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Exactly -- unrealistic delivery dates, unclear or uncontrolled scope, insufficient or improper resources -- all external to the development team.
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A lesson I learned a long time ago that helped reduce my stress.
And there are several corollaries:
- If I ignore your crisis, it will 90% of the time go away on its own
- If I work my arse off to deal with your crisis, it will magically go away regardless of the effort I put in.
- An upcoming demo is never a crisis, but if you make me change the code ad-hoc because you think the customer wants to see some feature, then there will be a crisis at the demo.
- Management likes to create a crisis. It gives them a sense of purpose and identity.
- The only true crisis is "oh sh*t, I just injured or killed someone." Every other crisis should be recoverable.
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Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny
Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802
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Marc Clifton wrote: If I ignore your crisis, it will 90% of the time go away on its own
Well, sometimes you also lose the contract because you ignored the crisis. Yes, it went a way on its own, and so did my paycheck.
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My mantra has been "Work pays for the better part of my life." So I don't stress. I'm here to make money so I can go home and do crazy crap on my own time. If I'm stuck at the office, then I can't experience the better part of my life. I'll work hard when I'm here, but then go home and do something else interesting!
Hogan
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I'll quietly turn and, as I pass through the doors, send a clear message with a musical - yet fruity - phart.
If you look at historical posts, they did have me worried at a time w.r.t. getting rid of all of IT. At that point I ended up going through my existing legacy. I basically wrote their infrastructure. All documented and so on, but there would be a lot of pain. Far more for them then for me. Especially since a couple of us here have a real work ethic about make robust and reusable solutions.
So - I treat my "customers" as they would like to be treated. Friendly and cooperative people who do their part get more than they expected. Assholes find out that hot peppers burn on the way out as well as on the way in.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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before: Often
Now: Every so often
Not that the job has changed, or the manager has learned how to plan personal in a realistic way...
Before: I was doing almost everything I was asked to, no matter the costs.
Now: Since my child was born, I just changed my mind... I still give my best in what I do, but I have reduced to 100% or max 110% energy investment, and not the 150% to 175% I was doing before.
If something has to explode... it will, and when (I don't say "if" because I do know it is a sure thing) the question of "Why is this not ended?" comes... I will calmly answer: Because I am following your priority list and I only have one head and two hands.
Another thing is if I am the one having an error / problem caused by me, then I can't stop until I solve it. But I am working on this too.
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Nelek wrote: problem caused by me
The only reason to allow the stress level to rise.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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Nelek wrote: Now: Since my child was born, I just changed my mind... I still give my best in what I do, but I have reduced to 100% or max 110% energy investment, and not the 150% to 175% I was doing before.
You are so right, my friend! 
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When I was working for myself the stress levels were extraordinary, 90% of which was concerned with extracting money from clients. Having worked as a contractor for the past 20 years I have become relaxed, fat and comfortable as my output is more than satisfactory to my employer.
Once the financial stress is removed working has become a real pleasure. Until f***ing Microsoft deprecates the development platform you have been working with for 5 years.
AAAaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh pft!
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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Mycroft Holmes wrote: Until f***ing Microsoft deprecates the development platform you have been working with for 5 years.
Simple solution: Deprecate Mickeysoft.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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With 30 years invested in MS development, you have to be joking. I have made comfortable living out of MS development, it just pissed me off when they killed Silverlight.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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No, I'm not really joking. They pulled away the rug from under my feet once too often and now I don't want to place my bets on them anymore. How much of your code did they write off for you? In my case it was enough to be worth a new Lamborghini (not the cheapest model, please). Years of work, that they shrugged off in favor of WIN8 stuff, the 'future'. We all know how well that went.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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Mycroft Holmes wrote: Until f***ing Microsoft deprecates the development platform you have been working with for 5 years.
This is a blessing in disguise.
My first job out of college was migrating an ancient COBOL & Consistent Systems set of applications into Oracle. One of the COBOL programmers had been trained by the military right out of high school and had been doing COBOL for 30+ years. She was a freaking genius with it -- if it could be done with COBOL, she could do it. If it couldn't be done with COBOL, she might do it anyway.
But she couldn't wrap her mind around SQL.
Too many years in a single, narrow paradigm had left her unable to see other ways of doing things. It was depressing, 'cuz she was brilliant. She retired shortly after that.
Working with her instilled a fear of obsolescence in me. I never wanted to be in her place, stuck in an old "thing" and unable to move on. Honestly, the experience kind of scarred me. Scared me, too.
But in a good way. Sure, I get tired of the treadmill -- learn a language, have it yanked out from under me, learn a new one, it gets yanked ... lather, rinse, repeat. But the need to keep learning keeps my skill set relevant, and that's a good thing!
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Many years ago, I fell off a motorcycle - a loaned Ducati while my Guzzi was in for a service - and broke my collar bone. To cut a long story short, the surgery to fix that caused a frozen shoulder which meant I couldn't work for a couple of years.
And eventually, I relaxed, and realised the stress I had been under. Huge stress! And my reaction to that was overwork, under eating, serious amounts of drink and drugs - A wine box a night, with spirit chasers, an ounce or so of dope a week, up to 5g of coke every weekend. So I stopped, and went sekf employed.
These days, no stress, no drugs, no cigarettes, hardly any booze - and I feel loads better! If several stone heavier ...
Seriously: look at your stress levels. You probably don't realise how much you are under, and how you are reacting to it. But it will kill you...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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