If you think about it, it really is a thankless job, especially if you compare it to investment bankers, who have no social relevance.

Most engineers probably just do this: Nod/say yes just so the manager will shut up and then go on their merry way. Documentation? They probably write a script to handle that.

I don’t normally use Wikipedia as a resource or for quoting but I think I’ll make an exception this time. Now, no doubt that certain industry standards can definitely promote quality but blind application (or not truly understanding them) can be disadvantageous. Since this is a humor site, let’s focus on the negative:

According to Seddon, ISO 9001 promotes specification, control, and procedures rather than understanding and improvement. Wade argues that ISO 9000 is effective as a guideline, but that promoting it as a standard “helps to mislead companies into thinking that certification means better quality, … [undermining] the need for an organization to set its own quality standards.” Paraphrased, Wade’s argument is that total, blind reliance on the specifications of ISO 9001 does not guarantee a successful quality system.

The standard is seen as especially prone to failure when a company is interested in certification before quality. Certifications are in fact often based on customer contractual requirements rather than a desire to actually improve quality. “If you just want the certificate on the wall, chances are, you will create a paper system that doesn’t have much to do with the way you actually run your business,” said ISO’s Roger Frost. Certification by an independent auditor is often seen as the problem area, and according to Barnes, “has become a vehicle to increase consulting services.” In fact, ISO itself advises that ISO 9001 can be implemented without certification, simply for the quality benefits that can be achieved.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9000

Just something to think about.

Sparked by an idea when a co-worker thought he should start charging people.

A friend told me once something like this happened to him. No kidding.

This really happened to us. Sure it was implemented abruptly and without warning but it is a welcome development.

However,  we are skeptical about how they will determine if overtime is necessary or not and if this no overtime policy will work in the long run. Remember, this is the same management that likes to give laborious tasks on top of demanding project tasks.

We guess time will tell. In the meantime, we will all be busy living our lives outside of work we so richly deserve.

There is a very fine line between confidence and arrogance. Some people have already crossed it but don’t know it yet. Some are well aware that they crossed it but they insist they haven’t. Hubris, denial and plain ‘ole stubbornness…

It’s right there when you get the things you want from management such that you have to check outside if it’s raining fireballs.

It’s tough when you feel like you’re out of the loop and there’s no way you can confirm if you really are.

You know, I’m wondering about the answers to the same question. How are they doing?