Hi everyone,
Just wanted to ask the group as database managers, how do you handle requests for assistance within your organization? Lately, I've been running into a lot of last minute requests for big projects within my own organization and it's quickly becoming an issue, normally these are from people who don't use Tessitura. I've set up expectations within the organization before, that certain tasks need X amount of lead time, but it doesn't seem to be sinking in.
Do you have a request form you use for your organization? Do you have a sheet that outlines what requests you can assist with and what the wait time is for those?
Curious as to how others have handled this.
Melissa,
An excellent question. One with which I certainly have ebbed and flowed many times over the years. I have finally gotten things to a good flow here, but I also have the benefit of a decade plus with both the software and the organization. I would love to say that I have a sheet that outlines everything, but we do not do lots of things like that at my organization, so I do not really have anything of that nature. I merely respond when asked how much time I think it will take me. And I ALWAYS assume longer than my gut reaction tells me it will take.
And the first thing is, as you say, to set clear expectations. This sort of project takes THIS much time; this other one this OTHER amount of time. And, even if YOU finish it early, be careful of actually delivering early. I am normally a very open, happy-go-lucky sort of person who likes to be awesome at his job, get things done ahead of time and make people happy. But I have learned for things like this that it is definitely okay to deliver only as promised and not before, even if that would have been possible.
The other side of it is, and this has been harder for me to do given the sort of person I am, is to actually let your frustration show through. Last minute requests from higher ups who have no idea what it takes to come up with the data/results happen to us all. But it IS okay to show them how much it is in fact basically ruining your next day/weekend/week/etc... to do whatever it is they want you to do. And of course, there is always the kicker option that "No, I cannot get that done in the time frame for which you are asking". Sometimes that is just the honest and best response. Which can often lead to other, usually better questions about HOW things are done in general and WHY there was such a last minute request for something so big. Because they ask why you cannot do it, and you start explaining about how all the data relates to itself and the challenges involved, and their eyes go all glassy and they ask not to be drowned in jargon that they do not understand, and you emphasize that this is your job and precisely why we need to have these discussions because just in the way that THEY could not produce a last minute X (whatever is relevant to their job) you also cannot produce this last minute Y for them.
Sorry I have no forms/outlines to provide for you. But I have certainly dealt with this over the years and do certainly feel you here. Best of luck!
John A. Moskal II
It's incredibly important to manage your time load, or you'll burn out. If you are having trouble pushing back see if you can get a sponsor or executive to back you. I explain that we can't cut corners on testing without major risk of failure in the system