Ok guys I need your advise on a problem that’s going to blow up at work next week – Wednesday, to be exact.

I assisted my boss in setting up a launch schedule for our 2003 model year Lincoln Town Car limousines.  My task is to develop the 3D models of the inner & outer center door skins.  (No, Lincoln doesn’t sell center doors, you have to stamp your own…)

Anyways, I told him that 3 weeks would be ample time to get the project done, [b]3 weeks after I received the data from Lincoln.[/b]  Well, I got the data right on time (April 3rd) and diligently dove into the project with high expectations of being able to get done ahead of schedule.  Eight days later, after 96 hours of work (yes, 12hrs/7 days a week.) I discover that the data [b]my boss ordered, and handed off to our IT guy to download into our CAD system[/b] was NOT for the Lincoln Town Car, but for the Lincoln LS!  I wasted 8 days of the schedule working on the wrong car…..

Now – he’s sharing niceties with me "The 23rd is still a good date, failure is not an option, don’t put yourself in the position of having to say "I didn’t get it done because…" "– and basically he’s trying to push me to get the project done in [b]LESS THAN HALF THE TIME I TOLD HIM I NEEDED[/b] to cover his own ass – for getting the wrong data in the first place.  The whole launch schedule depends on this.

Frankly, I don’t think I can get it done by then.  It’s just too much work.  I’ve already worked 16, 12 hour days straight – and my brain is getting fried from the tube time.  I’m thinking seriously about relaxing a little – and set my goal to be to finish in less 3 weeks from when I received the correct data, say around the 29th of April.  Later than the schedule says, faster than I said I could do it.

What would y’all do?  Kill yourself to save the schedule – even when your boss is acting like an a$$hole?  Or, do enough to get it done [b]before[/b] the three weeks we agreed on is over?

If he’d have come to me and asked if there was any way I could possibly get it done, and used that approach – I’d feel one way about it.  But to tell me "You’re still going to get it done – [b]OR ELSE[/b] "  makes it difficult for me to try much harder than the twelve hours a day I’ve been working.   If it helps, let me humbly tell y’all that we are the only company (limousine, that is) that designs cars totally “on the tube” using CAD data – and I’m the only guy here that can do it.  If they fired me they’d be screwed……(they might wait ‘til after I’m done & fire me though!)

Thanks.

(If the text lines are all screwed up, it’s ‘cause I cut  & pasted this from MS Word.)

see your IM for my answer - for what it's worth...

Instant messages don't appear to be that "instant", LOL.

[:D]

Get a raise or quit...

get a sign, the one that says "failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine"

they'll abuse you as long as you let them, then they'll toss you aside like so much trash. protect yourself. CYA. in writing. e-mails, delivery schedules, etc. then try to meet the deadline, to show good faith.

I've been thinking about that....

(1) The economy sucks right now.  It is HARD to find work.  Of course, my perspective is biased since Seattle is the second-worst area in the country for unemployment right now.

(2) Document EVERYTHING.  Print out those emails (preferably on your printer AT WORK, so you get the burst pages showing they were printed there) and TAKE THEM HOME.  Make sure you get replies/answers/schedules from your boss IN WRITING.  If you don't, you might come in on the 30th and be handed a nice little sheet of paper that explains that you failed to get your project done on time and that he is terminating you.

My ex-manager lied to me repeatedly about schedules and project requirements, putting some in writing and then changing everything verbally.  He was extremely careful not to document anything.  And he used all those verbal changes to fire me, claiming that the written ones were the only ones that had ever existed and that I hadn't come even close to the schedule I'd agreed to in writing.

Just don't take your AR to work.

71-Hour,
 I've got the schedule we laid out, and all it states is the tasks that need to be completed, with a start date of 4/3/02, and a completion date of 4/23/02.  At the point in time when it was written, it was assumed by both of us that we had the [b]correct[/b] data "in house".  The right data didn't get here until mid-day 4/11 - but he still thinks this can all be done by 4/23.  I'm telling you - it's humanely impossible.

I'm doing the best I can though!

