awwwww what to do what to do

[Anonymous]

what does everyone do when you go to setup standards when all the designers
say "i like to do it this way" and each one is a different way. you try to
include them in settin gup the standards but all they do is fight with each
other....then 2 or three of them get together and THEY decided to do the
company standards.


J.

[Anonymous]

Your only option here, so far as I know, is to get the top management to
make a decision. Either they inform the company as a whole that you are the
CAD Manager, and that developing and enforcing standards is your job, or let
you walk away from the whole issue. This is a fight I have been having for
quite some time, and it gets very touchy, because there are a lot of
politics and personalities involved. But, unless you have the right to tell
any staff member "Sorry, but your work does not meet company requirements"
tehn yyou cannot be effective as a manager. Bear in mind that you still
need to do that politely, and not create a lot of friction, which can be
tough.



"Jaime" wrote in message
news:FE754D416B894BBFF816F25CD45E9F77@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> what does everyone do when you go to setup standards when all the
designers
> say "i like to do it this way" and each one is a different way. you try to
> include them in settin gup the standards but all they do is fight with
each
> other....then 2 or three of them get together and THEY decided to do the
> company standards.
>
>
> J.
>
>

[Anonymous]

I agree too: it is a management responsibility to set the tone for the whole
project. Either there is a standard, and it comes from a defined source, or
give up the whole thing. Without management support, it just becomes a
personality thing, and who really needs that headache in their life.

--
Dean Saadallah
http://www.pendean.com
Expanded Links Page
http://www.pendean.com/lt/links.htm
--


"Charles Prettyman" wrote in message
news:24F3F325303C7671401C532437AF347C@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Your only option here, so far as I know, is to get the top management to
> make a decision. Either they inform the company as a whole that you are
the
> CAD Manager, and that developing and enforcing standards is your job, or
let
> you walk away from the whole issue. This is a fight I have been having
for
> quite some time, and it gets very touchy, because there are a lot of
> politics and personalities involved. But, unless you have the right to
tell
> any staff member "Sorry, but your work does not meet company requirements"
> tehn yyou cannot be effective as a manager. Bear in mind that you still
> need to do that politely, and not create a lot of friction, which can be
> tough.
>
>
>
> "Jaime" wrote in message
> news:FE754D416B894BBFF816F25CD45E9F77@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > what does everyone do when you go to setup standards when all the
> designers
> > say "i like to do it this way" and each one is a different way. you try
to
> > include them in settin gup the standards but all they do is fight with
> each
> > other....then 2 or three of them get together and THEY decided to do the
> > company standards.
> >
> >
> > J.
> >
> >
>
>

[Anonymous]

not me..therefore im going to just give up untill i get "FULL" managment
support..not this "go ahead and let me know when one is set"

Jaime

Dean Saadallah wrote in message
news:5714C69021C439D68E4C139DE35458D8@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I agree too: it is a management responsibility to set the tone for the
whole
> project. Either there is a standard, and it comes from a defined source,
or
> give up the whole thing. Without management support, it just becomes a
> personality thing, and who really needs that headache in their life.
>
> --
> Dean Saadallah
> http://www.pendean.com
> Expanded Links Page
> http://www.pendean.com/lt/links.htm
> --
>
>
> "Charles Prettyman" wrote in message
> news:24F3F325303C7671401C532437AF347C@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > Your only option here, so far as I know, is to get the top management to
> > make a decision. Either they inform the company as a whole that you are
> the
> > CAD Manager, and that developing and enforcing standards is your job, or
> let
> > you walk away from the whole issue. This is a fight I have been having
> for
> > quite some time, and it gets very touchy, because there are a lot of
> > politics and personalities involved. But, unless you have the right to
> tell
> > any staff member "Sorry, but your work does not meet company
requirements"
> > tehn yyou cannot be effective as a manager. Bear in mind that you still
> > need to do that politely, and not create a lot of friction, which can be
> > tough.
> >
> >
> >
> > "Jaime" wrote in message
> > news:FE754D416B894BBFF816F25CD45E9F77@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > > what does everyone do when you go to setup standards when all the
> > designers
> > > say "i like to do it this way" and each one is a different way. you
try
> to
> > > include them in settin gup the standards but all they do is fight with
> > each
> > > other....then 2 or three of them get together and THEY decided to do
the
> > > company standards.
> > >
> > >
> > > J.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[Anonymous]

I went through this for about a year. I finally approached the principal and
said this:
We need a company standard for these reasons. blah, blah, blah we all no
why but they don't always no why. It is imperative that they understand how
important standards are and how they will increase profits in the long run.
Relate everything back to money they always understand this. He wanted to
sit everyone down and hash it out, we had done this in the past but nothing
ever get accomplished, I suggested that him and I along with another
associate and the three of us hashed out the standards. I sat down and
documented what we came up with by the end of next month I should have a
solid standard for a first go. We will continue to meet and modify as the
process progresses.

