Rants and raves about your work

[satria_95]

I didn't really notice a similar thread so I figured I'd start one.
Basically, many of us have complaints about our work and at times, when we're having drinks with friends, we'd spill out complaints about our work places or our work or colleagues or anything that's work related. This thread is yet another place where we can come and spill out our complaints about work and it's related issues. Be it colleagues, bosses (which I believe will be the most), customers, etc. Perhaps by spilling it out here, you'll feel better. I'll start with a little bit.

I find that it's very challenging for different departments to work together. My company's sales team seems to be one of the crappiest people around. They can quote the clients a certain amount for a job, and when the job is then passed down to us after the clients confirm the purchase of the job, then only will we engineers know that the clients are quoted an impossible time frame to finish the work. The sales team don't even consult us engineers and ask how long we need to finish the jobs. To make things worst, when they consult our bosses, our bosses over confidently tell them an impossible time frame as well, without looking at the job entirely, including taking into considerations of unexpected events. Team work, eh? Perhaps another 100 years?

 

[BlackSamurai]

satria_95, if you consult the engineers, they will give you hell long of project timeline for their own buffer. The reason behind that a project need a project manager because some (not all) technical guys simply can't gauge their time.

just my 2 cents.

 

[whatdamn]

that's why you need a gantt chart. but i do agree that a representative should be sent to a meeting where all parties involved in a project can lay it out in the table.

if not, the worst part is the miss-com that happens more often than not...can get very very very irritating.

 

[satria_95]

BlackSamurai,
The thing is, my sales team don't know jack shit about any technical stuff. They only have product knowledge. They ONLY want the money. With that kinda attitude, there will be no team work in the company. Wait. There wasn't any in the first place. Thing is, the sales shit heads give us an impossible dateline and when we don't finish it on time, we engineers lose out on our performance, saying that we can't do within the date line when it's 100% impossible to do it.
For example, it's like selling 10 servers and 10 network storage system. Then, you have 24 hours to install and configure until everything is up and running good, inclusive of opening the servers from it's boxes, pulling the network cables and such. If you can't complete it within 24 hours, you'll be questioned why.

 

[escaflowne]

Team work comes with proper communication...I see alot of company is scewing up their operation because lack of communication.
Sales think A ....Management think B...HR think C...Customer service think D..
i guess team work in their context is we work together only but think differently..
If all aspect is not in line with the same objective...we bump into this kinda shit.

Sad to say...communication is consider the "optional" steps...

 

[satria_95]

escaflowne,
Perhaps because every one is so focused on their own objectives, rather a group objective. I notice this seems to be a culture in malaysian work environment. sigh...

 

[escaflowne]

exactly.....and if there is any group objective also...it is only mere NATO..(No action talk only)...sigh

 

[satria_95]

escaflowne,
Even if it was possible to take action and make the work environment less stressful and more conducive, only a few will have the guts to do it. For example, I have a manager who many people don't like. There are 2 teams of engineers. 1 team have tried to do something before but my team always chicken out. Yet, my team also complain the same thing but they don't have the guys to do shit about it. If just a few people stand up against the manager, what good will it be. If ALL the engineers do it together, then the HR will see how this manager has caused this problem out and that manager will then be in big problem. Thing is, not all of my team are brave enough to do it. So at the end of the day, it has became NATO as you say.

Like the protest at Sunway Pyramid, if I knew about it earlier, I would take leave and join them as well. That was a good protest but I feel that it's still not strong enough. 1000+ people, to the govt, is just a small figure. When something like 10,000 people gather at the toll and block all cars from driving through but don't do any damage, then the govt will start to feel the anger of the citizens. Yet again, I guess not many knew about that protest and thus, the figure wasn't all that big.

 

[escaflowne]

you are right satria bro..even at my company also...my team,everyone is just ranting and complain.When it comes to the time of point out the real root of eror,all kecut balls.Can't blame too,all end up to our periuk nasi.I also duwan to wack pecah my periuk nasi.In the end i need to eat and pay for my car also..sigh

In another way..i provide solution for everyone including my manager to discuss.accept or not is up to everyone .I am the type that can't sit there and let myself die.I tried,if it fails..ok fine lorr...continue job.haha

 

[zephyr3d]

having illogical timeline is the worst thing to run a project.. end of the day, itz going to delay, hence resulting more incured cost.

lets put it this way, yes it is good to finish a project at the shortest amount of time. But lets put it this way, u gotta have some time buffer for unforseen circumstances... itz good to finish a project ahead of the time chart, but no to finish behind time.. very bad.