258 reads, 5 replies other than my own.  98.06% of you guys would act like there's not a problem?  

[:D]

Remember the phrase 'Sh*t rolls downhill' guess where your sitting in this situation . Basically your screwed unless higherups buy the original time estimates you set up .

Well, I'd say there are alot of factors here that we don't know...  For example, I presume you are salary?  Do you feel you are otherwise adequately compensated?  Do you feel you could obtain work in another company for similar compensation?

To start off with, if you are salary, your first mistake was submitting a plan that required you to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.  It is simply not worth it - most of the time, the only one who will even know you are working these long hours is your manager, and frankly, at the "grunt" level your manager has very little to do in determining your compensation in the first place.  Most managers will likely not appreciate the extra hours you are putting in - at least not in the proper proportion to your efforts.  And even if they do appreciate it, it is not likely to get you much.  If you were paid hourly wages and raking in the overtime, or were a salesman getting commission - well, that is another story.  At least you are getting compensated for your extra efforts.

But that is water under the bridge...  I suppose what to do now depends on your relationship with upper level management.  Likely, all they care about is getting the job done on time - they really don't care whose screw up it really is.  The person they are likely going to interact with is your manager, and it doesn't seem like he is going to own up to it.  At the very least, he is going to present the argument that you should have been able to tell the difference between a sedan and what is more or less a sports car before putting 96 hours into the project.

Chances are high that you will take the brunt of the blame no matter what, as it seem slike 99% of the work was your responsibility.  Of course, the screw up was not your fault, but the project was yours, the plan was yours.  What you do is highly dependant on your desire to keep the position as this could potentially put you at risk.  Since you mentioned you have been thinking about quitting, I'd guess that this isn't that big of a concern for you.  There is probably no worse situation than where your boss hates you, however.  

If you try to get this done on time, then you have another week of hell, likely without any recognition for your surpreme effors (as this would mean your boss needs to admit his screw up).  If you intentionally let the date slip and both of you "survive" this ordeal, I would expect to be working in hostile environment for as long as your current boss is in your management chain.

Rocko

Good one rocko.....

I would probably bite the bullet and do whatever it takes to meet the schedule, even though your boss screwed it up.

If you boss is any man at all he will realize you saved his ass and look out for you in the future. If not, I would seriously look for new employment as soon as this project is completed.

If you don't make the schedule, the buck will probably end up in your lap anyway. Your boss will accuse you of dropping the ball or not taking "ownership" of the project, regardless of what the situation was with the data.

If you are really pissed, you could just tell him to go to hell and bail mid-project. The problem with this is he may bad mouth you if you try to use him as a reference. And I don't know what the job situation is in your area.

Find some solace in knowing that this is a very common situation in business and happens to everyone one time or another. It's one of the risks we all take when we work for someone else.

Send your boss an email, CC’ing his boss stating that because of the eight day delay caused by the ordering of the wrong software it’s unlikely that you will be able to finish the project on time even if you work everyday 16 hours a day.  But, that you do understand the importance of the situation, and will do everything you can to complete the project on time.  I would include a detailed description of what you need to even have half a chance to get it done on time, more people helping you, etc.  I wouldn’t point out it was your bosses fault everything is late.  That would just cause your boss to be embarrassed and it would make you look like a finger pointing whiner.  If you succeed in completing the project on time it will make you look like a miracle worker to your bosses, boss.  If you blow it off it makes you look like a quitter. Just my $0.02

Larry

i would agree with "mattja" and "larryinCA", but this could be another option: check out your employee handbook for illnesses, specifically something like substance abuse treatment....you could tell the weasle "gee, all this extra work from mis-information has caused mental stress, and i'll be checking into a psychactric hospital, for stress thearapy" or something clever, that they can't come back on you for. if you were hit by a car, and in the hospital, what are they gonna do? ok besides bring in a laptop. it's bogus, low, and i don't condone it, but there is no point in taking it up the ass because the boss screwed up and now wants to put it too you. my .01 'cuz it ain't worth .02

Tell him that you don't know if it can be completed on time now that he screwed up, but if you do get it done that you want a bonus of X amount, to make up for the extra work you will have to do. Also get it in writing so that he can't back out.

