you are my manager
Force you to write documentation two weeks long. Cannot seem to think about a more cruel punishment.
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
The management discovered that I have written code
I would be very glad if my management were aware of all the code I write...
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Rage wrote:
Cannot seem to think about a more cruel punishment.
Demote you to the testing department.
regards, Paul Watson Ireland FeedHenry needs you
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.
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The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
Punishment? It would depend on whether or not your other work was falling behind because of your work on this issue. If you are still on schedule with your assigned tasks, then no problem. Your solution will be analyzed and tested as time permits, and kudos on your initiative. If however, you got sidetracked and fell behind on other tasks then, I'd still say I appreciate your initiative and motivation, but your priority is to finish those tasks that are assigned. In the future, I'd appreciate it if you brought your ideas for improvements to me and we could discuss them and schedule time if appropriate. Of course, my understanding would vary depending on just how far behind you were now, and whether you lied about your progress at some previous point.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wright -
The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ...
I've been in this same trouble many times and the last couple of times i've told whomever was talking to me "Yell at me all you want, I [got the job done or kept the system from dying a horrable death]". The managers I've had don't apprecate it when you break the rules for the betterment of all. BTW, I'm in our process group but I still don't always follow the process.
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
It depends on the manager. Some managers will say "unofficailly, good job! Officailly don't do it again". Some will mark it against you at review time (didn't follow process but doesn't say anything about fixing the problem). I, personally, would say "It's history, good job. Your process punishment is to go document what you did. Next time, follow the process". [putting on my process hat] The processes are there to make sure everything is done right and to try to make sure nothing else is getting screwed with the fix. [taking off process hat] If it has to get done quick, typically, the official processes are not the way to go. We're a CMMI level 5 company and it would take about 3 weeks to do the "Hello World" program. My 2 cents Joe Q
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The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
So what did you fix in the system I once got in trouble for fixing something I wasn't authorized to fix :laugh: I somehow fell under the radar before punishment was decided on and the issue went away. Needless I have been careful not to fix problems without authorization since then.
Where did my glasses go...
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The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
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Punishment? It would depend on whether or not your other work was falling behind because of your work on this issue. If you are still on schedule with your assigned tasks, then no problem. Your solution will be analyzed and tested as time permits, and kudos on your initiative. If however, you got sidetracked and fell behind on other tasks then, I'd still say I appreciate your initiative and motivation, but your priority is to finish those tasks that are assigned. In the future, I'd appreciate it if you brought your ideas for improvements to me and we could discuss them and schedule time if appropriate. Of course, my understanding would vary depending on just how far behind you were now, and whether you lied about your progress at some previous point.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wrightbrianwelsch wrote:
Of course, my understanding would vary depending on just how far behind you were now
I am not behind at all. I can confidently say that I handle a lot more projects than anyone else in the team. Plus, there are many projects only I understand and can work on.
brianwelsch wrote:
I'd appreciate it if you brought your ideas for improvements to me and we could discuss them and schedule time if appropriate.
That is the thing I had trouble with. It is not that I disrespect anyone. If I think I understand all the issues and can get things implemented in a few days, I will not try to discuss with others (who will take weeks to get back to me if at all) first. I will present what I have done at "design" meeting for others to discuss.
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Wes Aday wrote:
"Promotion" to manager....
Oh, no, then I will have to punish other people the way I don't want to be punished myself. :)
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Xiangyang Liu wrote:
The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ...
I've been in this same trouble many times and the last couple of times i've told whomever was talking to me "Yell at me all you want, I [got the job done or kept the system from dying a horrable death]". The managers I've had don't apprecate it when you break the rules for the betterment of all. BTW, I'm in our process group but I still don't always follow the process.
