Slashdot Mirror
Learning to Say No in the Workplace?
Ummagumma asks: "I'm trying to find out how those of you who work in the IT service industry, tell customers 'no', when the requests are unreasonable for whatever reason. There is a culture here of 'piling-on' work with regards to IT - and, unfortunately, I've never learned the proper way to tell people 'no'. It may sound simple, but in this economy, where jobs are tough to come by, I don't want to be seen as the impediment to getting things done Any suggestions on telling people that their work request can wait? Especially in a way that won't jeopardize my future here? I've searched the web, but most of the sites that supposedly have information of this type just want you to sign up for their seminars. I'm looking for actual, real-world experiences, and how the people of Slashdot deal with this issue on a day-to-day basis."
"Here is my dilemma: I'm a relatively new employee (~2 months) at a software engineering shop. I am the sole IT person for a 100+ person company, with 50+ remote VPN users, 40+ developers, 30+ servers, firewalls, etc. I do it all, from desktop and application support, to security, to servers. In the past, the IT department has been seriously under-funded, and there is an absolute ton of catch-up work that needs to get done. At this point, I could work 70+ hour work weeks for a year, and still not be caught up, between project work, upgrade, documentation and day-to-day stuff.
I've inquired about more IT budgeting (staff, equipment, etc.), and that just is not going to happen for quite a while."
Tell them "No means no!"
I'm looking for actual, real-world experiences, and how the people of Slashdot deal with this issue on a day-to-day basis.
:)
See, you are suggesting that people reading slashdot actually have a life, or know how to deal with it
The BOFH will show you the way to happiness and funds whenever possible.
It was called Fight Club, I think.
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Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
My solution? I've become intimately familiar with the "transfer" button on my phone. Customer is a fsckwit? "Let me let you talk to Don." Don't feel like handling this problem? "I think Mac is probably more familiar with your network than I am." Hell, I haven't done any real work since I started! I love my job!
Moderate drunk! It's more fun that way!
No no no. This reminds me of the Dilbert sketch when the boss asks everyone round a big table "Can anyone spare any time to work on an important productivity study?". One propellor-head puts his hand up and the bos says "Good. Goooood ... ".
What you need is to put people off indefinitely. Be very vocal in saying "I can do that but not for at least three weeks". Two weeks is not enough - people can wait that long, but three weeks is well nearly a month.
"It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
I had an insane boss once, each day as business started he'd roam around the office for his morning ritual, he made each employee look him straight in the eyes and say "No" three times in a firm but neutral voice. If he didn't like how you did it, he'd make you do it again. Yep, he was totally nuts.
Thank god! I thought this was another gender sensitivity discussion, whew!
Try reading this: www.dilbert.com
I could almost hear your teeth gritting... "those bastards!"
Or, to elaborate:
1. Give an estimate of how long (in man-hours) it'll take to do project D.
2. Point out (nicely) that you nonetheless currently have A, B and C to do.
3a. If A, B and C are all from the same person who's currently asking you to do D, ask them which they'd like done first.
3b. If not, send them to discuss it with whoever wants A, B and C. Taking part in the resulting discussion/turf war/semi-automatic weapons fire is optional. Obviously, there's leeway here. If A, B and C are "tidy up and label the patch panel"-style tasks, and D is "Fix the file server 50 people use", you know what to do. But if it's not patently obvious that D's more important, a discussion's warranted. If you *think* D is more important, call the person who wants A, B and C and let them know that someone wants D and ask if it'd be OK to do that now and come back to A, B and C. If they say no, get person-for-D and person-for-ABC to discuss it.
4. Waste time on Slashdot only when you *don't* have four tasks on the go.
5. Pro^H^H^HHappiness!
PenguiNet: the (shareware) Windows SSH client
A customer of mine call these procedures a BRD (Business Requirement Document). They are the sole cause of at least halving the work to be done.
