remind me why I took this job.....

[Anonymous]

can anyone help me re-write this letter to my boss. I've got till the middle of August, unless I self destruct first....

My presence here is most likely an unconscious attempt at creating a cohesive team environment through ‘education’. The theory of ‘the enlightened’ working together toward a better future is great, but not realistic. The truth is, those who thrive here are renegades, and guardians. The rest leave after a) they realize it is more stressful than need be, or 2) they find a way out after feeling burn-out. In my opinion, the management of cad tech's, and others, is misunderstood. To manage seems to have gotten confused with coercion, and the idea of setting mandates for work-related behavior is apparently appalling, and perceived as abusive somehow. In truth, the reluctance to provide tighter guidelines in the cad realm here means that the cad tech is faced daily with an overload of frustrating decisions (from ctb or printer choices, to layer and text style choices). The end users feel obligated to make choices, while at the same time distrusting those choices because the landscape is constantly being altered by his/her co-workers, and not necessarily improved. Ironically, that very same distrust is contributing to the multiplication of files, the inadvertent destruction of community support files, and other group maladies. The unwillingness on the part of the few here who have official authority to dictate anything out of fear of people quitting basically assures this company that only people here are those who would not be tolerated elsewhere. The expectation that I can be un-obtrusive long enough that my familiarity will get people to cooperate willingly is rather expensive, and hardly a guarantee. In the meantime it is suggested that I create tools that will work on multiple platforms, in systems I can’t evaluate, to perhaps be used by people who won’t ask for clarification. Those tools will be reviewed by the few who will take the time. They have already pretty much done all this before me, for themselves, with understanding of the design and display intent that I lack. They don’t share it because they know it is a non-value-added use of time to try to get other people efficient, as these guys don’t ‘do’ change. If I could sit and take your money for doing nothing, I should be fine. The only reason I can’t besides my personal work ethic, is logical fear. It is obvious, and has been pointed out by various people, that if I do anything, or am perceived to have done anything, I’m sure to find a stake out in the side yard with a gallon of gasoline and my name on them both.

lee Message was edited by: leebrown99

[Anonymous]

"" If I want a template, I have to ask people if they like it, get a 50%
support, and then they will document it as official, but there will never be
enforcement. ""

Is that because you don't have the authority or the nads? If it's the
former then take it to your management and tell them you need the authority
to manage or thye are wasting your time and their money. If its the latter,
take the money till they find you out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"" And if I find something else, either on the server or elsewhere, I can't
get rid of it, because "somebody might need it" ""

Kill it, if someone needs it, point to the new template

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"" no-the answer is they don't really want what I have to offer. They just
don't want to hear it.....no bursting anyone's bubble now....""

"They" who? Users or management?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"" They have already pretty much done all this before me, for themselves,
with understanding of the design and display intent that I lack. ""

Okay, this line from the original rant is probably the most telling. If you
lack understanding of the design and display intent, you have the wrong job.
Taking money to do a job for which you haven't the skill or understanding is
ethically questionable.

[Anonymous]

Let me guess... they're "too busy" to worry about that crap? I would
suggest a sit down with them. It's even better than a ranting email.
They'll just take your email as a momentary burst of frustration and may not
take it to heart. Explain that they will:
A) Be left in the dust by competitors who do have their act together.
B) Waste endless hours dealing with fixing their own problems with drawings
instead of fixing problems for their clients.
C) Waste valuable man hours due to ineffieciency. If their employees can
work faster AND smarter.. it's a win win situation.
Ok.. the list could go on and on...

It sounds like you're prepared to move on if you don't get the support you
need. Good idea.

--
Andy Rollins
LDT 2006
P4 3.6Ghz 2G Ram QuadroFx 540


wrote in message news:5243476@discussion.autodesk.com...
well normally I would say fine, but this place wont do anything to support
standardization. If I want a template, I have to ask people if they like
it, get a 50% support, and then they will document it as official, but there
will never be enforcement. And if I find something else, either on the
server or elsewhere, I can't get rid of it, because "somebody might need it"
no-the answer is they don't really want what I have to offer. They just
don't want to hear it.....no bursting anyone's bubble now....

