February 10, 2012 at 7:37 pm
GilaMonster (2/10/2012)
One thing not to do...Tuesday morning: 2 hour 'strategy' meeting with developers (actually a glorified progress and task allocation meeting)
Thursday afternoon: 4 hour departmental progress meeting (including dev team)
Yes, that was a weekly thing at ex-client. Most people took laptops and carried on with their work during the meeting
I submit this be prosecuted as a criminal act under RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970), in this case with focus on 'corrupt,' unless the statute of limitations has already run out. 😉
February 11, 2012 at 3:32 am
Roy Ernest (2/10/2012)
Gail, That is horrible. I will never be able to do that kind of meeting. After an hr to the max, I would walk out. My mind will become blank if I sit in a meeting more than an hr.
I used to work on blog posts during the Tuesday meeting. Laptops weren't allowed to that one, but iPads were. The thursday I, like just about everyone, would take laptop and carry on with their usual work
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
February 11, 2012 at 8:41 am
GilaMonster (2/11/2012)
Roy Ernest (2/10/2012)
Gail, That is horrible. I will never be able to do that kind of meeting. After an hr to the max, I would walk out. My mind will become blank if I sit in a meeting more than an hr.I used to work on blog posts during the Tuesday meeting. Laptops weren't allowed to that one, but iPads were. The thursday I, like just about everyone, would take laptop and carry on with their usual work
See this is a good example of why I told Roy he needs to have notes of his meetings that he sends out to the attendees. I said doodling or doing a puzzle, I didn't think of blogging or working. 😉
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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February 11, 2012 at 10:37 am
Jack Corbett (2/11/2012)
GilaMonster (2/11/2012)
Roy Ernest (2/10/2012)
Gail, That is horrible. I will never be able to do that kind of meeting. After an hr to the max, I would walk out. My mind will become blank if I sit in a meeting more than an hr.I used to work on blog posts during the Tuesday meeting. Laptops weren't allowed to that one, but iPads were. The thursday I, like just about everyone, would take laptop and carry on with their usual work
See this is a good example of why I told Roy he needs to have notes of his meetings that he sends out to the attendees. I said doodling or doing a puzzle, I didn't think of blogging or working. 😉
Thing is, there was seldom anything of interest or value coming out of those meetings. At best the outcomes were 'person X was working on Y, now told to work on Y and Z due to more stupid deadlines' or 'manager has decided to use technology X to do something it's not designed for, we recommended technology Y instead, were overruled'
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
February 11, 2012 at 11:13 am
GilaMonster (2/11/2012)
Jack Corbett (2/11/2012)
GilaMonster (2/11/2012)
Roy Ernest (2/10/2012)
Gail, That is horrible. I will never be able to do that kind of meeting. After an hr to the max, I would walk out. My mind will become blank if I sit in a meeting more than an hr.I used to work on blog posts during the Tuesday meeting. Laptops weren't allowed to that one, but iPads were. The thursday I, like just about everyone, would take laptop and carry on with their usual work
See this is a good example of why I told Roy he needs to have notes of his meetings that he sends out to the attendees. I said doodling or doing a puzzle, I didn't think of blogging or working. 😉
Thing is, there was seldom anything of interest or value coming out of those meetings. At best the outcomes were 'person X was working on Y, now told to work on Y and Z due to more stupid deadlines' or 'manager has decided to use technology X to do something it's not designed for, we recommended technology Y instead, were overruled'
I've been in plenty of those meetings as well. Doing the same kinds of things. The only issue is that I've occasionally missed a task for me, which is why I like notes sent out after the meeting.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
Check out these links on how to get faster and more accurate answers:
Forum Etiquette: How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help
Need an Answer? Actually, No ... You Need a Question
February 11, 2012 at 11:43 am
bitbucket-25253 (2/9/2012)
Wine, beer ugh. Give me good old Kentucky Burbon on the rocks ,, no water no soda .. now that is a drink fit for the Gods
Now "old Kentucky Bourbon" I have come across. But "good old Kentucky Bourbon" (:unsure:) is something that I had never heard of before.
Give me a decent malt whisky (Bruaichladdich or Lagavulin or Laphroaig or Talisker or even Glenmorangie) instead; or a decent Irish whiskey (like Bushmills); or a Spanish brandy; or an Armagnac, or a Cognac, or a nice Apfelbranntwein, or even (at a push) a Jamiesons and I will be happy.
edit: Oops, missed out that important word "never":w00t:
Tom
February 11, 2012 at 11:51 am
L' Eomot Inversé (2/11/2012)
bitbucket-25253 (2/9/2012)
Wine, beer ugh. Give me good old Kentucky Burbon on the rocks ,, no water no soda .. now that is a drink fit for the GodsNow "old Kentucky Bourbon" I have come across. But "good old Kentucky Bourbon" (:unsure:) is something that I had heard of before.
