<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:s="http://www.techrepublic.com/search" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"  xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<channel>
    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on 10 excuses your boss doesn't want to hear ]]></title>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868]]></link>
    <atom:link rel="hub" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" />
    <atom:link rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868/rss" />

    <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <lastBuildDate>2013-05-21T15:53:32-07:00</lastBuildDate>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[What if the BOSS is a jerk?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3460000]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[We had one of those in our IT department.  He was a nut-case, totally clueless and finally when stress got to him, he stayed out of the office for 3 months, came in early one morning, formatted his system (with all of our evaluations on it too), and cleaned out his office.  True story.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3460000]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[reisen55@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 11 Jun 2011 06:49:10 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[asdf]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3362926]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[best reply to boss:&quot;it'll get done, when it gets done&quot;which really is the truth, even if it's not what people want to hear.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3362926]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[kentuckyfr1ed]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 24 Sep 2010 08:14:30 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: 10 excuses your boss doesn't want to hear]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3352877]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Too true! Your boss does not want to hear any excuses, period! Your boss wants results, not excuses! In this competitive job market, your boss can and will find another person who is more competent than you should you mess up. Which only means, DONT MESS UP! Give your excuses a black eye and do what you need to do to get your job done! http://malaynetworker.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/give-your-excuses-a-black-eye/]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3352877]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[abustamam]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:52:35 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: 10 excuses your boss doesn't want to hear]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3323683]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[LOL! From excuse #2 - &quot;and no sane boss can hold you accountable for the bad deadline anymore&quot;. How many of us have sane bosses?]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3323683]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[a-walton@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:33:20 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Your list assumes the developer has some control]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319922]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[For instance &quot;...don?t allow the change...&quot; from number 4...Come on dude, if your not the PM and you're dealing with a boss who doesn't do impact or LOE analysis (which would've taking care most of this list) how is anyone supposed to expect them to cede authority to a programmer?TIA]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319922]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[erh7771@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:33:29 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Is it too much to expect your boss to have a base knowledge of....]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319906]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[...level of effort estimates or impact assessment gathering?The &quot;pull from ***&quot; project dates that done 9 outtah 10 times in organizations relay more of an immaturity in base management (not just IT) than an workers inability to convince their manager to do simple first steps no?TIA]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319906]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[erh7771@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:26:33 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[I've tried both- wage slaving, and freelance slaving]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319788]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Customers are far worse than the bosses, so... there really isn't much difference.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319788]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jkameleon@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:26:20 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[The truth is that some of them are real...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319622]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[For instance I can count on one hand the number of projects where the requirements didn't shift and no one thought to plan some extra time for this to happen.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319622]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[mikifinaz1@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:45:43 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[3: A valuable resource was not available]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319582]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[You're right, the manager refused to accept this when I tried it.  It seems that the manager thought a lack of electricity throughout the building for a week was just whining.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319582]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ed Woychowsky]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:35:19 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[That's a particularly ill thought out statement]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319378]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[BP are pinning most of the hopes of success on the two relief wells which, obviously, allows the extraction of the remaining oil. Anything that spills into the Gulf prior to the relief well would be a waste from that perspective.Given, also, that BP (alone!) has committed to cleaning up the Gulf then the obvious &quot;best&quot; scenario is to plug the original well at the earliest opportunity and drill the relief wells. That's less money they have to pay out to your lawyers and chancers as well as the people that need and deserve it.As for cleaning up the Gulf, check out why BP aren't permitted to use centrifuges to clean the water. To save you the trouble, it's because US regulations insist that the water put back into the Gulf following centrifugal separation is clean and not - as would be much more sensible - cleanER. BP are still responsible for stopping the gusher and paying for cleaning up the mess, but they don't make the decisions as to how to deal with the cleanup, that's been pre-empted by the US Coastguard. What they know about oil spillage cleanup on this scale and what resources they have, I have no idea.No problems in sucking up oil-contaminated water in the Mexican bit of the Gulf, by the way, they can work out the obvious.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319378]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[neilb@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:45:30 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Reasons  Excuses]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319368]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I think, for many people, it is hard to differentiate between a reason and an excuse.  If something is late, I think that most managers will accept a valid reason, albeit not with a smile and handshake.  Danger is that when something is late, or maybe not even started, any reason will sound like an excuse.  We all know that excuses are like a******s.  Everyone has one and they all have a sh***y outlook.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319368]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[john.provencher@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:34:47 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: 10 excuses your boss doesn't want to hear]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319366]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[If you have control or can input at the planning stages of a project, most project managers try to insert a 20% buffer of time, money, and people into the project they will be responsible for delivering.At the implementation stage, be aggressive, don't share the extra 20% with anyone else.  