[Anonymous]

Would my below "quote" be useful to you Lee?

Either of them?

--
Don Reichle
"The only thing worse
than training your staff,
and having them leave is -
not training your staff,
and having them stay."
Courtesy Graphics Solution Providers
----------------------------------------------------------
!! Please discuss whatever we tell you with your SysMgr !!
!! They appreciate staying in the loop 🙂 !!

LDT/CD-2K4
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+ 2.01GHz
XP-Pro 32bit SP2
2GB RAM
Dual WD800JD Hard Drives - 149GB Nvidia Stripe
Nvidia Quadro FX 1300 128MB
Dual ViewSonic 19-inch VA902b monitors

"The only Constant is Change".


wrote in message news:5243140@discussion.autodesk.com...
can anyone help me re-write this letter to my boss. I've got till the
middle of August, unless I self destruct first....

My presence here is most likely an unconscious attempt at creating a
cohesive team environment through 'education'. The theory of 'the
enlightened' working together toward a better future is great, but not
realistic. The truth is, those who thrive here are renegades, and
guardians. The rest leave after a) they realize it is more stressful than
need be, or 2) they find a way out after feeling burn-out. In my opinion,
the management of cad tech's, and others, is misunderstood. To manage seems
to have gotten confused with coercion, and the idea of setting mandates for
work-related behavior is apparently appalling, and perceived as abusive
somehow. In truth, the reluctance to provide tighter guidelines in the cad
realm here means that the cad tech is faced daily with an overload of
frustrating decisions (from ctb or printer choices, to layer and text style
choices). The end users feel obligated to make choices, while at the same
time distrusting those choices because the landscape is constantly being
altered by his/her co-workers, and not necessarily improved. Ironically,
that very same distrust is contributing to the multiplication of files, the
inadvertent destruction of community support files, and other group
maladies. The unwillingness on the part of the few here who have official
authority to dictate anything out of fear of people quitting basically
assures this company that only people here are those who would not be
tolerated elsewhere. The expectation that I can be un-obtrusive long enough
that my familiarity will get people to cooperate willingly is rather
expensive, and hardly a guarantee. In the meantime it is suggested that I
create tools that will work on multiple platforms, in systems I can't
evaluate, to perhaps be used by people who won't ask for clarification.
Those tools will be reviewed by the few who will take the time. They have
already pretty much done all this before me, for themselves, with
understanding of the design and display intent that I lack. They don't share
it because they know it is a non-value-added use of time to try to get other
people efficient, as these guys don't 'do' change. If I could sit and take
your money for doing nothing, I should be fine. The only reason I can't
besides my personal work ethic, is logical fear. It is obvious, and has
been pointed out by various people, that if I do anything, or am perceived
to have done anything, I'm sure to find a stake out in the side yard with a
gallon of gasoline and my name on them both.

lee

Message was edited by: leebrown99

[Anonymous]

snip>Half the engineers still maintain that a design can be done faster (and
better) on paper.
Those are the folks who just stand there with their lower jaws on the floor,
after watching an "accomplished" Civil 3D tech "perform".

They might almost have a point for the "initial" design - but the revisions?

--
Don Reichle
"The only thing worse
than training your staff,
and having them leave is -
not training your staff,
and having them stay."
Courtesy Graphics Solution Providers
----------------------------------------------------------
!! Please discuss whatever we tell you with your SysMgr !!
!! They appreciate staying in the loop 🙂 !!

LDT/CD-2K4
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+ 2.01GHz
XP-Pro 32bit SP2
2GB RAM
Dual WD800JD Hard Drives - 149GB Nvidia Stripe
Nvidia Quadro FX 1300 128MB
Dual ViewSonic 19-inch VA902b monitors

"The only Constant is Change".


"Allen Jessup" wrote in message
news:5243292@discussion.autodesk.com...
Oh. I'd believe. You should try Civil Service! I used to be you would have
to commit murder to be fired. I think you could probably get away with that
now. Half the engineers still maintain that a design can be done faster (and
better) on paper. Then turned over to a tech for "drafting".

Until a couple of years ago "Standards" was a dirty word. Everyone thought
they knew the best way to do things. Of course none of them were the same.
The only way I got some standards set for plotting was telling everyone that
if they did it my way I would help them when they had trouble. If they went
there own way they were on their own.