If he balks I would go over his head and explain the situation. If it's true that you are the only one at the company that can do the work and these guys know it then you should have some leverage. If it's true and they don't know it, then you can just quit now and when they call you back because there is nobody else to turn to you can either negotiate a higher salary than what you are getting now, or you can tell them you will do the work as an outside contractor and they can pay you X amount or kiss your ass.

This is all considering that you are truely thinking about quitting anyways and have a fall back plan in case it doesn't pan out. In any case I would ask for more money since more pressure is getting applied to you because of other peoples screw ups.

A lot of us has had ups and downs in our careers.  Sometimes the "downs" were our fault and sometimes it was somebody else's fault.  This is a time when you are going to have to make a decision about your career.  Either you are going to have to soak it up and do the absolute best you can or say "fuck it".  Forget about trying to cover your ass.  Remember that life is not fair.  You may do a great job and somebody else gets the credit or somebody just might try and screw you.

You have to take the cards you are dealt and make the best of it.  What you do now will define your future work ethics.  Just remember that things usually works out in the long run.  Most hard working dedicated people come out ahead in the long run.  Quitters usually fail in the long run.  Blaming somebody else (even if you are right) is usually not a solution.  I would be very surprised that if you pull this one out that you would not be rewarded in the future.

I know this advise sounds like a Brady Bunch lecture but its the best I have.

Absolutely not.[img]http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/sadness.gif[/img]

You are getting good advice from the others.  Have nothing meaningful to add.  Be very careful, you might not find a chair when the music stops...  [img]http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/mecry.gif[/img]

First CYA, document Everything .

Then work as hard as you possibly can to get it finished.  Be sure to communicate to your boss the reason for the delay.

Try not to complain about the situation with co-workers.

If the boss still doesn't appreciate you, consider a department/ company change.

I agree with LarryinCA, apprising your boss & his boss insures that both parties are aware of the truth in the situation.

ColtShorty

GOA KABA COA JPFO SAF NRA

"I won't be wronged,  I won't be insulted
and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do
these things to other people and I require
the same from them."

Negative.



Negative.



I could easily make more than twice what I'm making here at other companies in the Detroit area, but the cost of living in that area is substantially higher too.  I've been trying to avoid having to relocate the family.



Given the usual "quality" LOL, of some of the surface data I've gotten from General Motors, 3 weeks is plenty of time, at about 45-50 hours a week to complete the job.  I [b]assumed[/b] that since Lincoln's CAD system and ours are the SAME, the data would come in as good as, or better, than Cadillac data which ISN'T native to our system.  The Lincoln data was easily twice as bad - none of the surfaces were trimmed - none of 'em!  And they were also "off" far enough, that their edges couldn't be used to trim the overlapping surfaces.  Add to that, edges filled with loads of inflection points, invalid surfaces, duplicate untrimmed ones, etc...it's THIS that put the project in the 12/7 mode.  I didn't PLAN this.



This is the case.  I'm calling in my [b]BRC[/b] money.



That would be a good argument except for two things.  We got the data BEFORE we received the first new model car.  That was how I caught the error.  Comparing what I had been given, to what the pilot car looked like.  Second, I plotted drawings of the body in white, & body closures and distributed them.  He saw the same thing I was looking at and didn't catch it.



This has always been the case here.



Unfortunately, this has too!

Thanks for your response.

LMAO!!  I've got that same thing hanging on my cubicle wall, except it says "Pick any two" at the bottom...

[:D]

This why I'm glad to be a union worker. I'd tell the boss to fix his own fucking problem and then happily stand by while it blew up in [i]his[/i] face. But I'd be kind enough to at least attempt to not laugh out loud. [:)]

Boomer:

The whole project is going to blow up in his face anyways.  The guys from tooling called me this morning & asked for a few more dimensions to check the pilot car in it's stretched position.  (They're supposed to be building the fixtures that hold the car in it's stretched position while the frame & body members, extra door pillars etc. are welded in place.)

