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by local support

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The other day big boss asked my boss for a personal favor; to rebuild his home equipment. My boss made some unrealistic promises, some of them technically impossible or impractical. Then he dumped the whole thing into my lap.

Big boss dropped two old computers on the table of my boss. The specifications of the project were vague ? something is not good. Anyway we had a general idea of what we were supposed to do. The dead-line was set to 4 pm the same day.

I work slowly and methodically, considering technical aspects and options. I want to prepare and gather needed information, before I jump. Tight dead-lines give me the jitters. Some of the hardware and software components were unfamiliar to me, and I had to test them before I continued.

At 4 pm big boss showed up. We only had a partial solution for him, so he extended the deadline until 4 pm the next day. Some issues involved the hardware. My boss? suggestions would take some time to implement, and they might not work. Then a new OS with service pack and drivers were needed. Security patches, virus protection and other upgrades were needed too.

I like big boss, and I would sure like to help him. For me he is an end user, he has vague ideas of what makes a computer work and the effort it takes to make it work.

I realized I could not possibly make the deadline. I don?t work well under stress, so I fell ill, and now I am out of office for some time. Probably this project awaits me when I get back, or my boss has finished it off.

16 replies

by jamesrl

Funny I just finished rebuilding a work collegues home computer. And I have rebuilt my boss' boss' boss' home computer.

Its good that you like to help. But being a pleaser isn't good if it stresses you out and makes you sick.

Never agree to unrealistic deadlines - and always take pains to set the right expectations. If you boss says he needs it tomorrow, you need to let him know that there is a lot of work and a short period of time, and always the possibility of hitting a roadblock due to things you haven't yet discovered.

And as a matter of course, I always expect the unexpected. If I know it takes roughtly an hour to reformat the drive and install the OS, I will ask for two hours, knowing there will be interruptions, phone calls, and that I need a little extra time in case I run into somthing funky. Better to be done early than to be sweating it. In project management we call it the contingency factor - on most projects its 10-15%, or more depending on the risks.

And be proactive. If your deadline is 4 PM, and its 2 PM and it looks like you won't make the deadline - call then and let them know. Better to let them know in advance than to have them show up on your door and make you sweat.

Ask clarifying questions if you don't know what they want.

Personally, while I like to keep a work life balance, I also sometimes bring work home or stay late to get things done. I've stayed till midnight and come in at 6 AM to try and get a server up before the users were affected. This to me is less stressful than dealing with angry users the next day.

I hope you do something in your life other than work and sleep in order to combat stress.

James

by tink!

James is right.
You need to make sure the communication is open and clear. Most employers actually appreciate it when their employees have effective communication. It gives them a better understanding of what it is you do, as well as how they can help you to be able to do it.
It also increases your value in their eyes because they see that you really want to do the job right.

by jdclyde

As stated by the others, letting the end user know what to expect up front is much better than disapointing them because they were expecting something else.

A "readers digest" verson up front was in order BY EMAIL to your boss to CYA.

When talking to top boss, he should also be made aware of what was involved and why it takes as long as it takes to do something correctly.

I NEVER rush a job. I will not go out before I will send it out incorrectly. I will not compromise my work ethic just because someone else is in a hurry. You shouldn't either.

by m_a_r_k

Or are you taking time from your real work schedule and worrying yourself into the psych ward for big guy's special project? If so, what's with his pushy deadlines? Sounds like this rebuild is quite an overhaul. Nowadays it's cheaper and you get a better computer if you buy a brand new one. Give him an advertisement from Walmart. Problem solved.

by mjd420nova

I have a set group of programs I load for
a particular platform. For video if part
of an upgrade try to stick with NVIDIA
and Creative for the audio types, and that
the rest, virus and backup programs are best
left to the individualusers, as some might
get it for free from their ISP.

by tony hopkinson

A point to remmeber always, when deciding how long a job will take. If you're doing it, you decide. I never accept anyone else's estimation of how long something will take me. Anything anyone else comes up with they are telling me how long I've got, a very different number.

I'm assuming you are a bit new, take some advice from an old hand, if you appear to have welcome written on your forehead, people will will walk on you. I prefer my 'Beware the Dog' sign.

by local support

Hi Tony

I have 'Very Welcome' stamped on my forehead, and I'm not a tough guy. That's one reason my end users seem to like me, even the ones that are not quite used to computing.

by tony hopkinson

No points for that, unless management like you, then you get more opportunities to have the urine taken out of you.

Not saying you have to shout 'wanker' down the phone and jab people with screwdrivers, but the odd.
You want me to what ?

Nothing to do with tuff, but with value. If you are good , flexible, hard working etc, they'll see the value of not annoying the heck out of you. However you've got to let them know when they are imposing, they shouldn't mind and they'll keep imposing until you go postal, if you don't tell them.

P.S.
If they do mind then **ck'em, go work for someone who shows you some respect.

by zlitocook

Ether it's the boss or his kids, or maby it's a frind of a friend who talked you up to being a guru god. But it's all the same you get the 300 Mhz, 128 Ram, and they need Xp pro and everything to run with no problems. I now ask before I do any thing and show them Microsofts compatability list. I then tell them to do the things they want to do the computer has to meet the list, I can not make it work the way it is. If they want proof I load Xp on it if it will load, and let them try it. I show them that a new system will cost less then the upgrade, $300.00 to 600.00.
I lost alot of money at first because I wanted to please everybody so I bought or used my own stuff to get them upgraded. But no more I do what I can and if it will not work I tell them they need to buy things to get it running.

by rosearch

I tend to go the same way as zlito, if it's a shonky private job, and the equipment is anything less than 'current' tell them that it won't work (for some reason), and suggest a new mini-mac (if I'm in a PC support environment)with service support from whoever they buy it from. If they look at me doubtfully I mention how they are used in schools (if the boss has kids)or remind him/her how unreliable the PC's at the office are (that usually catches their attention). If I was working with Macs I'd just turn the argument 180 degrees.

The worst that can happen when you tell the boss that 'it can't be done' is that they get someone else to do it (a success for you) and then tell you that you are incompetent (whereupon you heap praise on the 'exceptional' skill of whoever actually got it working). Which kind of lifts you back into the 'average incompetent' zone in their eyes - good enough to keep your job. Cheers, Tban

by dalepratt

If he bought a MAC he wouldn't half to worry about buying one a
year . the one I am on right now is a G3 / 400 M . loaded with OS
10.4.2 it runs as fast as some PC 's that are 2.4 G . this Computer
is 7 years old. Another thing you don't half to worry about things
PC catch. most are written for EXT files MAC don't use then.
Oldmax

by local support

That sounds like very sound reasoning.
In this case i could not make the dead-line, but if i had had one more day, i would have made it

by gunnar klevedal

Not Big boss's fault
It's up to your own boss not to give promises and accept dead-lines, that he can't keep.
On the other hand, it's ok to dump the thing into your lap, cause that's your job. But YOU should set the dead-line in cooperation with your boss, and Big Boss must accept it. After all it was home equipment.

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