Work frustration ahead. My basic job title is Project Controls, which means handling the internal project management for our projects. Our group is split into Federal and Commercial. I'm in the Federal group, but my workload is kinda 50/50. Anyway, today I got a call from a high level manager, who got me involved in handling 5 very complicated projects. Well, he has another project that he has been asking for help on and he contacted the Commercial group lead, who I guess isn't giving him the answers he wants. So he called me directly to see if I could just jump in and take on that project. I can't, my time is completely book, especially due to the other projects I'm working on for him.
I just feel stuck in the middle. I did contact the Commercial lead to check in. He said he has someone working on it, but when I asked a few questions, the answers I got sounds like the guy has run into a brick wall and doesn't know how to go around, hasn't even looked at the things I look at first. I told him that I could, potentially, have time to help in a few weeks, but basically said good luck.
That should be it, but I keep thinking about it and being stuck in the middle. I've tried to get a hold of my manager to touch base on this, but he hasn't been available. This high level manager likes what I've done in the past and while I can't just pick up the work, I'd be happy to walk someone else through the stuff I had customized for him. But it doesn't seem like anyone doing the work wants that.
Just grrrrrrrrr.
Grrr, Suzi. I think the best you can do is keep your manager informed that you're getting requests for your time outside the standard process, and you don't have the time to give, anyway.
As for me, I called my lawyer and I called the regulator and the regulator's all, "no, you have to do what we say," and I didn't swing my law degree at them or refer to the Sovereignty clause, but ARGH.
And I'm out of the office tomorrow. This better not blow up on me.
I just had a user call me up to tell me that the report we sent him was wrong. I really like this user--he's great to work with, and understanding too. He basically runs a mini dev shop in his department, so he knows SDLC. And I've been working closely with him since I started at the company--he's my primary business user.
But his complaint--he'd managed to get two columns of Excel out of synch, so it didn't read true all the way across--the IDs weren't matching the titles. I did two printscreens of the spreadsheet, and sent the same version back to him, and he still didn't get it. Took me ten minutes to explain to him "No, it's right on every version of this except the one you swear you have."
I would have been
mortified
if that was me. As it was, I had to quadruple check my "no, there's no error..." email to him because someone was radically wrong here.
I much prefer it when the wrong people are people I don't like. I feel bad correcting him.
ITA ita !.
Part of what is frustrating me is that the guy who has the work is senior to me and yet it sounds like he is taking the hard way to do the work. Makes me second guess how I handle things. Then I remind myself that my PMs are very happy with my work so I must be doing something right. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I'm pretty sure that right about 4:00 today, my ability to deal with work people and their issues flipped me the bird and then left the building.
Thanks for all of the sympathy. It is really not that bad -- we already wanted to move, he was already frustrated with the job, he can go on my insurance, and he's employed until the end of July. It's mostly the shitty timing and the shitty way they went about it.
Are you thinking of moving to another part of the country, Dana?
HELL YES.
I would like to get back closer to my family. Texas, maybe, but it will depend on finding him a job. The D.C. area is also a possibility.
It's really rotten, Dana.
I did a major rookie goof this morning (easily fixed but embarrassing) and the lead developer was disappointed that I caught it, fixed it out and then admitted it to everyone: "Here, let me show you what an IDIOT I am." He was hoping to give me shit about it forever. I was informed I was no fun because I made fun of myself.
FINE THEN.
