| Topic Name: |
Dealing with difficult business end-user |
| Message Name: |
How do you like your job? |
| Date Posted: |
02/24/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
I am an IT engineer working at a financial institution. We are a group of 5 developers reporting to a manager. Typically, we write software solutions required by different lines-of-business within our company. In most projects, the business guys provide us with the requirements, we build the application, we go through a few testing cycles and the application is moved into production. That's our model.
Most of our business users are quite cooperative in providing us with requirements and in understanding timeframes taken to deliver a quality product. Of course, they want the solution right away :-), but they are happy with the stuff that we deliver.
Of late, we are running into a serious problem with a business user. He is under pressure from the business VP to roll out a critical application. He had tried to get a consulting company deliver this, but that did not work out. Now, he has come to our door for help.
However, his attitude is extremely brash. He wants the entire application (which the consulting company failed to deliver after 1 year) ready in 1 month!!! We understand his urgency, but we cannot dump other projects and work for him only. Even then, it will take us a good amount of time to write the application.
Our business user refuses to understand to logic. He throws tantrums. He goes behind our back and promises "demo"s to his boss. Because of this, we had to work for 20 hours on a Saturday and even then this "demo" was just a charade!
Now, this dude wants us to work through Christmas to get another "demo" working.
We are at our wits end in dealing with this guy. We have tried to rationalize with him. But he (worked in the military) does not like any dissent and he refuses to listen to us. Needless to say, our manager has been a wimp in dealing with this guy.
Is this fairly common where IT folks have to work for business end-users? Have you encountered similar situations?
How would you deal with this case?
Thanks..... |
| Message: |
Besides current frustrations with these people, how do you like your job? Woud it make your job easier if the "business guys" who provide you with the requirements knew more about computer programming (therefore they would understand reasonable deadlines and more about the language they are dealing with)?
I am a sophomore in college majoring in management information systems in the business school. I don't necessarily want to be the person programming, I want to solve business problems through programs. I want to be "the business guys", but I want to work very closely with the programmers (since they are the most important aspect to my career). I plan on taking all the programming classes I can; I want a full understanding of limitations, strengths, etc. of each language.
I don't know much about the professional world which I will be joining in several years. Is there any advice or knowledge that you would be willing to share with me? I came to understand you do not work with a consulting company, what kind of company do you work with?
thank-you!
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