Do You Like Your Job?

G-shock asks: "I've worked for the government (NASA), large public companies, and small startups as a software engineer. They all have something in common. It seems like management at this company is just winging it. I find myself putting all my energy, both mental and emotional, into a project only to be disappointed by decisions made by management. I really feel like management at my current employer is disconnected from what is actually going on. They manage a project, but not the people. They also seem to lack any real vision. Direction is constantly changing and proper time is not given to engineer these changes correctly. This leads to mandated quick and dirty solutions that end up being maintained with great pain for long periods of time. All this leads to me feeling cynical about the work I'm doing. What I want to know is, how can I feel good about the work I'm doing if I don't have confidence in my management? How many of you are happy with your management? Why? Why not? What can I do about this? Thanks in advance for your insight." Considering that this seems to be a common problem in technology companies, and seeing as we have been producing software for basically half a century, do you think that managing software projects is a different beast than the management of anything else? How many of you have had this problem in your career and what did you do to adjust?

Comments

You want an honest answer?

[tacocat]

I work for a company that practices draconian software at it's finest. I have to fight for weeks, nay months, to get some improvement on the tools available. And the list goes on.

Many hours are spent on something that is casually swept aside by some new marketing spin

What do I do about it? I don't care that much really. Call me apathetic, call me brilliant. But I do the work, learn some stuff and get paid for it. I am not interested in running the company and the company is not interested in what I see as important or useful. We co-exist in a symbiotic relationship with both sides agreeing not to have too many conversations. Management and Code do not easily mix. Especially in the typical management environment

I recent left a job however, that had one good manager that knew how to balance these projects out. The one's that he saw as important where prioritized, and the one's that had hype where given a somewhat longer schedule. That way, then the ship had to do an about turn, there wasn't as much mass to move.

I think it's a matter of following the important projects with more zeal than the hyped projects and leaving at all behind you, no matter what, when you walk out the door. I get paid so that I can run my own server at home and play PlayStation. I enjoy both -- but to think that my work is all that important that it won't get cast aside in a moment is folly.

Re:Simple solution, work for yourself

[Pengo]

Having started my second business, which is slowly going down the tubes due to various reasons.. (it's a software company).. your advice is VERY VERY sound and insightful.

I would like to highlight on number two though, we have always paid a little bit extra for someone good to do our books, and because of that we haven't had to deal with embezelment (spelling?) , our projectections where always pretty close and we usually knew exactly where we stand. None of us are being chased by the Inland Revenue (Uk Equiv of IRS) and everything is clean.

We might not be rich, but at least our books are in order :)

good luck with your jet-venture. Sounds pretty damn cool.

Re:Simple solution, work for yourself

[superflippy]

About suggestion 4:
Spend a few bucks to get some quality business advice.

If you live in the US (which you don't but it might apply to other people starting their own businesses), you might be able to get free business counseling at your local Chamber of Commerce. Many CofCs participate in a program called SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Entrepreneurs). The SCORE people volunteer their time to advise people starting their own businesses who might not have the cash to pay an expensive consultant.

I used to work for the CofC in my hometown, and the SCORE guys there usually came in about twice a week, and the people who came in to see them seemed to find the service helpful.