Comments on: Trusting Employees to Know Their Jobs http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/ Better business through collaboration and technology Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:48:29 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Improve Participation by Simplifying Sharing | Sharing at Work http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-219 Improve Participation by Simplifying Sharing | Sharing at Work Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:21:28 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-219 [...] network, be sure that the information you’re picking up is made readily available to the people who contribute to [...] [...] network, be sure that the information you’re picking up is made readily available to the people who contribute to [...]

]]> By: Svetlana Gladkova http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Svetlana Gladkova Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:32:14 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-136 Daniel, of course missed deadlines can be considered as a perfect indication of a very poorly organized workflow. But the problem here is that the entire industry works like this. I believe it is due to our post-Soviet mentality when everything in the country was considered as belonging to the society and no one felt ownership over anything - and when it's common and not mine why would I care about it? So people never thought it was intolerable stealing in this or that way from the state and the company you worked in. And I guess this is exactly why we have all the programmers actually behaving like this - constantly engaging in various personal activities when at work and thinking it is Ok to do that. I am no psychologist or HR specialist myself but I think this is very visible here - and I have not seen such examples in the US myself (or maybe I am just not familiar enough with the workflow across the ocean). Daniel, of course missed deadlines can be considered as a perfect indication of a very poorly organized workflow. But the problem here is that the entire industry works like this. I believe it is due to our post-Soviet mentality when everything in the country was considered as belonging to the society and no one felt ownership over anything – and when it's common and not mine why would I care about it? So people never thought it was intolerable stealing in this or that way from the state and the company you worked in. And I guess this is exactly why we have all the programmers actually behaving like this – constantly engaging in various personal activities when at work and thinking it is Ok to do that. I am no psychologist or HR specialist myself but I think this is very visible here – and I have not seen such examples in the US myself (or maybe I am just not familiar enough with the workflow across the ocean).

]]> By: Svetlana Gladkova http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-74 Svetlana Gladkova Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:32:14 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-74 Daniel, of course missed deadlines can be considered as a perfect indication of a very poorly organized workflow. But the problem here is that the entire industry works like this. I believe it is due to our post-Soviet mentality when everything in the country was considered as belonging to the society and no one felt ownership over anything - and when it's common and not mine why would I care about it? So people never thought it was intolerable stealing in this or that way from the state and the company you worked in. And I guess this is exactly why we have all the programmers actually behaving like this - constantly engaging in various personal activities when at work and thinking it is Ok to do that. I am no psychologist or HR specialist myself but I think this is very visible here - and I have not seen such examples in the US myself (or maybe I am just not familiar enough with the workflow across the ocean). Daniel, of course missed deadlines can be considered as a perfect indication of a very poorly organized workflow. But the problem here is that the entire industry works like this. I believe it is due to our post-Soviet mentality when everything in the country was considered as belonging to the society and no one felt ownership over anything – and when it's common and not mine why would I care about it? So people never thought it was intolerable stealing in this or that way from the state and the company you worked in. And I guess this is exactly why we have all the programmers actually behaving like this – constantly engaging in various personal activities when at work and thinking it is Ok to do that. I am no psychologist or HR specialist myself but I think this is very visible here – and I have not seen such examples in the US myself (or maybe I am just not familiar enough with the workflow across the ocean).

]]> By: Daniel J. Pritchett http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Daniel J. Pritchett Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:56:15 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-73 Consistent missed deadlines are to me a red flag indicating an unsuitable<br>software engineering style more than anything else. My project at work has<br>500 people working on it and we have trouble with deadlines too.<br><br>I'm told that "agile" software engineering methods are much more responsive<br>and deadlines are less of a problem. I've never had the good fortune to<br>work on a team following an agile process though, so I could be completely<br>wrong!<br><br><u>Thanks for continuing this discussion, Svetlana.</u> It's intriguing to learn<br>about cultural differences in the office cultures of Russia and the US. Are<br>there any other major differences in work style that an American like me<br>might not know about? Consistent missed deadlines are to me a red flag indicating an unsuitable
software engineering style more than anything else. My project at work has
500 people working on it and we have trouble with deadlines too.

I'm told that “agile” software engineering methods are much more responsive
and deadlines are less of a problem. I've never had the good fortune to
work on a team following an agile process though, so I could be completely
wrong!

Thanks for continuing this discussion, Svetlana. It's intriguing to learn
about cultural differences in the office cultures of Russia and the US. Are
there any other major differences in work style that an American like me
might not know about?