Luckily the past 5 years have seen quite a few retirements. We have new
people who are more open to standards. Our new Projects Manager has some
"interesting" ideas about CAD. He's one of the ones who doesn't like to be
confused by a lot of layers - "Why should we need more than 5 of 10". But he
realizes that standards are a good thing and has supported their
development.

Luck
Allen

wrote in message news:5243174@discussion.autodesk.com...
I've only been here since April 3, I took it for personal growth, not $.
I'm on track to do p/t support for some small shops who can't keep a 'whole'
overhead person, which works for me as my husband & I have an s-corp and
really dont have time for this madness. I just want to keep my skills up. I
like acad & I really like the people here, I just can't buy the business
philosophy.. A part of me really wants to get somebody to stand back and
take a fresh look at the corporate culture. These guys do so much work, you
wouldn't believe it. Nobody outside would believe how crazy it is inside-
they are so productive, and respected in this industry. If it wasn't for
the inappropriate conduct on the part of a few people toward their
underlings, I'd probaly not even leave.

[Anonymous]

Then don't allow the door to get anywhere near your posterior on the "final"
way out.

I wonder how they "fool" their "quality" Clients?

--
Don Reichle
"The only thing worse
than training your staff,
and having them leave is -
not training your staff,
and having them stay."
Courtesy Graphics Solution Providers
----------------------------------------------------------
!! Please discuss whatever we tell you with your SysMgr !!
!! They appreciate staying in the loop 🙂 !!

LDT/CD-2K4
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+ 2.01GHz
XP-Pro 32bit SP2
2GB RAM
Dual WD800JD Hard Drives - 149GB Nvidia Stripe
Nvidia Quadro FX 1300 128MB
Dual ViewSonic 19-inch VA902b monitors

"The only Constant is Change".


wrote in message news:5243476@discussion.autodesk.com...
well normally I would say fine, but this place wont do anything to support
standardization. If I want a template, I have to ask people if they like
it, get a 50% support, and then they will document it as official, but there
will never be enforcement. And if I find something else, either on the
server or elsewhere, I can't get rid of it, because "somebody might need it"
no-the answer is they don't really want what I have to offer. They just
don't want to hear it.....no bursting anyone's bubble now....

[Anonymous]

snip>Being an agent of change does not come without a cost.
I see a new quote in the making! 😉

And of course I would give credit where credit is due John.

But maybe it needs to be decided "up-front" who should bear the burden of
that cost - us, them or an equal share?

I think/hope most of the folks we deal with "might" see it being the last
option?

--
Don Reichle
"The only thing worse
than training your staff,
and having them leave is -
not training your staff,
and having them stay."
Courtesy Graphics Solution Providers
----------------------------------------------------------
!! Please discuss whatever we tell you with your SysMgr !!
!! They appreciate staying in the loop 🙂 !!

LDT/CD-2K4
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+ 2.01GHz
XP-Pro 32bit SP2
2GB RAM
Dual WD800JD Hard Drives - 149GB Nvidia Stripe
Nvidia Quadro FX 1300 128MB
Dual ViewSonic 19-inch VA902b monitors

"The only Constant is Change".


wrote in message news:5244074@discussion.autodesk.com...
You know I have been known to let loose with the occasional Rant here, but
my hats off to you.
Content, all in on paragraph, elements of style. This baby is a beauty.
Go get wasted and come to work tomorrow and work the problem.
Trust me every one of us who posts here have been where you are. Me last
night.
Being an agent of change does not come without a cost.

GREAT RANT

John P.

[Anonymous]

ok- well I took a long weekend, now I'm back. Still haven't said anything I'll regret. My plan for today is to appreciate my opportunity better learning patience and the middle way. I just wanted to let all you guys know I appreciate the sympathy, empathy, reality check, and thought provoking comments. I've never had anyone question my nads....
anyhow, 'till next time, thanks again.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you have already made the decision to leave. This type
of letter certainly would do nothing to help the future of your career,
especially if you do cad consulting on the side or plan to continue
working in the surrounding area. You'd be surprised how many
people/management from different companies talk. They need to vent
their frustrations similar to us here. And the actual content of the
letter wouldn't be the topic, just the tone.

