Re: In the Trenches, A Bit of Venting

[Andrew Plato <gilliankitty -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

"Bonnie Granat" <> wrote ...

> You are assuming that he is looking like a moron. Perhaps he isn't. I don't
> think that I have enough information to make a conclusion.

You don't have to. Generally, if you structure a department where
responsaccountabilityccountablity permeate all functions, then if any single
person begins to drop the ball, it becomes readily apparent to the rest of the
group and to management who the butthead is. In this sense, you don't have to
jump to conclusions. The slacker is readily apparent.

If you factor out accountability, then there will always be one or two people who
work hard while the rest slack off. This is why so many group projects in college
are BS. The people who do nothing hurt the people who are genuinely concerned
about their grade. 

Let the weak perish.

> Especially when you're a contractor, your first line of defense, as it were,
> has to be the person to whom you report. It is inappropriate to hash things
> out with a peer.

No, the first line of defense is to defend yourself. If necessary, talk to your
peers and establish a clear line of responsibility. Only once you have worked out
the details do you then report to management.

Most managers - particularly me - HATE people who complain constantly. I tell my
employees on their first day: don't ever come to me with a problem, come to me
with a solution. I have enough problems to deal with on my own, I don't want or
need everybody else's. 

Real professionals solve their own problems without constantly resorting to
"telling mommy."  

> Also, *someone* has to be the decision-maker there. Who is it? I don't know
> who it is, but everything hinges on that, it seems to me. There are entirely
> too many open questions, though, for me to give a more definitive answer. But
> fragmenting the documentation effort seems unprofessional.

No it doesn't. Its a waste of resources, but that's the point of fragmenting the
work. When management (the decision makers) see Mr. MFA screwing off and doing
nonsense work, they'll can his ass and put a real writer in charge. 

> The responsibility of a contractor who is having such problems is to his
> agency and to the client. It is not appropriate to just hunker down and ignore
> what's going on around you.

This isn't about "ignoring whats going on." Its about very frankly acknowledging
it and allowing it to run its course. If you have decided that your co-worker is
a loser, then cut him off and move along. You don't want to become contaminated
with his stink of failure.

Andrew Plato 

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