]]> By: Svetlana Gladkova http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Svetlana Gladkova Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:20:51 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-72 The problem in Russia is that we simply hire full-time developers and set goals and deadlines for them. But it is not unusual to have deadlines broken - especially with fixed salaries that don't depend on the results achieved.<br><br>But I do think it is a problem of mentality as the more you trust people here, the lazier they seem to become. And it is not even about imposibg deadlines - in my experience we have always discussed goals and terms and agreed on what sounded realistic to them as well. But unfortunately such deadlines were almost always broken - maybe too much trust. The problem in Russia is that we simply hire full-time developers and set goals and deadlines for them. But it is not unusual to have deadlines broken – especially with fixed salaries that don't depend on the results achieved.

But I do think it is a problem of mentality as the more you trust people here, the lazier they seem to become. And it is not even about imposibg deadlines – in my experience we have always discussed goals and terms and agreed on what sounded realistic to them as well. But unfortunately such deadlines were almost always broken – maybe too much trust.

]]> By: Daniel J. Pritchett http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Daniel J. Pritchett Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:18:15 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-71 That sounds pretty horrific, Svetlana. I have to think that results-based management could be a big help here. Do you know how these Russian shops are measuring productivity?<br><br>I am a big fan of the holistic view of worker competency and productivity. As a knowledge worker I try to be well-rested, well-fed, emotionally balanced, and physically and mentally fit for my position. All of that is the baseline before I even start in on my professional development via reading and writing blogs.<br><br>I have been lucky enough to have managers that left me alone to produce what I could for them and did not crush me with impossible deadlines or micromanagement of my time. That sounds pretty horrific, Svetlana. I have to think that results-based management could be a big help here. Do you know how these Russian shops are measuring productivity?

I am a big fan of the holistic view of worker competency and productivity. As a knowledge worker I try to be well-rested, well-fed, emotionally balanced, and physically and mentally fit for my position. All of that is the baseline before I even start in on my professional development via reading and writing blogs.

I have been lucky enough to have managers that left me alone to produce what I could for them and did not crush me with impossible deadlines or micromanagement of my time.

]]> By: Svetlana Gladkova http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Svetlana Gladkova Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:48:25 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-70 It's very good when you can actually trust your employees 100% but I think it also depends on mentality and I know for certain that in Russia managing IT teams is on the verge of nightmare as when people understand you trust them, they start to abuse your trust and think it is fine to spend all day reading their friends' blogs and discussing how they enjoyed a weekend in IMs. And when you try to insist on the deadlines, they will try to convince you they actually worked as hard as they could but the goals were not realistic. Sorry, but I don't buy it as I know that chatting with girlfriends for hours won't help achieve the goal at all. It's very good when you can actually trust your employees 100% but I think it also depends on mentality and I know for certain that in Russia managing IT teams is on the verge of nightmare as when people understand you trust them, they start to abuse your trust and think it is fine to spend all day reading their friends' blogs and discussing how they enjoyed a weekend in IMs. And when you try to insist on the deadlines, they will try to convince you they actually worked as hard as they could but the goals were not realistic. Sorry, but I don't buy it as I know that chatting with girlfriends for hours won't help achieve the goal at all.

]]> By: Daniel J. Pritchett http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Daniel J. Pritchett Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:13:21 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-76 I've always found that I'm happiest at work with a small amount of regular attention plus the understanding that I can call a face to face meeting if I have any big ideas or concerns. Too much or too little boss interaction can be a drag. I've always found that I'm happiest at work with a small amount of regular attention plus the understanding that I can call a face to face meeting if I have any big ideas or concerns. Too much or too little boss interaction can be a drag.

]]> By: Mary Abraham http://www.sharingatwork.com/2008/09/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Mary Abraham Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:40:30 +0000 http://sharingatwork.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/trusting-employees-to-know-their-jobs/#comment-75 Thanks for the mention, Daniel. The key here is that by micromanaging, the finished product is confined by the limits of the supervisor's imagination and forethought. If you refrain from micromanaging, but rely instead on providing good tools and a clear statement of goals, the resulting work product reflects both the supervisor's vision and the frontline person's creativity. That's a much more powerful combination.<br><br>Best,<br>Mary Thanks for the mention, Daniel. The key here is that by micromanaging, the finished product is confined by the limits of the supervisor's imagination and forethought. If you refrain from micromanaging, but rely instead on providing good tools and a clear statement of goals, the resulting work product reflects both the supervisor's vision and the frontline person's creativity. That's a much more powerful combination.

Best,
Mary

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