Reply to: I need to rant about weaklings in meetings

[sirja]

Do you watch Game of Thrones? If so I would advise you try and emulate Littlefinger and Lord Verys

[DodgyAgent]

Just been in a meeting discussing the approach to test reporting at clientco, which IMO is very bureaucratic and time consuming and involves inaccurate reporting based on constructs of which there is no agreement of the definition in the organisation, never mind the external customers. Every day I hear other testers, test managers and testcos complaining about it, and so today in a meeting I presented my arguments to the quality manager and the permie test line manager for simplifying it and reducing the bureaucracy for projects. I hoped, in vain it transpires, that the same people who moan about this every day would actually open their mouths as well, even if it was to disagree with me, which could lead to a useful discussion, but no, nothing; weedy little permies, most of whom only ever test one component from day to day, just sit there and say nothing when I stand up to fight against their big bugbear and the CMMi/ISO fundamentalist 'Quality Manager' and his bosom friend, the Test Manager who's only ever worked in one project with one stakeholder, sit and recite their ideology while I challenge them.

FFS, when somebody tries to stand up to authority and get things changed for everyone's benefit, what is so difficult about helping just a little by relating the stories they tell me every day around the coffee machine?

Bloody wimps. Just conform, like a bunch of lemmings instead of actually standing up for something.

Vote UKIP

[tractor]

...

Maybe you´re right.

One of the weaklings has just turned up at my desk and told me he completely agrees with me! Well why didn´t he ******* well say that during the meeting?

errmmm.....why didn't YOU ask him?

You cannot seriously expect management to implement a framework where they have to accept responsibility when they can live with the status quo and carry on blaming someone else.

[Mich the Tester]

Chill Tonight you can enjoy a wine that will cost more than their Salaries!

Thanks, I needed that

[Mich the Tester]

I speak the truth to management in private, but in meetings I deliberately don't rock the boat...it makes life easier that way

Already tried that. These guys are like fundamentalists or convinced communists; any objection can be explained away using their internally consistent but entirely unrealistic ideology.

[vetran]

They asked for an egg spurt, they'll bloody well pay for getting eggs on their faces! or mine

fnarr fnarr

“Never was anything great achieved without danger.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli

“I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.”
― Niccolò Michiavelli

and of course

“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones. ”
― Niccolò Machiavelli

Chill Tonight you can enjoy a wine that will cost more than their Salaries!

[MicrosoftBob]

Perhaps I spent too many years fighting physical battles on rugby pitches where shirkers and weaklings get found out.

I speak the truth to management in private, but in meetings I deliberately don't rock the boat...it makes life easier that way

[Mich the Tester]

Ssssshhhh - you'll upset someone!

Perhaps I spent too many years fighting physical battles on rugby pitches where shirkers and weaklings get found out.

[Mich the Tester]

Are you sure you're cut out for contracting, just sit back and invoice!

Maybe you´re right.

One of the weaklings has just turned up at my desk and told me he completely agrees with me! Well why didn´t he ******* well say that during the meeting?

[MicrosoftBob]

And now, amazing how the minutes of the meeting have been sent around, including to senior management, without the discussion!

Are you sure you're cut out for contracting, just sit back and invoice!

[MyUserName]

Ssssshhhh - you'll upset someone!

[Mich the Tester]

And now, amazing how the minutes of the meeting have been sent around, including to senior management, without the discussion!

[BrilloPad]

I hate it when you hold back. Tell us what you really think.

[Mich the Tester]

That doesn't sound like what the client paid for and would appear to be outside the scope of your contract. You're not billing for this scope deviation are you?

I damned well am! They asked for an egg spurt, they'll bloody well pay for getting eggs on their faces! or mine

[oracleslave]

instead of actually standing up for something.

That doesn't sound like what the client paid for and would appear to be outside the scope of your contract. You're not billing for this scope deviation are you?