The honeymoon is over

[Exterous]

At a new job there is often a period where everything is wonderful until you've been there long enough to see behind the veil. Well 2.5 years in and I still hadn't really found anything. I think this month ended that. The shear amount of waste and stupidity I've had to deal with this month is angering. Fortunately its not my company but our clients. Immediately following the complete lack of regard for personal data (https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/horrifying-it-business-practice.2500284/#post-38762988) was a large organization that was going to overpay for software products. In a month I got them a 90% discount. Everyone was super excited but it was easy. I talked to the vendor. Thats it. They had 9 months to come up with a solution and it was the most expensive, convoluted process possible. The vendor didn't even know they were doing it that way. When I talked to the vendor they even said "Why would they do that? That makes no sense"

But it was the easy way out (for the team involved) and it wasn't their money. They are student and tax payer funded so if its costs $1M more hey no big deal right? I got more vocal than I probably should have about how absurd it was that they were going to do it that way and how wasteful it was simply because the team of 3 people involved in doing this never put the slightest effort into the task. Various higher ups agreed but I doubt anything will happen. Too hard to get fired (Not union either)

And this new project....Its just bad.
"We would like a 4 day meeting on this"
Me: "What? No. Just do this - it will only take a day."
"No we don't have time"
Me: "Wha..? You just wanted to spend 4 days on something but now you don't have 1?"
"Correct"


Me: "Ok this is what your group decided to do and it has been implemented as directed."
"No that decision is unacceptable."
Me: "Ok - you told me that they were the final, authoritative source for decisions. Is there a new process?"
"No."
Me: "So this change is a one-off?"
"No there will be others."
Me: "Should we form a new group, have new people involved or have a review process before implementation?"
"No."


The general scope of my work hasn't changed so I'm hoping its just a bad month

 

[Scarpozzi]

You should implement your own process for implementation and projects. Create forms for process documentation, requests, edits, and completion....get signatures when people sign off on particular steps of the implementation or workflow and store them in PDFs. That allows you to refer to a document that shows they've accepted your work. This insulates you from indecision and any of that b.s./nonsense.

 

[cbrunny]

You work for a student association?

 

[purbeast0]

If you're at a job you don't enjoy for 2.5 years, you're doing something wrong.

 

[Exterous]

You should implement your own process for implementation and projects. Create forms for process documentation, requests, edits, and completion....get signatures when people sign off on particular steps of the implementation or workflow and store them in PDFs. That allows you to refer to a document that shows they've accepted your work. This insulates you from indecision and any of that b.s./nonsense.

Oh we have sign off from the organization's appointed reps and everything. Just their bosses then intervene after everything is over and want changes. Of course we charge them more since we followed and completed the agree on scope of work but they don't care all that often. It's not really the appointed reps fault either - the people who should be stakeholders don't want to be part of the process so they just give vague guidelines and then want changes when it doesn't fit their unarticulated 'vision'. Or they ask for something and then figure out they don't actually want that when they use it in Production for the first time. We could catch that much earlier in the process if they bothered to take part

You work for a student association?

Thank god no. My company does work for large colleges and universities.

If you're at a job you don't enjoy for 2.5 years, you're doing something wrong.

Who said anything about not enjoying my job for 2.5 years?

 

[NoCreativity]

Oh we have sign off from the organization's appointed reps and everything. Just their bosses then intervene after everything is over and want changes. Of course we charge them more since we followed and completed the agree on scope of work but they don't care all that often. It's not really the appointed reps fault either - the people who should be stakeholders don't want to be part of the process so they just give vague guidelines and then want changes when it doesn't fit their unarticulated 'vision'. Or they ask for something and then figure out they don't actually want that when they use it in Production for the first time. We could catch that much earlier in the process if they bothered to take part

Man this sounds familiar. Higher ups are invited to early meetings that shape the project and never show after giving vague guidance on their "vision". Then they show up at the 11th hour and want to make a bunch of changes. The worst part is they are the ones who preach putting in the extra work up front to reduce costly changes (in terms of both time and money).