If you come to me to ask how I do something that I do routinely, I will show you the method I use to do it. This isn't the "right" way to do something. It's the way that has worked best for me over the times I have done this particular task.
Please don't insult me by saying such things as "That's a kludge" or "That's a stupid way to do it". Also, if I have showed you how I do something, I will point out traps that are easily fallen into, and will adise you away from them. If, however, you then go on to do said task in a way that you think will work better, I will applaud you. No-one says you have to follow my suggestions like a robot.
If, however, you should purposefully jump into those traps I told you about, or discount my advice and get stuck in a large set of problems caused by your choice of methods, please don't expect me to play the part of Mr. NiceGuy while I work to extract you and our servers out of the quagmire you have thrown them into.
3 comments:
My husband often says something similar...it comes out sort of like "This is how you should do it - not like THAT, like THIS...it's not my fault if you don't listen to me." Instruction and release of liability all in one sentence.
It's not like that Shannon. Like I said, I'm OK with someone trying to do something in a way that is different from how I would have done it. I'm even OK if someone decides to do it in a way that is dissimilar and doesn't work. Every try, successful or not, is a learning experience. More than one way to skin a cat.
What got on my nerves yesterday was that someone asked me how to do something, criticized my methods, did things that I warned him against doing, and then got petulant with me after asking me to help him un-hose his work.
Oh dear - I wasn't criticizing the method (yours or my husbands) - I am actually amused by it because I've heard stories about similar events going down in his workplace the same way you explain it (he's in maintenance). He gets flustered too, which is probably why his directives have been narrowed down to a couple of strong sentences. Don't you love it when jackasses get petulant?
Post a Comment