Re: (OT) On starting a new job

in reply to (OT) On starting a new job

Sadly what I really want to see is "finding a new job", as non-contract (aka non-temp) work is pretty hard to find right now.

I have learned from this one: always allow people to save face. People can be wrong, and your suggestions however wrong, they will take personally if they are shallow enough. This comes in under the C.Y.A. line, but I prefer working with egoless programmers who don't make excuses and accept fault. So far (I'm in the US), I seem to be getting the impression Japan & Germany don't like excuses and actually believe in straight talk -- and as a result I tend to respect our overseas employees/partners a bit more. I wish we could be more like them.

Comment on Re: (OT) On starting a new job

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Re^2: (OT) On starting a new job by atcroft (Abbot) on Dec 01, 2004 at 19:25 UTC
I've encountered that kind of resistance before as well. My normal technique for handling it is to have ruled it down to an issue with their component, but instead of hitting them directly with a "the problem is in your component" (preceived) frontal assault, I instead as them to verify the behavior of their component on the grounds of ruling it out as a part of the issue, while making it clear I am still examining other potential issues. This allows them to discover the issue, rather than having it be pointed out to them, and gives them the opportunity to save face. (It also allows for the removal of my foot from my mouth if instead I find there was something else I missed.) YMMV. (And I do agree with the appreciation of straight talk and lack of excuses. Your fault, my fault, nobody's fault-let's get the problem solved, and if anyone wants to talk about the dust motes in the eyes of others after having de-planked their own eyes when the current fire is over, they're welcome to.)	[reply]

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Re^2: (OT) On starting a new job
by atcroft (Abbot) on Dec 01, 2004 at 19:25 UTC

I've encountered that kind of resistance before as well. My normal technique for handling it is to have ruled it down to an issue with their component, but instead of hitting them directly with a "the problem is in your component" (preceived) frontal assault, I instead as them to verify the behavior of their component on the grounds of ruling it out as a part of the issue, while making it clear I am still examining other potential issues. This allows them to discover the issue, rather than having it be pointed out to them, and gives them the opportunity to save face. (It also allows for the removal of my foot from my mouth if instead I find there was something else I missed.)

YMMV.

(And I do agree with the appreciation of straight talk and lack of excuses. Your fault, my fault, nobody's fault-let's get the problem solved, and if anyone wants to talk about the dust motes in the eyes of others after having de-planked their own eyes when the current fire is over, they're welcome to.)

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