Your pert or nassi-sniderman charts should reflect the aggressive time line. If you are the implementer, and have no say on planning, you need to quickly find the weaknesses and flaws in the plan, document them, and pass them up the chain of command.  If the plan is so flawed, it cannot be done in budget and on time, you are doomed from the start.  Project planning is still an art, not a science.Of course, you can always do the Tom Sawyer ploy, and sell another manager on what a plumb project you are managing, and let him/her take it away from you.Office politics - don't leave home without it.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319366]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[robchamberlin]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:28:31 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Remarks on 10 excuses, or is it really 7?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319349]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[1: I didn?t understand the assignmentLet?s just say that an overwhelming vast majority of people in healthcare do NOT speak I.T. worth a damn, and vice versa.  I run into misunderstandings on a regular basis.  The key is constant communication and exacting definition of needs and requirements.  Especially when your boss comes from a nurse-manager background.  I haven?t noticed much of a difference when it comes to any other business with non-techie professionals interacting with I.T. types.2: The deadline was impossibleIf you can show precisely, and realistically, why that deadline is impossible, and your manager refuses to budge on it, that?s one of those times you need to go over his or her head to his or her boss.  It?s a risk, and you can lose your job over it, but you could do that with a failed deadline too.3: A valuable resource was not availableA good reason to involve your manager in the project planning.4: The requirements shifted Project creep sucks.  You have to be meticulous in noting each new requirement, adjusting the project timeline accordingly, and then communicating the revised completion date.5: I have personal issues  Someone earlier noted that they program personal Murphy Factor days into the end of their project, and figure 3 to 3/5 productive days per week.  A good idea.6: I don?t have enough timeThis is a little too much like a repeat of #2.7: I don?t know what went wrong 3 words:  Root Cause Analysis8: We ran into blockagesBlockages = Murphy Factor, see #5.9: The only copy of the work got destroyedYou should always save major projects and works as part of your disaster preparedness process, which means multiple copies in multiple locations.  Make sure you mark them for version control purposes.  If you don?t understand records management 10: The dog ate my homework The unexpected = Murphy Factor, see #5, again.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319349]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dr_Zinj]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:07:35 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[It's not economical to clean it up]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319309]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[If you can find a way to economically capture the spilled oil and return it to the production process, you'll be able to retire and play with super computers for the rest of your life.Remember this, BP is more interested in stopping the leak, and regaining full control of the well to put it back into production than anyone else in the world.  That leak is hemorrhaging their profits.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319309]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dr_Zinj]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:18:48 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Article is for someone with a boss]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319307]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It applies equally to wage slaves and supervisors/managers equally.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319307]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dr_Zinj]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:10:53 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[HEY!?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319287]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[This all sounds like I really need to do the work they give me!? I was looking for the excusses to stay away from so i can give the excusses they do accept an can still play online poker all day ;-PSeriously, you really need to make it a point to employees that they should communicate delays and issues as they arrive and not in hindsight when the remains of a project lay at your feet.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319287]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[BdeJong@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 01:16:21 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Re:re:Which excuses BP to make for delay in spill cleanup]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319235]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Can they be honest?]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319235]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Andy_A1280]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:29:27 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[I used to have that exact opinion...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319216]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[After the first couple of weeks i started to think that the problem was that BP was trying to close the spill preserving the well. But now is clear that the economic damage of not closing it far surppss the cost of opening it again later. They must be trully incapable of shutting it down one way or the other. Otherwise the BP executives in charge cant even make basic mathematical operations.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319216]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[rciafardone@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:16:28 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: 10 excuses your boss doesn't want to hear: from Frank N.]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319224]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[One of the most important things that you forgot, is to document everything in writing, with a copy, signed by your boss or whoever is in charge of your project.  If you don't, it's only your word as to what happened! And we all know what a &quot;he said, she said&quot; scenario will get you.  NOTHING!   The second most important thing that you can do is a DAILY BACK UP on CD or DVD.  You need the facts and can present them when needed.  I hope this helps.Frank Nienburg,Computer Tech and Consultant (Retired)22 years in the IT field, both as worker and boss.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319224]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[franksn@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:31:51 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[In the midst of most of those there is a point]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319210]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[where you say its the bosses responsibility once we've told them there is an issue.Great, now when in their head after they do nothing or undo a positive action does your reason for a failure become an excuse for them.It's about that time they might end up being held responsible for it, and that is the real problem.You delegate authority not responsibility. If your people are failing then you as a manager are. Why are they resorting to excuses. Are they crap? Was there a reason for failure they dare not express?When they have given reasons are they being treated as excuses to be suitable scapegoat candidates.All of the above excuses should be put on the unacceptable list on day one. All reasons for delays should be documented along with the remedial action if any. That way you can in future build in contingency, take general remedial steps or at least register it as a risk.The main reason for excuses for failed projects is people are so busy presenting them as successes the real issues are denied. That's a top down attitude an excuse culture is simply an alternate view of a blame one.What happens for instance if your manager is a shoot the messenger type?  Lots of tens, lots and lots.Which excuse you give is irrelevant, the fact that you feel you have to give one is not.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-332868-3319210]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tony Hopkinson]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:34:23 -0700</pubDate>
    </item>
    </channel>
</rss>