 

[Joeker]

They can quote the clients a certain amount for a job, and when the job is then passed down to us after the clients confirm the purchase of the job, then only will we engineers know that the clients are quoted an impossible time frame to finish the work. The sales team don't even consult us engineers and ask how long we need to finish the jobs.

Reflect poor coordination and comunication between production team and sales team. There should be a coordinator which in this case, the management themselves.

To make things worst, when they consult our bosses, our bosses over confidently tell them an impossible time frame as well, without looking at the job entirely, including taking into considerations of unexpected events.

In this instance, its clear that the management is not functioning well.


If I was in this circumstance, I'd...

- Do the best I can and beyond to met the job deadline (if job deadline is not met, I won't be blamed for not doing enough)

- Keep the management well informed of each day's progress on the job. (if deadline is not met, the management will understand that the deadline promised by sales to customer was not logical in the first place)

If I still get blamed for not meeting the concern job deadline, I think the company and this job is going nowhere.

Time to find a greener field.

 

[munky]

that's why i hate some business related ppl. All they think about is $$$$$$$. No wonder proton cannot improve, coz the bosses only want profits, they dont care if the car is crap, as long can jalan

 

[Joeker]

that's why i hate some business related ppl. All they think about is $$$$$$$.

Business is all about making $$$$$ and more $$$$$. If a business is not all about making $$$$, might as well close shop.

No wonder proton cannot improve, coz the bosses only want profits, they dont care if the car is crap, as long can jalan

YOU ARE WRONG. Proton is a grand flop because they never thought about making $$$$ at all.

TO begin with, if a business person was behind Proton Project way back in the planning stage, they would'nt have even started Proton car production in the first place.

First and for most, Malaysia domestic market is not big enough to meet any economy of scale to justify local car production.

Please do correct me, but up till today, Proton has never made a single profit in all these years.

But unfortunately national pride (or rather ego bloated stupidity) gets the better of simple business common sense and tax-payer money.

 

[satria_95]

joeker,
Well, yeah. There's lack of effective communication in my company. Although I can understand that the sales team would obviously try to obtain as much sales as possible but in many occasions, they fail to think if they sell something with a date line that cannot be met even if the engineers work for 24 hours, then it will affect the customer's view of my company's reputation. Internally, it will look like the engineer is not performing unless the managers are able to see that the engineer is already working on it for 24 hours.

I'd also try to finish my job beyond the date line, so that I've got that bit of time for fine tuning the systems for the customers. However, due to the nature of our jobs, environmental factors would affect our jobs which will delay us in meeting the date lines. The way I see my management work, well, I'll just leave it to them. We once had a company wide dialogue, where all the branches gather at a hotel business hall and we were allowed to express our concerns and thoughts. Barely halfway through, someone mentioned something and the CEO was justifying that point from a management point of view. Then suddenly, he just said... "the most important thing is that (at the top of his lungs, he shouted) YOU FINISH YOUR JOB!" It was so loud and he shouted it through the micro phone. I believe outside the hall could also hear it. The entire hall went silent after that. Given the fact that he is the CEO and having behaved like that, I lost some respect for him.

I'm all for making constructive changes but if all the others don't join hands, then it'll basically come down to nothing. Many engineers thought of changing jobs at many occasions but the company is giving a good sum of bonus at year end. hahaha

 

[escaflowne]

haih...we all tah gong chai...is like that geh la...sigh

 

[munky]

Business is all about making $$$$$ and more $$$$$. If a business is not all about making $$$$, might as well close shop.

But do u expect to get profit if ur product is crap ?

 

[links]

I have finished most of my projects with current company, they are earning all time high profit in last FY. but then the management decided to halt the full time staff and hire those temporary staff to fill in the operation work.

I will not get my contract renew since there burning issues were solved, they advice me to change to per job basis and i was not convinced...this year trend in HK is..many companies earn high profit, but they lay off experienced workers to further enhance the profibility in new financial year....Business Ethics of we asians are really hopeless.

Well, hopefully i wont be the only jobless Six Sigma black belt here....hahah..my master black belt said it will be ashame his name....

 

[satria_95]

links,
Yeah. ethics of many asians are just... crappy.

 

[escaflowne]

links..where u take ur six sigma...i am interested to take up leh

 

[satria_95]

What's a six sigma?