Reply to: Same old, Same old

[ctdctd]

Gave up on day 8 and we've mutually decided I can restart on Monday when they will have everything ready for me .
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won't they?

So eight invoiceable days and three days me time

Sounds like a good relaxing working pattern to me

P.S. Sorry Scrag Meister, I seem to have stolen your thread!

[d000hg]

It's a bit pedantic to say we shouldn't use 'best practices' because there might be a better practice to be found. That's why BPs evolve.

[Mich the Tester]

Day 7 draws to an end - 14% through contract and about 30 minutes of work (internal training)

One department says they haven't got the references the other department say they forwarded on Friday.

At least it's nice and warm.

...and compliant with ISO umpty thousand and wotsit, conforming to 'international best practises' and your SOX will match sweater 2.0.

[original PM]

This tulipe really gets on my nerves. It seems that every field of work has to have buzzwords, 'methodologies' and the one that really pisses me off; 'best practices' bloody hell, nothing is a 'best practice', you have practices that worked somewhere for somebody and might work for someone else in some other context, but nothing is a 'best practice' because firstly you don't know; there might be better practice somewhere that you don't know about yet, and secondly, the success or failure of any practice is context dependent.

Are we all idiots to need these protocols, processes and handbooks? My impression from the best projects I've worked on, but also the best sports teams I've played in is that if you put together a bunch of smart people who want to work together, and combine them with someone who can advise if things get difficult and can arrange the basics like workplaces etc, the 'process' and the 'strategy' and the 'methodology' all fall into place, and better still, a manner of working emerges that suits the context a hundred times better than some 'industry standard' or 'best practice'.

As is becoming more and more apparent where I am - delivery of targets is second to su<king the bosses co<k and stroking his ego.

It is just about lies, excuses and making as much money as you can.

[ctdctd]

Day 7 draws to an end - 14% through contract and about 30 minutes of work (internal training)

One department says they haven't got the references the other department say they forwarded on Friday.

At least it's nice and warm.

[Scrag Meister]

First week's timesheet approved, invoice raised and emailed onward.

[Mich the Tester]

So you want to be called SEQs?

Very observant of you. Yes!

[tractor]

Unnecessary BS put forward by some official sounding 'International Board' that's actually just a front for someone making a tulipload of money out of selling certification.

Which leads me to an idea. We just need an official sounding name.

International Board of Systems Engineering Quality. Sound about right?

So you want to be called SEQs?

There is a whole multi billion industry built around this stuff. Additionally, understanding how the certification process works between Boards, Examiners, training providers is an absolute bag of *****. No one wants to just provide exams, they all want to package it up with bloated expensive training. They should split out the training/exam providers for a start.

[Mich the Tester]

Most methodologies are frameworks of common sense practice, complicated by unnecessary BS that sells bloated training courses. I always remember the first role I had where Prince was involved. The PM always said that if we actually followed it, we would never deliver anything. I tend to agree.

Unnecessary BS put forward by some official sounding 'International Board' that's actually just a front for someone making a tulipload of money out of selling certification.

Which leads me to an idea. We just need an official sounding name.

International Board of Systems Engineering Quality. Sound about right?

[tractor]

....

This tulipe really gets on my nerves. It seems that every field of work has to have buzzwords, 'methodologies' and the one that really pisses me off; 'best practices' bloody hell, nothing is a 'best practice', you have practices that worked somewhere for somebody and might work for someone else in some other context, but nothing is a 'best practice' because firstly you don't know; there might be better practice somewhere that you don't know about yet, and secondly, the success or failure of any practice is context dependent.

Are we all idiots to need these protocols, processes and handbooks? My impression from the best projects I've worked on, but also the best sports teams I've played in is that if you put together a bunch of smart people who want to work together, and combine them with someone who can advise if things get difficult and can arrange the basics like workplaces etc, the 'process' and the 'strategy' and the 'methodology' all fall into place, and better still, a manner of working emerges that suits the context a hundred times better than some 'industry standard' or 'best practice'.

Most methodologies are frameworks of common sense practice, complicated by unnecessary BS that sells bloated training courses. I always remember the first role I had where Prince was involved. The PM always said that if we actually followed it, we would never deliver anything. I tend to agree.

They key point is though, that if they did practice what they preach, everything would be ready for day 1!

[Mich the Tester]

Thus is ever was! HR/Provisioning are too busy getting their mouths around the latest 'talent management' concept, divesting their responsibility to managed service companies or otherwise shirking responsibility for their processes to actually get people on-board and equipped at the proper time.

Makes me laugh when they spend so much on ITIL and CMMI.

This tulipe really gets on my nerves. It seems that every field of work has to have buzzwords, 'methodologies' and the one that really pisses me off; 'best practices' bloody hell, nothing is a 'best practice', you have practices that worked somewhere for somebody and might work for someone else in some other context, but nothing is a 'best practice' because firstly you don't know; there might be better practice somewhere that you don't know about yet, and secondly, the success or failure of any practice is context dependent.

Are we all idiots to need these protocols, processes and handbooks? My impression from the best projects I've worked on, but also the best sports teams I've played in is that if you put together a bunch of smart people who want to work together, and combine them with someone who can advise if things get difficult and can arrange the basics like workplaces etc, the 'process' and the 'strategy' and the 'methodology' all fall into place, and better still, a manner of working emerges that suits the context a hundred times better than some 'industry standard' or 'best practice'.

[ctdctd]

They become contractors. Oh.. I see. You were talking about the client.

tbh - if there's no work to do, I tell 'em to give me a ring when they're ready; then go and do something more worthwhile.

Incompetent contractors - never (we must stick together or they'll all know)

Tempted to go home but muppets keep saying it will all be sorted very soon.

Got my time sheet login a few minutes ago so that job is done.

[NotAllThere]

...How do these incompetent muppets survive.

They become contractors. Oh.. I see. You were talking about the client.

tbh - if there's no work to do, I tell 'em to give me a ring when they're ready; then go and do something more worthwhile.

[norrahe]

Current clientco had desk, pc, phone and login on day one, am still reeling from the shock

[NickFitz]

Started at very short notice at one place and IT declared that it would take two weeks to sort out a login and PC for me

The head of development had an "access all areas" keycard and had me follow him down to their lair in the basement, which was always kept locked. We walked in unannounced to find them all playing Counter-Strike.

My login and PC were sorted out by the head IT chap personally within twenty minutes