I told them "You can't need more dimensions.  According to [b]the schedule in front of me[/b] you guys were done yesterday on the 19th!"

(In other words, if they're still trying to set the car up - they haven't [b]begun[/b] to build the fixtures yet.)

[:D]

A3kid, Flash66 offered words of wisdom. Pay heed.

I know a guy at my old job who, for years, produced the most beautiful reports, pre-sales analysis documents, software specifications, you name it. This guy was pro all the way.

The entire time he was producing these documents, and I mean for years, his boss would scratch out my buddy's name and put his own name in place of it.

One time, the guy called in sick and his boss had to fill-in and come up with his own analysis and send it to upper managament. When the guys at the top saw it, word has it they said, "What the hell? Who produced this POS with spelling errors, logical ommissions and errors?" The ahole was called in to offer an explanation and had to admit that he was steeling the guys work.

Being he was a manager, they did not fire him. But from that point forward he was considered a joke and was never promoted.

Sometimes there is justice.

   Are you aware of where the term BOSS comes from?  

   BOSS spelled backwards is Double SOB [:D]


  It all seems pretty clear to me. The man states he can do the job with the needed information in a given time. The proper information did not show up. So the time schedule will of course be altered. The time schedule was acceptable before the wrong information showed up and it should be acceptable now.
   After hearing about the comments regarding the other departments not finishing their part although the boss said they did. What you have is a ignorant, arrogant BOSS. Those types sacrifice anyone and everyone to make themselves look good.
    Solution: Keep exact times of when the proper information to complete your project showed up and keep your time schedule not completion date as promised. I would keep reminding him of the actual number of days involved not the completion date. If numbnuts fires you. Go over his head and present your information to his boss. His boss maybe clueless as to his actions. If he doesn't fire you. You will be subject to his ignorance until he is fired or you help him get fired or demoted. Again, I would go over his head and present the situation to his boss, in a casual manner of course.
   No need for loyalty in a situation as this. Your boss doesn't know the meaning of it. Dust him while he is weak and enjoy your new boss or enjoy your new position as boss :)

   Welcome to Office Politics 101

If you can't get the job done I am sure they will find someone who can.

What is this supposed to be, [b]bait[/b]?  Ok, here's my response then:

[moon]

1. Do what is necessary to complete this project ASAP.
2. Cultivate the patronship of somebody higher up the food chain than your boss.
3.  Undermine, backstab, and sell out your boss at every future opportunity.  ex. A guy with your level  of computer skills ought to be able to lard the boss's hard drive with pornography (go heavy on scat and bestiality), then turn him in to higher management both for wasting company time [b]and[/b] creating a hostile work environment by showing it to you.

Yes, I agree with Golgo 13. Sabotage! Then he will be fired.

Not to mention what could happen if [b]illegal[/b] pornography were to be found downloaded on his hard drive....

There are *things* about *passwords* I know, that would make this way too easy.  [:D]

MUUUUHAHAHAHAHAHA.....

Just remember, with computers there is little that is not traceable/or has a date and time stamp.
If you weather the storm and get through this go into CYA mode EVERYDAY at work, print e-mails, copy memos, buy a little tape recorder with a mike you can stash in your pocket. It is sad it sometimes gets to this.

WORK SLAVE!!![devil]
BrenLover

My point was you were given a task by the boss. If you are not the man up to these tasks they will figure this out and move the position on to someone more suited to co-ordinating the task. Looks to me like you are the type to blame every single other person on the project but take not one ounce of responsibility for it's failure yourself.

Remember God first of all.

Second, supposing you want to finish this job, keep yourself sane and stick to the "modified" schedule.  The guys who are building the set up are behind on their schedule too, so don't worry too much.

Third, inform managers above your boss of the status of the project, if not the entire situation.

Fourth, good luck dealing with the [+]:D]!  

Beta C-Mag  $395
Bushmaster Dissapator $895
100 rnds of Q3131a  $18

Look on bosses face as you spray and pray...priceless!![50]


Just kidding

[beer]