If you want to give your best effort to truly change the way the company
operates, list the perceived problems in a constructive way and how they
hurt the company. Then list the steps you propose to change current
practices and how it will help the company. Writing these points down
should be for talking points only. You'll have better success talking
to management in person. Don't expect the management to just accept
everything you propose. Change is slow and takes time and a lot of
effort. But what this will do is gain you respect in the company. The
management will see you as a team player with the company's best
interests in mind (always make sure it is about the company's success
and not yours). Respect is the key to making change. It sounds like
you are fairly new to the company and you must earn that respect before
people will buy into your system. And in the end, if no progress is
made, at least you and the management know you have given your all. You
will be able to walk away with a clear conscience and not have the fear
of a nasty letter catching up to you.

Good luck.

Andrew

leebrown99 wrote:
> can anyone help me re-write this letter to my boss. I've got till the middle of August, unless I self destruct first....
>
> My presence here is most likely an unconscious attempt at creating a cohesive team environment through ‘education’. The theory of ‘the enlightened’ working together toward a better future is great, but not realistic. The truth is, those who thrive here are renegades, and guardians. The rest leave after a) they realize it is more stressful than need be, or 2) they find a way out after feeling burn-out. In my opinion, the management of cad tech's, and others, is misunderstood. To manage seems to have gotten confused with coercion, and the idea of setting mandates for work-related behavior is apparently appalling, and perceived as abusive somehow. In truth, the reluctance to provide tighter guidelines in the cad realm here means that the cad tech is faced daily with an overload of frustrating decisions (from ctb or printer choices, to layer and text style choices). The end users feel obligated to make choices, while at the same time distrusting those choices becau
se the landscape is constantly being altered by his/her co-workers, and not necessarily improved. Ironically, that very same distrust is contributing to the multiplication of files, the inadvertent destruction of community support files, and other group maladies. The unwillingness on the part of the few here who have official authority to dictate anything out of fear of people quitting basically assures this company that only people here are those who would not be tolerated elsewhere. The expectation that I can be un-obtrusive long enough that my familiarity will get people to cooperate willingly is rather expensive, and hardly a guarantee. In the meantime it is suggested that I create tools that will work on multiple platforms, in systems I can’t evaluate, to perhaps be used by people who won’t ask for clarification. Those tools will be reviewed by the few who will take the time. They have already pretty much done all this before me, for themselves, with understandi
ng of the design and display intent that I lack. They don’t share it because they know it is a non-value-added use of time to try to get other people efficient, as these guys don’t ‘do’ change. If I could sit and take your money for doing nothing, I should be fine. The only reason I can’t besides my personal work ethic, is logical fear. It is obvious, and has been pointed out by various people, that if I do anything, or am perceived to have done anything, I’m sure to find a stake out in the side yard with a gallon of gasoline and my name on them both.
>
> lee
>
> Message was edited by: leebrown99

[Anonymous]

I'd say it's okay to "say" something you might regret, but KOD to "put in
writing" something you'll regret. The position you're in is not uncommon,
although it does sound more like something from the late 90's. Based on your
letter and subsequent posts, I'm still left wondering what it was you were
hired to do exactly. So I'm also wondering if maybe there is a disconnect
between what management thinks your were hired to do and what you think you
were hired to do. So my initial suggestion would be to ask that question to
your boss - get him/her to clarify what it is they expect you to do. If it
is, in fact, to straighten everyone out into a cohesive, streamlined
machine, then that's what you do - whatever it takes. A great mentor once
told me to "focus on your job and f*** everyone else. Just don't get
caught."

I've been in your seat in the crappiest, bitterest manufacturing environment
I can imagine. And I was tasked with doing what it seems you've been asked
to do and I did it. Not to level I would have liked and to get to where I
did took some... "activities"... that I would never admit to and can't
really recommend, but management was pleased. Then I left. It's so much
easier to do this stuff when you've already got one foot out the door...

