Tag Archives: expectations

Aug24

Common Sense?

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Common Sense?

The older I get, the more amazed I am at how small the pool of practical behaviors known as “common sense” actually is.  Case in point – we recently facilitated the offer of a contract to a gentleman in another State to come and work for our client in this State.

This gentleman, with many years of experience, made a series of assumptions and did not communicate those assumptions to anyone in our company or the client company.  And in fact, because the client company was not totally organized, he decided to take a vacation during a week where we and the client thought he would be accessible from home and would participate in conference calls and emails.  He did neither of these things, and was basically AWOL for over a week. 

Now he is outraged that he was fired, outraged that his expenses are not getting reimbursed.  This bit surprised me more than the behavior leading up to the termination.

Texas is a state that allows people and companies to sever employment without cause. 

And most professionals communicate when they are planning on a vacation or will be in communicado for any period of time.  

The lesson? It is worth the risk of sounding condescending, to spell out everything to everyone regardless of their level of expertise or experience.

May27

The Beauty of a Start Up

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The Beauty of a Start Up

The beauty of working at a Start Up company, is that you get to wear a lot of hats.  And when I say “a lot” I am thinking of that children’s story with Curious George and all those hats towering and swaying in the wind.  If you are a person who likes to do a lot of different things and who bores easily in any endeavor that is repetitious and routine, then find a start up and throw yourself into it.  Be sure you have a passion for some aspect of it, though or when you start to get tired, it will sorely test your ability to add one more item in the mighty juggling act you will be involved in.

Consider a Start Up company as the “Cirque du Soleil” of the business world. 

I happen to be lucky enough to work in one of these for a serial entrepreneur who is already halfway towards solidifying his next great idea.  I watch in a kind of awe because this level of “making it happen” has eluded me up until now, and I hope to learn the ropes while keeping the business grinding along.  I am the Director of Operations, which means I do less directing and more operating at the moment, and I am dancing as fast as I can to the music of the clients.  I hope I am adding value, and that’s the other side to the Start Up coin, and that is – you have to be patient to see where you will end up at the end of the performance. You have to keep going until it is time for the applause and then with as much grace and dignity, take your bow in front of the crowds while hoping for applause rather than rotten fruit.  Not everyone is cut out for this bit. 

And it is this bit, this pushing through a bit of discomfort and unknowable outcome – because in business as in the rest of life it is possible to do everything the “right” way and still fail – it is this ability to risk and walk forward willing to take what you get after your investment of blood, sweat, tears, money or whatever else you may have sacrificed.  And it is not the same as simply tightening your belt or eating macaroni for a year to save up for something you want - it is putting your whole self, your ego as well as your position on the line.  And those with grand aplomb, might even add a 007 witticism, and arch an eyebrow in defiance when the final curtain is drawn and they face the business audience.

And so with all things of Beauty, if you look at all angles you find that the viewer is as much a part of the definition of beauty as is the thing itself.  Beauty and Start Ups – all in the eye of the beholder.

 

Feb23

Working with “Tech” People

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Working with “Tech” People

I am a technical generalist, so I don’t really consider myself “technical” with quotes, although my friends all view me through that lens.  I do have some things in common with truly technical people, which is why I can usually be a successful diplomat translating between the technologists and the non-techies. 

I thought I’d give a few tips on how to best work with a “tech” person, but I will bet that you’ll be surprised at how many of these “tips” are things you wish people would adhere to when working with you:

  • Know what you want, and don’t be wishy-washy about it, put as much of it in writing as possible and include pictures and examples wherever you can.  If you leave it to our imagination, chances are you will be disappointed.  We understand technology – we are not mind readers.
  • If we submit something to you to look at, and you begin editing and providing additions, we will assume that you have accepted the overall piece – whether that is a website or an application.  We will be surprised if later on you are upset and tell us that we are way off from your vision.  If you don’t like the way it looks, or behaves – say so immediately so we can get that part in line with your thinking.  Making one big change at the start is easier than having to do it via the “torture by a thousand cuts” method.
  • If you want something done by a certain time or in a time frame, say so.  Ask “when will this be done?” rather than “How long will this take?” – these are two very different questions.  The first one pins us down to a date when something will get done, the other is asking how long it will take us to do when we get around to doing it – in other words without a perspective of start and end time.  It might take 2 minutes, but it also might take us several weeks to get to that two minutes.
  • Don’t ask “can it be done?” – nearly everything can be done if you are willing to pay for it or can wait several months for it to get done… if you are interested in possibilities we can talk forever.  If you want to know if it is in your price and time range - ask that question – “Is doing ‘xyz’ in my price and time range – if I want to keep this project under $1K and done by March 15th?”
  • Technology is constantly changing – no one person can stay on top of all aspects of it.  If you are talking to someone who is a programmer, do not expect them to be able to answer questions on hardware, or esoteric technology used in quantum physics… they might know, but it isn’t a requirement for their field of expertise.  While it is okay to converse about such things, it makes us nervous if you expect us to know everything.  It would be like asking your mechanic to also diagnose what’s wrong with your washing machine…or your spleen,  he/she might have an idea, but that isn’t his/her specialty and you would be foolish to accept the opinion in lieu of a true specialist in that area.
  • If your friend or family member is in technology – try to remember that while they may be willing to help from time to time, they normally get PAID to do this work.  

As a technical generalist and manager, I often have to refer parts of a larger project to someone with that expertise.  I try to adhere to the above list of tips to keep things under control and save everyone time and energy.  I hope you find them helpful too.