“I’ll Finish It This Week” and Other Lies

Re:“I’ll Finish It This Week” and Other Lies by walterlb on Tuesday April 06, 2021 @11:14AM (#26712823)

My manager sometimes makes commitments to stakeholders on the spot when he agrees to take on the work, without consulting with the developer (me, in these cases). Often the requirements are not even clear yet.

It's not comfortable to do, but I will jump in and veto his commitments right there if they are clearly not attainable.

The stakeholders tend to be accepting of the fact that things are more complex to implement than just: "make the software do X", but my (technical) manager always seems a bit baffled. In the long run, I know he values this about me, but it frustrates me to no end.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:“I’ll Finish It This Week” and Other Lies by pdimitar on Tuesday April 06, 2021 @02:47PM (#26715725)

Yeah, I get that blind enthusiasm sometimes but I've learned to control it. I show enthusiasm on my face -- and it's genuine! -- but I don't rush into promising. I found that to be the best balance because (a) people like it when you genuinely care and (b) you still don't come off as a pushover that accepts any demands for budget and schedule on the spot.

[ Parent | on HN ]