Give me a decent malt whisky (Bruaichladdich or Lagavulin or Laphroaig or Talisker or even Glenmorangie) instead; or a decent Irish whiskey (like Bushmills); or a Spanish brandy; or an Armagnac, or a Cognac, or a nice Apfelbranntwein, or even (at a push) a Jamiesons and I will be happy.
Irish Whiskey...triple distilled.... in my opinion is better than Scotch Whisky which is only distilled twice. Bushmills is good.....but then I am only a "beginner" 😀
Armagnac....yes please.
________________________________________________________________
you can lead a user to data....but you cannot make them think
and remember....every day is a school day
February 11, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (2/10/2012)
Worth the read: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/03/111003fa_fact_gawande
A great read. Thought-provoking and very well written.
Thanks for sharing.
-- Gianluca Sartori
February 11, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Jack Corbett (2/10/2012)
Roy,Kevin Kline has some excellent blog posts/presentations about meetings that you should check out. I think he did one for the first 24hop that was great and was recorded so you might still be able to get it from PASS somehow.
A few of key things I've picked up:
1. Have an agenda and distribute it the day before so people can be prepared. Ron mentioned he had a manager that did that. Of course you have to stick to the agenda, but that's your job as the meeting organizer.
2. Only have the people in the meeting that absolutely need to be there. If they only need to be there for part of the meeting let them go.
3. Have action items that come from the meeting. If I go to meeting I want to have something to do from the meeting. If not I probably wasn't needed.
4. Follow up with an email summarizing the meeting and assignments after the meeting. Don't assume that people took notes or wrote down their assignments. They were probably doodling or doing a puzzle.:-D
N. 3 is the most important one IMHO.
This is something I could never have from the meetings at my previous workplace. You always walked out of the meeting with the feeling that there was nothing to decide and nothing was decided. Awful.
I'm very happy I don't work there any more.
-- Gianluca Sartori
February 11, 2012 at 10:48 pm
Roy Ernest (2/10/2012)
Couple of weeks back I told you all that I got a great review from work. Now they have changed my role. They want me to manage more things than just the DB.I am not sure I am liking this new role. In this role, I get 10% time to work on DB and the rest is spend on meeting. 🙁
How does everyone else handle this situation?
I was the "Director of IT" for one company. Got real tired of it. Worked my way down to "Software Development Manager". Didn't like that either. I really like the technical stuff and not the managment stuff. I finally worked my way "down" to Application DBA and then reexpanded to "Hybrid DBA" and I absolutely love it.
Life is too short to have a job you don't like. If 90% meetings isn't your style (it certainly wasn't mine), tell them you don't want to do it. Tell them that you were good at what you did and that you liked that better and that you want to go back.
BTW, there's a hidden bonus in all of this. A good DBA or even a Ninja SQL Developer can make as much or more than a Director of IT.
--Jeff Moden
February 12, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Does anyone know how to block "Site Owners" in the "Recent Posts" for today? Although I certainly appreciate links to blog subjects, it's gotten way out of hand. IMHO, these types of things shouldn't show up as "posts" at all especially since we can't comment about them here on SSC.
--Jeff Moden
February 12, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Jeff Moden (2/12/2012)
Does anyone know how to block "Site Owners" in the "Recent Posts" for today? Although I certainly appreciate links to blog subjects, it's gotten way out of hand. IMHO, these types of things shouldn't show up as "posts" at all especially since we can't comment about them here on SSC.
+1 +1 +1
February 13, 2012 at 7:35 am
Lynn Pettis (2/7/2012)
Now that it is officially posted on facebook, I can start telling everyone.Kassondra gave birth to a healthy baby boy yesterday in Germany. Grayson Matthew was born at 11:10 (German time), which is 3:10am mst.
Grandma made it safely to Germany and is now enjoying her time with our grandson. You know, saying that makes me feel giddy and old at the same time. A unique feeling.
Welcome to the old man club. Congrats!
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
February 13, 2012 at 7:42 am
jcrawf02 (2/9/2012)
Seems timely on the heels of Lynn's news, a big THANK YOU to everyone who sent good thoughts my way a few weeks ago, I was nervous because....we're having a baby! Our first, due the end of July! :w00t::-D:-D:-D
Congrats Jon. Start remembering that you can actually sleep all the way through the night... sometime around July, that ought to become a distant memory!:-D
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
February 13, 2012 at 7:52 am
Roy Ernest (2/10/2012)
Thx for all the advice. Yes, they have plans for me to go higher up in the management. I have been asked to manage all Development teams and projects. It is challenging.I have to figure out a way to keep the meetings short and effective. That is the biggest challenge. One thing is I am still in charge of bringing in new technologies for SQL Server.
Check out the book ""Read this before our next meeting"; ISBN 978-1-936719-16-7
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
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