Who said there was one meeting? You know, different teams do have to interact in multiple ways. That's what gets in the way of flex time, though it's been the policy in every job I've had anyway. Flex-time cuts the day down to six (or fewer) hours where interaction can take place. In large teams, this can be a problem.
Have you ever worked on a large project?
IME it only becomes a problem if your are spread across more then 4-5 time zones. With some very large clients I am the go-to person for analog or EMC nasties. There can easily be dozens of EEs and lots of others on a big project. Yet I've never ever set foot into their place in years. Just like I said, this became possible because of online meeting services.
All the time. In aerospace, for example.
Not only, but that's another complication, sure. Dozens? I said
*hundreds*. Think "modern microprocessor".
A dozen is not a couple of hundred engineers.
Then you would fit right in.
Sometimes it's hundreds. Think aircraft.
I never said that it's only a dozen there. But we do not have 100 engineers in one technical meeting. That would make no sense. Large group meetings can be a major time waster, it's better to meet in groups that are less than a dozen.
On a single system? Please.
At one meeting? No, but in ten meetings throughout the day, with varying combinations of participants... Flex schedules get in the way but that doesn't mean they're forbidden. Likewise, several sites spread across the globe are a problem but just one of many others. It makes it more difficult but there often isn't a choice, either. That's where the experts are.
Of course meetings are time wasters but there is no choice when a program gets to be a certain size. It's not all that unusual that coordination becomes the problem. It's said that in OS/MVS (and its ancestors) that programmer productivity was
Sounds like you've run out of ideas.
On things like engines, sure.
I've found that project success and timeliness greatly depend on the management skills of the project manager. The absolute worst case is if there is none. And that happens :-(
I've also found that folks with a solid military background can be very good at project management.
LOL- solid as opposed to gaseous or liquid military background...
No, I have just become bored with you. I hereby withdraw my offer and wish you luck in your endeavors. I'm sure you can earn minimum wage somewhere.
Ex-career-militaries tend to be fairly rigid, rule-bound people. That can be good for management but bad for design. So, it gets interesting when they manage designers. Been there, done that.
[...]
Same here and the experiences have usually be positive. Design isn't all. They normally do not crumble under stress, can focus on the priorities, don't overlook or forget stuff, but most of all many are good at documentation.
The (very true) words of an R&D vice president I've worked with: "If you didn't document it, it did not happen". That was after a 12-year army career. This guy rode his street bike to a company camping event. About
500 miles ...
You're kinda arrogant for a person with so little skillset. Isn't that typical of your kind...
Managers is plural. ;-) Yes, we don't have anyone to look at the big picture so often little things fall through the cracks. ;-)
YOU VILL KOMPLY!
Project managers don't necessarily manage people. Usually don't, IME.
[...]
It's super important to keep the big picture in mind. Sometimes I quietly take on that role if I feel a void there. It can be awkward for a consultant to do but as John Wayne said, "Man has got to do what man has got to do".
SIR, YES, SIR! *OORAH* :-)
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