They keep fuckin' it up, so we have to fuck it back down
Besides being hilarious maxim it's an organizational imperative that no matter who fucked it up, in the end, it has to be fucked back down.
Oct 29, 2010
Favorite Workplace Quote
I heard a quote from a friend of mine the other day. Not sure who originated it. Maybe his boss, maybe it's someone famous and this is a well known one.
Besides being hilarious maxim it's an organizational imperative that no matter who fucked it up, in the end, it has to be fucked back down.
Besides being hilarious maxim it's an organizational imperative that no matter who fucked it up, in the end, it has to be fucked back down.
The Hump
It's easy to go in early and home late when things are going your way. You're learning, your producing, progress is made. It's exactly the opposite that makes you a winner. Go in early and home late when things aren't the greatest. You should be there figuring out how to change it.
Oct 28, 2010
VMWare Remote Plugin and IE8
Internet Explorer 8 on a 64 bit Windows 7 doesn't get along well with VMWare Server. If you seeing this message:
No matter how many times you install and remove the plugin, then you're likely problem is that you're using 64 bit Internet Explorer 8 and installing 32 bit plugin.
As far as I can tell, there is no 64 bit plugin with vmware server, luckily you can run 32 bit Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 64 bit. It should be installed. You might have to look through the start menu.
At least, until the plugin is usable with Firefox or Chrome.
Remote console plugin is not installed or could not be found
No matter how many times you install and remove the plugin, then you're likely problem is that you're using 64 bit Internet Explorer 8 and installing 32 bit plugin.
As far as I can tell, there is no 64 bit plugin with vmware server, luckily you can run 32 bit Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 64 bit. It should be installed. You might have to look through the start menu.
At least, until the plugin is usable with Firefox or Chrome.
Oct 27, 2010
Fiefdoms And Their Leaders
Seems like there's a natural tendency in workplaces to cloister, close, confine, protect. That's the default mode for many workers, their supervisors and management. I like to think of this as a little medieval fiefdoms that are carved out of an organization. I think the idea is that you want to keep solitary that which makes you unique and at the same time control how the organization judges you and your fiefdom (sometimes fiefdoms are single person entities).
When you get good at something, it's natural to try and protect what you know and use it to your full advantage. For a worker, I think the attitude is a little forgivable. Their job is not to maximize department output, decrease inefficiency, increase output. But what about managers that have this attitude? Sometimes managers are just longer term employees that got promoted up. I guess it's possible for them to bring their attitudes with them into the more senior roles.
The leaders are also not beyond the scrutiny of their managers in turn. So if a persons natural tendency is to spin, massage, or deflect the information used to judge their performance, likewise they will protect their departments or divisions in the same way.
The problem is that in this environment, creativity is stifled, fear is at maximum warp factor, mistakes are not forgiven, so everyone is really wearing professional handcuffs. The mantra - in the fiefdom, there is safety, let's all retreat to the fiefdom.
Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to change attitudes instantly from petty fief to benevolent and potent leader? Well, there isn't one; stop dreaming. It's hard work to change your attitude. A daily grind fighting your own worst enemy. But you have to do it if you want to get off the fiefdom and do something fulfilling.
When you get good at something, it's natural to try and protect what you know and use it to your full advantage. For a worker, I think the attitude is a little forgivable. Their job is not to maximize department output, decrease inefficiency, increase output. But what about managers that have this attitude? Sometimes managers are just longer term employees that got promoted up. I guess it's possible for them to bring their attitudes with them into the more senior roles.
The leaders are also not beyond the scrutiny of their managers in turn. So if a persons natural tendency is to spin, massage, or deflect the information used to judge their performance, likewise they will protect their departments or divisions in the same way.
The problem is that in this environment, creativity is stifled, fear is at maximum warp factor, mistakes are not forgiven, so everyone is really wearing professional handcuffs. The mantra - in the fiefdom, there is safety, let's all retreat to the fiefdom.
Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to change attitudes instantly from petty fief to benevolent and potent leader? Well, there isn't one; stop dreaming. It's hard work to change your attitude. A daily grind fighting your own worst enemy. But you have to do it if you want to get off the fiefdom and do something fulfilling.
Be Generous
My favourite blog is Seth Godin. He's marvelously insightful and often when I read his blog I think he's writing a letter directly to me.
One of my favourite sethisms is that you should be generous with your ideas and knowledge. You should be giving that away for free. It does no good to pinch every piece of information you have with both hands hoping to hold on to it and through that, make yourself indispensable.
That's not how indispensable works.
The great thing about generous is that once you've done something once, you tell others, then they can do it, and you can figure out something new. That's the part of working that I love. The new and exciting, not the brainless and repetitive.
One of my favourite sethisms is that you should be generous with your ideas and knowledge. You should be giving that away for free. It does no good to pinch every piece of information you have with both hands hoping to hold on to it and through that, make yourself indispensable.
That's not how indispensable works.
The great thing about generous is that once you've done something once, you tell others, then they can do it, and you can figure out something new. That's the part of working that I love. The new and exciting, not the brainless and repetitive.
Make the Switch
I spent 8 years developing software at small startups. Mostly embedded software, sometimes Windows tools for the embedded systems. About 2 years ago I switched to a big company that makes big software for big healthcare clients.
It was a huge change in daily routine.
Firstly, I went from being one of two developers on a project to being one of more than a dozen.
Secondly, I went from being a senior guy who pushed the development agenda, and was confident about what I was creating to being a meek churchmouse. Although, this is probably more related to the big change from embedded to Windows/Unix world.
Thirdly, I found out, when there's that many people working on a project, everyone has a different agenda. More accurately, as the number of people involved in a project goes up, the chances of everyone getting along goes down.
I found it shocking when not everyone worked at creating art in their work. Some people couldn't wait to go home at the end of the day. This was so different from the world I came from, and the world that I wanted to bring to my new big company.
The truth is, they're everywhere. But don't let them get you down (they're going to try their hardest).
It was a huge change in daily routine.
Firstly, I went from being one of two developers on a project to being one of more than a dozen.
Secondly, I went from being a senior guy who pushed the development agenda, and was confident about what I was creating to being a meek churchmouse. Although, this is probably more related to the big change from embedded to Windows/Unix world.
Thirdly, I found out, when there's that many people working on a project, everyone has a different agenda. More accurately, as the number of people involved in a project goes up, the chances of everyone getting along goes down.
I found it shocking when not everyone worked at creating art in their work. Some people couldn't wait to go home at the end of the day. This was so different from the world I came from, and the world that I wanted to bring to my new big company.
The truth is, they're everywhere. But don't let them get you down (they're going to try their hardest).
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