I may have replaced a few templates with my own without telling anyone and
"archived" a few folders of old blocks and standards. (Who knew there was no
recycle bin for network folders?) I may have even encouraged a client or two
to call and complain about the quality of the deliverables and mention the
lazy The best part was when people complained they somehow found themselves
under suspicion of doing it in an attempt to undermine the improvements I
was trying to make. Their negative attitude was really put under the
spotlight over and over until they learned to keep their yaps shut. It was
just fighting fire with fire. Those people tried to intimidate me and make
my job difficult not because they really cared about the quality of work, or
the company (although that's how it was often disguised), or that it might
mean a learning curve for themselves. It was a power play, pure and simple.
So I focused on flipping it. I took back a little control over my life and
my stress level went way down. Those few who were behind me I catered to and
pampered, shared the credit for everything, and made sure management knew
who they were.

It's the rare person who can effect change by simply writing a letter or
making a presentation outlining the problems and the solutions. So I say
ditch the letter, take the authority to make change happen, and then move
on. It will certainly help you in the consulting side of things - especially
if anyone you work for in the future knows anything about the company you're
with now.

wrote in message news:5246003@discussion.autodesk.com...
ok- well I took a long weekend, now I'm back. Still haven't said anything
I'll regret. My plan for today is to appreciate my opportunity better
learning patience and the middle way. I just wanted to let all you guys know
I appreciate the sympathy, empathy, reality check, and thought provoking
comments. I've never had anyone question my nads....
anyhow, 'till next time, thanks again.

[Anonymous]

I never realized until now pkirill...

That Matt Stachoni was a mentor of yours. 😉

Just kidding Matt - after observing a minority of your comments in this
forum.
:-o

A v-e-r-y small minority, I might add.

--
Don Reichle
"The only thing worse
than training your staff,
and having them leave is -
not training your staff,
and having them stay."
Courtesy Graphics Solution Providers
----------------------------------------------------------
!! Please discuss whatever we tell you with your SysMgr !!
!! They appreciate staying in the loop 🙂 !!

LDT/CD-2K4
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+ 2.01GHz
XP-Pro 32bit SP2
2GB RAM
Dual WD800JD Hard Drives - 149GB Nvidia Stripe
Nvidia Quadro FX 1300 128MB
Dual ViewSonic 19-inch VA902b monitors

"The only Constant is Change".


"pkirill" wrote in message
news:5246805@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'd say it's okay to "say" something you might regret, but KOD to "put in
writing" something you'll regret. The position you're in is not uncommon,
although it does sound more like something from the late 90's. Based on your
letter and subsequent posts, I'm still left wondering what it was you were
hired to do exactly. So I'm also wondering if maybe there is a disconnect
between what management thinks your were hired to do and what you think you
were hired to do. So my initial suggestion would be to ask that question to
your boss - get him/her to clarify what it is they expect you to do. If it
is, in fact, to straighten everyone out into a cohesive, streamlined
machine, then that's what you do - whatever it takes. A great mentor once
told me to "focus on your job and f*** everyone else. Just don't get
caught."

I've been in your seat in the crappiest, bitterest manufacturing environment
I can imagine. And I was tasked with doing what it seems you've been asked
to do and I did it. Not to level I would have liked and to get to where I
did took some... "activities"... that I would never admit to and can't
really recommend, but management was pleased. Then I left. It's so much
easier to do this stuff when you've already got one foot out the door...

I may have replaced a few templates with my own without telling anyone and
"archived" a few folders of old blocks and standards. (Who knew there was no
recycle bin for network folders?) I may have even encouraged a client or two
to call and complain about the quality of the deliverables and mention the
lazy The best part was when people complained they somehow found themselves
under suspicion of doing it in an attempt to undermine the improvements I
was trying to make. Their negative attitude was really put under the
spotlight over and over until they learned to keep their yaps shut. It was
just fighting fire with fire. Those people tried to intimidate me and make
my job difficult not because they really cared about the quality of work, or
the company (although that's how it was often disguised), or that it might
mean a learning curve for themselves. It was a power play, pure and simple.
So I focused on flipping it. I took back a little control over my life and
my stress level went way down. Those few who were behind me I catered to and
pampered, shared the credit for everything, and made sure management knew
who they were.