"Jaime" wrote in message
news:6788915DA6B5EED2E7BB37B886BE9CA3@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> not me..therefore im going to just give up untill i get "FULL" managment
> support..not this "go ahead and let me know when one is set"
>
> Jaime
>
> Dean Saadallah wrote in message
> news:5714C69021C439D68E4C139DE35458D8@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > I agree too: it is a management responsibility to set the tone for the
> whole
> > project. Either there is a standard, and it comes from a defined source,
> or
> > give up the whole thing. Without management support, it just becomes a
> > personality thing, and who really needs that headache in their life.
> >
> > --
> > Dean Saadallah
> > http://www.pendean.com
> > Expanded Links Page
> > http://www.pendean.com/lt/links.htm
> > --
> >
> >
> > "Charles Prettyman" wrote in message
> > news:24F3F325303C7671401C532437AF347C@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > > Your only option here, so far as I know, is to get the top management
to
> > > make a decision. Either they inform the company as a whole that you
are
> > the
> > > CAD Manager, and that developing and enforcing standards is your job,
or
> > let
> > > you walk away from the whole issue. This is a fight I have been
having
> > for
> > > quite some time, and it gets very touchy, because there are a lot of
> > > politics and personalities involved. But, unless you have the right
to
> > tell
> > > any staff member "Sorry, but your work does not meet company
> requirements"
> > > tehn yyou cannot be effective as a manager. Bear in mind that you
still
> > > need to do that politely, and not create a lot of friction, which can
be
> > > tough.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "Jaime" wrote in message
> > > news:FE754D416B894BBFF816F25CD45E9F77@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > > > what does everyone do when you go to setup standards when all the
> > > designers
> > > > say "i like to do it this way" and each one is a different way. you
> try
> > to
> > > > include them in settin gup the standards but all they do is fight
with
> > > each
> > > > other....then 2 or three of them get together and THEY decided to do
> the
> > > > company standards.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > J.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[Anonymous]

Yep, you can't do it without the backing of a higher power. If you
really feel like persuing it then you need to sell the idea to managment
as your first step. Then my approach would be to have everyone come
up with a standard as democraticly as possible. The democratic method
is not perfect but it usually ensures more buy in by the users.

[Anonymous]

Cad standards by committee almost never works. I've been through the
process a few times with different firms, and what I have found to work well
for me is (if there are really no standards at all) to use someone else's
standards as a starting point. Either a nat'l standard like AIA or standards
from a vendor or even competitor. You can use them to help sell
management -- "here's something that already works" and "you're not
re-inventing the wheel from scratch". And it _can_ help with the designers
in that you're not adopting any one person's ideas over another, nor are you
telling them that your ideas are the best and thereby setting them off
again. And if you adopt standards that are close to those of a company you
work closely with, then everybody wins.

Also, I have the habit of not really involving anyone else until there is a
solid foundation in place. (Which can go either way...) But I believe that
once you have the foundation, then you use the designers ideas to build on
it. That way they don't get bogged down in the early details and get bent
out of shape when their early ideas don't make to the final product. And
they are involved at the right time, which leads to buy-in.

And give credit all around. Upfront - lots of people want to "be involved
in the process". But mostly they just want to know what's going on and
throw in a few concepts they feel strongly about and get back to work.
Avoid the conflict and keep the development on the QT until it's time to
solicit those few concepts and then figure out a way to include them.

Then finally, dazzle them with tools to make conforming to the standards
easier than doing it "their way".



"Dick" wrote in message
news:3D20607E.9040605@mindspring.com...
> Yep, you can't do it without the backing of a higher power. If you
> really feel like persuing it then you need to sell the idea to managment
> as your first step. Then my approach would be to have everyone come
> up with a standard as democraticly as possible. The democratic method
> is not perfect but it usually ensures more buy in by the users.
>

[Anonymous]

Then finally, dazzle them with tools to make conforming to the
standards
easier than doing it "their way".

I agree with the rest of your statements but this one, IMHO, needs
emphasizing. To many companies set up standards and then the employees do
not follow them because they it is harder to follow them than to just do it
the same way as before. I am a big proponent of customization for CADD
standards. If you make the "new" standards easier (with customization) that
it is for them to do it their way, they will want to do their work with the
standards because we are all lazy, and the easier the better. 🙂


--
kenSwitzer

[Anonymous]

It can work if approched the right way. True it is good to come up with
a base before consulting the rest of the croud. It is important to weed
through the people who aren't really interested and generally just cause
problems (too many questions not enough solutions). A core commitee of
perhaps power users or key dicipline people is what you need. I guess
in stead of a democracy what I ment was a republic.

[Anonymous]

I'll buy that. Having others involved who are equally as committed
certainly offers perspective that you don't get developing on your own. Too
often, a manager will toss out "we need standards - you guys work with it
everyday, so get together and come up with something. Call me when it's
finished. Oh, and don't spend too much time on it because it's
non-billable." When in reality it needs to be handled like any other
project with a timeline, allocated resources, and someone to take the
lead...


"Dick" wrote in message
news:3D20CD87.4060604@mindspring.com...
> It can work if approched the right way. True it is good to come up with
> a base before consulting the rest of the croud. It is important to weed
> through the people who aren't really interested and generally just cause
> problems (too many questions not enough solutions). A core commitee of
> perhaps power users or key dicipline people is what you need. I guess
> in stead of a democracy what I ment was a republic.
>