Mr Burns: I see it all, now. You're just a bunch of yes-men. I was making the wrong moves and you were too gutless to tell me! Isn't that right??
Yes-men: Oh, yes, sure, etc.
Smithers: Right on, sir.
"I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
Ha!
There are plenty of stupid schemes that people will come up with where a "NO!" is the correct response and a promise to schedule means "Yes".
Pulling a gun on your users reinforces the idea that "no = never ever and never ask me for that again". Very effective.
. . .which is ALSO why you omit certain crucial details from the files manglement can see. After all, if the VP's nephews are so damned good, they can figure it out. . .eventually. . .
y'know, things like unique server quirks and workarounds, certain recurring bugs that you have the fix for, etc. . .
I ended up quitting,
why didn't you simply say no first?
I used to be in your position... so I started to be out of there at 5:00 sharp, when asked at the last second to do something I simply would say "no" and I'll get to it in the AM.
most employers want to see how hard they can whore you.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Not that I'm always as successful as I'd like to be on this... but...
:) The suggestion of a regular problem tracking tool is good, just make sure it's low maintainance itself (there's a whole rant fighting to get out about that topic, but I think I'll defer that for Usenix hallway discussions...).
First, get a handle on what you're doing and for who. Then, keep the people you're juggling informed when they're being juggled... that way they own the scheduling problem instead of you.
To: CEO
Cc: Project Manager, Quality Manager, Other Manager
Subject: Upgrading Laptop
FYI: I won't be able to get your laptop upgrade done until Thursday, I've run into a problem with the network in the Project Bunnyslippers offices and 3 developers are twiddling their thumbs until it's fixed, and Other Manager's printing problem is holding up the ISO9000 reports...
[etc]
Let me know if I should defer something else instead.
Thanks in advance...
-- Peon.
Just make sure you really DO have a handle on what's going on.
Working with customers in IT is like parenting teenagers. The parallels are striking --- having never had to do the work you do they are experts at it; they have a sense of entitlement; they will still cry to momma occasionally. The list could go on and on...
So go to the library and get books on parenting teenagers.
One other tip: re-direction is a powerful ally. When in-hourse customer comes up with a request -- redirect them to something which fits your time budget and still somewhat meets their needs. Explain it to them like a company car; all the sales people want Jag's, Boxsters etc -- the company bean counters want used Yugo's -- that's why the sales folks drive mid-line Ford and GM. IT support is the same way --try not to say "NO" but instead "No, but how about ____________".
There is a fundamental reading about project management for the jack-off-all-tech-trades.
:-)
It teaches you everything about saying no AND enjoying it.
The Bastard Operator from Hell Official Archive
Some of those are classics
http://twitter.com/gr
A shorter version...
"I told the captain I'd have this analysis done in an hour." -- LaForge
"How long would it really take?" -- Scotty
"One hour!" -- LaForge
"Och, you didn't tell him how long it would really take, did ye? Laddie, you've got a lot to learn if you want people to think of you as a miracle worker." -- Scotty
just observe this tutorial :
...
(user) : I was looking on the web the other day, and I found this package that would let me-
(admin - me ) : no.
(user) : but I think it would help me...
(admin) : no.
(user walks off in a huff)
later that day :
(manager) : (user) tells me that you refused to install (stupid plugin totally unrelated to work) for him.
(admin) : no.
(manager) : no, what? No, you didn't say that, or no, you won't?
(admin) : no.
(manager) : no, WHAT!?!
(admin pauses quake3, SSHes to file server, runs find, a minute passess, opens files in ee)
(admin) : no, as translated into sysadmin, means fuck off you boring cunt. Do I have to explain it again?
(manager) : I'll have your job for this!
(admin) : Only if you can explain why 68 MBs of JPEGs all starting w/ asian_sluts_hcore are sitting in your projects/network_switch_refresh/ folder...
PC moderators can suck my White pierced, tattooed dick. If you think pride == hate, s/dick/Aryan meat mallet/g.