It's the rare person who can effect change by simply writing a letter or
making a presentation outlining the problems and the solutions. So I say
ditch the letter, take the authority to make change happen, and then move
on. It will certainly help you in the consulting side of things - especially
if anyone you work for in the future knows anything about the company you're
with now.

wrote in message news:5246003@discussion.autodesk.com...
ok- well I took a long weekend, now I'm back. Still haven't said anything
I'll regret. My plan for today is to appreciate my opportunity better
learning patience and the middle way. I just wanted to let all you guys know
I appreciate the sympathy, empathy, reality check, and thought provoking
comments. I've never had anyone question my nads....
anyhow, 'till next time, thanks again.

[Anonymous]

On Tue, 25 Jul 2006 03:26:21 +0000, Don Reichle
wrote:

>I never realized until now pkirill...
>
>That Matt Stachoni was a mentor of yours. 😉

Ah...Grahsshoppah has learned well...but yet has much to learn...

Matt
mstachoni@comcast.net
mstachoni@bhhtait.com

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I sat in one of Matt's AU classes a couple years ago and realized we
shared some of the same management philosophies. 😉

Flipping channels the other day I caught a couple lines from a movie (I
think it was "Instinct") that I thought were good words-o-wisdom. One shrink
was talking to another and the dialog was something like this:"It's not the
typical theraputic environment!" "So don't be the typical therapist..."

Company culture is an insulated environment and usually the typical "rules
of society" don't really apply. I just find that when I'm not in a position
to make the rules (eg. a consultant or "new guy"), I'm more successful when
I spend my energy learning the "house rules" and playing the game that way.



"Don Reichle" wrote in message
news:5246987@discussion.autodesk.com...
I never realized until now pkirill...

That Matt Stachoni was a mentor of yours. 😉

Just kidding Matt - after observing a minority of your comments in this
forum.
:-o

A v-e-r-y small minority, I might add.

--
Don Reichle
"The only thing worse
than training your staff,
and having them leave is -
not training your staff,
and having them stay."
Courtesy Graphics Solution Providers
----------------------------------------------------------
!! Please discuss whatever we tell you with your SysMgr !!
!! They appreciate staying in the loop 🙂 !!

LDT/CD-2K4
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+ 2.01GHz
XP-Pro 32bit SP2
2GB RAM
Dual WD800JD Hard Drives - 149GB Nvidia Stripe
Nvidia Quadro FX 1300 128MB
Dual ViewSonic 19-inch VA902b monitors

"The only Constant is Change".


"pkirill" wrote in message
news:5246805@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'd say it's okay to "say" something you might regret, but KOD to "put in
writing" something you'll regret. The position you're in is not uncommon,
although it does sound more like something from the late 90's. Based on your
letter and subsequent posts, I'm still left wondering what it was you were
hired to do exactly. So I'm also wondering if maybe there is a disconnect
between what management thinks your were hired to do and what you think you
were hired to do. So my initial suggestion would be to ask that question to
your boss - get him/her to clarify what it is they expect you to do. If it
is, in fact, to straighten everyone out into a cohesive, streamlined
machine, then that's what you do - whatever it takes. A great mentor once
told me to "focus on your job and f*** everyone else. Just don't get
caught."

I've been in your seat in the crappiest, bitterest manufacturing environment
I can imagine. And I was tasked with doing what it seems you've been asked
to do and I did it. Not to level I would have liked and to get to where I
did took some... "activities"... that I would never admit to and can't
really recommend, but management was pleased. Then I left. It's so much
easier to do this stuff when you've already got one foot out the door...

I may have replaced a few templates with my own without telling anyone and
"archived" a few folders of old blocks and standards. (Who knew there was no
recycle bin for network folders?) I may have even encouraged a client or two
to call and complain about the quality of the deliverables and mention the
lazy The best part was when people complained they somehow found themselves
under suspicion of doing it in an attempt to undermine the improvements I
was trying to make. Their negative attitude was really put under the
spotlight over and over until they learned to keep their yaps shut. It was
just fighting fire with fire. Those people tried to intimidate me and make
my job difficult not because they really cared about the quality of work, or
the company (although that's how it was often disguised), or that it might
mean a learning curve for themselves. It was a power play, pure and simple.
So I focused on flipping it. I took back a little control over my life and
my stress level went way down. Those few who were behind me I catered to and
pampered, shared the credit for everything, and made sure management knew
who they were.