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
It depends on the manager. Some managers will say "unofficailly, good job! Officailly don't do it again". Some will mark it against you at review time (didn't follow process but doesn't say anything about fixing the problem). I, personally, would say "It's history, good job. Your process punishment is to go document what you did. Next time, follow the process". [putting on my process hat] The processes are there to make sure everything is done right and to try to make sure nothing else is getting screwed with the fix. [taking off process hat] If it has to get done quick, typically, the official processes are not the way to go. We're a CMMI level 5 company and it would take about 3 weeks to do the "Hello World" program. My 2 cents Joe Q
Joe Q wrote:
[putting on my process hat] The processes are there to make sure everything is done right and to try to make sure nothing else is getting screwed with the fix. [taking off process hat] If it has to get done quick, typically, the official processes are not the way to go. We're a CMMI level 5 company and it would take about 3 weeks to do the "Hello World" program.
True. We're CMMI3 working towards 4, but a hello world app would fall below our cutoff for not having to follow full processes.
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brianwelsch wrote:
Of course, my understanding would vary depending on just how far behind you were now
I am not behind at all. I can confidently say that I handle a lot more projects than anyone else in the team. Plus, there are many projects only I understand and can work on.
brianwelsch wrote:
I'd appreciate it if you brought your ideas for improvements to me and we could discuss them and schedule time if appropriate.
That is the thing I had trouble with. It is not that I disrespect anyone. If I think I understand all the issues and can get things implemented in a few days, I will not try to discuss with others (who will take weeks to get back to me if at all) first. I will present what I have done at "design" meeting for others to discuss.
If it's a relatively quick change (1 day or less), then you're probably right that it's easier to simply get it implemented and get a test ready to show the fix. However, if you spend more time on an issue than a day, you start messing with your manager's time scheduling. There might be things in the pipe that you don't know about yet, that your manager is waiting to assign. So it could be understandable that while you're on-time with assigned tasks, your manager sees the time you spent on the fix as missed opportunity to get something else accomplished. Just a thought, it's tough to say what the right reaction should be from the outside.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wright -
Wes Aday wrote:
"Promotion" to manager....
Oh, no, then I will have to punish other people the way I don't want to be punished myself. :)
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"It's a slippery slope, Xiangyang. You're fired." :rolleyes:
regards, Paul Watson Ireland FeedHenry needs you
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.
Paul Watson wrote:
Xiangyang. You're fired
Well, it probably won't be that bad this time. The thing is, I can't imagine myself changing the way I work. It has been great in the past and nobody seems to mind that I deliver things much faster and with high quality (but done them in a politically incorrect way). No matter what happens, my life could be harder from now on, they will be watching me closely.
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Joe Q wrote:
[putting on my process hat] The processes are there to make sure everything is done right and to try to make sure nothing else is getting screwed with the fix. [taking off process hat] If it has to get done quick, typically, the official processes are not the way to go. We're a CMMI level 5 company and it would take about 3 weeks to do the "Hello World" program.
True. We're CMMI3 working towards 4, but a hello world app would fall below our cutoff for not having to follow full processes.
dan neely wrote:
True. We're CMMI3 working towards 4, but a hello world app would fall below our cutoff for not having to follow full processes.
Technically, we have no low cut off point for when the process is to be applied. I'm working that issue right now. We were orignally directed by our VP to make no distictions. Everyone at the lower levels immediatly saw the problem. We've convinced the VP but now we're coming up with some "tayloring" for small projects. With the way it will probably get changed it will still take a day to do the "hello world" program. So I'll probably get in trouble again for not following the process. ;)
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If it's a relatively quick change (1 day or less), then you're probably right that it's easier to simply get it implemented and get a test ready to show the fix. However, if you spend more time on an issue than a day, you start messing with your manager's time scheduling. There might be things in the pipe that you don't know about yet, that your manager is waiting to assign. So it could be understandable that while you're on-time with assigned tasks, your manager sees the time you spent on the fix as missed opportunity to get something else accomplished. Just a thought, it's tough to say what the right reaction should be from the outside.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wrightbrianwelsch wrote:
If it's a relatively quick change (1 day or less), then you're probably right that it's easier to simply get it implemented and get a test ready to show the fix. However, if you spend more time on an issue than a day, you start messing with your manager's time scheduling.