It's the rare person who can effect change by simply writing a letter or
making a presentation outlining the problems and the solutions. So I say
ditch the letter, take the authority to make change happen, and then move
on. It will certainly help you in the consulting side of things - especially
if anyone you work for in the future knows anything about the company you're
with now.

wrote in message news:5246003@discussion.autodesk.com...
ok- well I took a long weekend, now I'm back. Still haven't said anything
I'll regret. My plan for today is to appreciate my opportunity better
learning patience and the middle way. I just wanted to let all you guys know
I appreciate the sympathy, empathy, reality check, and thought provoking
comments. I've never had anyone question my nads....
anyhow, 'till next time, thanks again.

[Anonymous]

On Tue, 25 Jul 2006 13:40:50 +0000, pkirill wrote:

>Yeah, I sat in one of Matt's AU classes a couple years ago and realized we
>shared some of the same management philosophies. 😉



Well, if you use ADT, check out my "Advanced ADT Installation Secrets" class
this year, where I pretty much tear the "rules" a new one. Actually, it's
probably applicable to most AutocAD based products. Whatever - it'll be a
ripping good class.



Matt
mstachoni@comcast.net
mstachoni@bhhtait.com

[Anonymous]

I quit a firm once, and gave a top ten list of things they should change to keep the others from quitting.
They listened and turned a lot of things around. I actually recommend that place now.

Then again I was at another place that seemed to punish every good deed. They had a dark underworld IT group that
answered to no one.

What I would do if I were you is give up the title you have, and pick a PM you want to do plans for. Then you can do
plans and a real PM will see you know your stuff. You will never get the respect of others til they see you do product
(if you don't have their respect now).

If the company does not work as a team, forget it. No use working at a place that makes you hate your career.

leebrown99 <>
|>can anyone help me re-write this letter to my boss. I've got till the middle of August, unless I self destruct first....
|>
|>My presence here is most likely an unconscious attempt at creating a cohesive team environment through ‘education’. The theory of ‘the enlightened’ working together toward a better future is great, but not realistic. The truth is, those who thrive here are renegades, and guardians. The rest leave after a) they realize it is more stressful than need be, or 2) they find a way out after feeling burn-out. In my opinion, the management of cad tech's, and others, is misunderstood. To manage seems to have gotten confused with coercion, and the idea of setting mandates for work-related behavior is apparently appalling, and perceived as abusive somehow. In truth, the reluctance to provide tighter guidelines in the cad realm here means that the cad tech is faced daily with an overload of frustrating decisions (from ctb or printer choices, to layer and text style choices). The end users feel obligated to make choices, while at the same time distrusting those choices because the landscape
is
|>constantly being altered by his/her co-workers, and not necessarily improved. Ironically, that very same distrust is contributing to the multiplication of files, the inadvertent destruction of community support files, and other group maladies. The unwillingness on the part of the few here who have official authority to dictate anything out of fear of people quitting basically assures this company that only people here are those who would not be tolerated elsewhere. The expectation that I can be un-obtrusive long enough that my familiarity will get people to cooperate willingly is rather expensive, and hardly a guarantee. In the meantime it is suggested that I create tools that will work on multiple platforms, in systems I can’t evaluate, to perhaps be used by people who won’t ask for clarification. Those tools will be reviewed by the few who will take the time. They have already pretty much done all this before me, for themselves, with understanding of the design and display
|>intent that I lack. They don’t share it because they know it is a non-value-added use of time to try to get other people efficient, as these guys don’t ‘do’ change. If I could sit and take your money for doing nothing, I should be fine. The only reason I can’t besides my personal work ethic, is logical fear. It is obvious, and has been pointed out by various people, that if I do anything, or am perceived to have done anything, I’m sure to find a stake out in the side yard with a gallon of gasoline and my name on them both.
|>
|>lee
|>
|>Message was edited by: leebrown99
James Maeding
Civil Engineer and Programmer
jmaeding - athunsaker - com