It is complicated work but I did it rather quickly. It will definitely turn into a multi-months long project if all the rules are followed. I would like to focus my "spare" time on doing things I like. That is the main reason (besides pension) that I stayed on the current job. I love to work but I am not foolish enough to ask for more assignments when I am already ahead on delivering things. The ironical thing is, if I just raised the issue (which I did) and did nothing else (nobody asked me for further action), there will be no problem for myself at all. Even if the whole system breaks down tomorrow because we did not act, no one can blame anything on me. The difference is, now that they have a workable solution I provided, the most important thing becomes make sure I do not do it again!
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The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
If you were on my team, and you got everything else done you were supposed to, I'd give you an award or something. But I'd also probably give you a lecture on letting me know what you are working on and your idea prior to releasing something. What if it blew up? What if it caused problems with something completly unrelated? Also I might have been telling my boss that we don't have the resources to work on the problem. If you come out and fix it you make me look like I was lying.
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If you were on my team, and you got everything else done you were supposed to, I'd give you an award or something. But I'd also probably give you a lecture on letting me know what you are working on and your idea prior to releasing something. What if it blew up? What if it caused problems with something completly unrelated? Also I might have been telling my boss that we don't have the resources to work on the problem. If you come out and fix it you make me look like I was lying.
Tad McClellan wrote:
What if it blew up? What if it caused problems with something completly unrelated?
It is not like that at all. I am not trying to sneak in anything in the release. We are still more than a month away to release the solution I came up with if they decide to accept it. There is plenty of time for testing, etc. Any other solution will require the same amount of testing.
Tad McClellan wrote:
Also I might have been telling my boss that we don't have the resources to work on the problem. If you come out and fix it you make me look like I was lying.
Good point. I never thought about that before. [Joke] How would I know about the lies other people told? Instead of boss blaming me for not letting him/her know about my ideas earlier, shouldn't I blame him/her for lying to his/her boss and not letting me know about it? :laugh: [/Joke] -- modified at 12:15 Friday 27th October, 2006
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The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
What will you do if you are my manager?
Say thank you maybe?
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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Xiangyang Liu wrote:
The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me
Xiangyang Liu wrote:
What will you do if you are my manager?
Say thank you maybe?
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
Say thank you maybe?
Wow. Is CP hiring? :)
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The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
Why do you expect to be punished? :confused: A proper response should be to consider the pros and cons of your actions. First off, you are showing initiative to take on work not assigned to you. This is a good thing and is usually rewarded. Evidently you also have some plan associatted with this extra work, which is also good. On the negative side, did you miss any deadlines for work that has been assigned to you. During this period of 'extra effort' on your part, can anyone show that the code you produced was of any less value or had more bugs in it than normal? Unless your boss and management are doing this analysis before acting, then they are reacting emotionally and that is no good at all.
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] Nobody likes jerks. [espeir] The zen of the soapbox is hard to attain...[Jörgen Sigvardsson] I wish I could remember what it was like to only have a short term memory.[David Kentley]
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The management discovered that I have written code that changes the way the system works. The new code will solve a real urgent problem we are facing and I never said it has to go the way I designed and coded. We don't have any workable solution for this problem and any solution including mine involves regression testing everything. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that I have been doing the work while working on a lot of other projects assigned to me, and they don't know about it. Process, Process, Process, ... Can you predict what kind of punishment I will get? What will you do if you are my manager?
It's a really dangerous thing to do. They are correct, doing things the way they were planned in processes is better. People can track what you have been doing and reproduce the results. You have to ask yourself the question: What will happen if you leave or become ill? I hope everything still works when you're gone and people know how to fix the code if it gets broken for any reason. Don't get me wrong, I know that sometimes just doing things gives you result much faster and some procedures and process definition are rubbish, but if the company has a high quality standard they know what processes are necessary and what processes can be removed or changed to optimize things. Let's hope they see the positive side of your actions and don't fire you, but instead thank you for the good work you deliver. I think they tell you not to do that again and document the things you repaired. (At least I hope they do that ;))
WM