What would you do when...

[IntegratedValve]

When the bosses have no clue about the area of specialization for the type of work you do, and they are the ones who you have to deal with to get the requirements and specifications of the project? You ask for more details about the project you are working on. They try to give you answers but then you discover they don't really know what they want, they start guessing, then go into the solution domain to try figure out incomplete answers. In other words they give you some solution idea (how to do it) instead what they want. For me it's frustrating when I see the management not really competent in the field and they are not up to the point where they can give detailed specification of the requirements. I'm really confused whether to just do what they want me to do, even if it's how-to-do-things, or should I stop them when they try to suggest any solution for incomplete problem and approach the requirements differently by using for example forms they need to fill in... I don't want to upset them and lose my job, at the same time I need to be happy with what I'm doing and not lose motivation. Job is not priority over my life, but it's my source of income. Anyway your help and suggestion are greatly appreciated.

[Stonent]

I took a class on time management earlier this year and they had everyone fill out a personality questionnaire and separated us into groups based on it.

I was in the group that was good at making things work, but we're nearly useless when people give us extremely vague wants and expect us to figure it out. I don't remember what that was called but everyone in my group had the same problem, people would go to them because they had some of the best technical knowledge but they required a lot of details to make it work.

[G7PSK]

May not work in all fields but for what I do if I get an enquiry for something and the management cant exactly define what it is they want I go and talk to the people who are going to be the users of the equipment if I can, as what most of what I do is going into some industry or workplace this is fairly easy for me.

[IntegratedValve]

Learn about paragraphs ?

I could use "paragraphs" but I'm afraid they will find it somehow insulting to their intelligence trying to simplify things for them...this is the problem they may misinterpret things.

[sprocket]

Learn about paragraphs ?

I could use "paragraphs" but I'm afraid they will find it somehow insulting to their intelligence trying to simplify things for them...this is the problem they may misinterpret things.

sounds like you are working for a bunch of nazi's

[IntegratedValve]

Learn about paragraphs ?

I could use "paragraphs" but I'm afraid they will find it somehow insulting to their intelligence trying to simplify things for them...this is the problem they may misinterpret things.

sounds like you are working for a bunch of nazi's

You are right, seriously they are somehow anti-Semite. 

But I think it's more about educational background, a bunch who never been to uni cannot really understand what's involved and how things work.

[tszaboo]

Ask your colleagues.
Go above their head.
Write feasibility documents if you dont do it already, write a couple of "not decided yet" points in it, and tell them there is no point proceeding while they are not decided.

[IntegratedValve]

Thanks for replies  , but honestly I was expecting more professional answers  from people working at real work places  of different sizes. The types I'm dealing with are not uncommon.

Have a good day!

Bye!

[Stonent]

Thanks for replies  , but honestly I was expecting more professional answers  from people working at real work places  of different sizes. The types I'm dealing with are not uncommon.

Have a good day!

Bye!

Sorry my last two jobs were working for multinational companies with 17 billion USD in yearly revenue and 10 billion USD in yearly revenue. Sorry I didn't have anything more real for you.

[Neilm]

I have to say it sounds like my usual requirement specs. Liable to change at any point up to and including launch day. If it not in the spec - make it up. If working in a team then ideas can be kicked around the team. When (not if) someone complains that it isn't what they wanted just ask where the requirement was. (Make sure you keep all the e-mails where you stated more details required)

Personally, I much preferred my last place, requirements were locked in stone and any change needed agreement from 4 different managers.

[IanB]

The professional answer to this problem is to avoid beginning with how the system should work and focus instead on what your end users will want from it. This is addressed by identifying who the users are and what job they are trying to perform (put yourselves in their shoes), and then asking yourself this question "If I were that person doing that job, what would I need the system to do for me?"

This process can be aided by creating a profile of typical users ("personas"), e.g. "Harry has to install and maintain the system", "Mary uses the system for routine tasks and she doesn't much care how it works as long as it is fast and reliable", "Joe likes to set things exactly to his liking and wants lots of control over settings and adjustments".

Then you consider how important each of your persona's concerns are in your intended market, and only then can you start to design how the product will work to meet those demands.

[madshaman]

Ultimately if you don't like your corporate environment, or think it's stupid (and there's nothing saying it isn't) you should leave asap, but, we all gotta eat too.

[c4757p]

When the bosses have no clue about the area of specialization for the type of work you do

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress boss. But I repeat myself." - Mark Twain Every engineer everywhere.

[envisionelec]

When the bosses have no clue about the area of specialization for the type of work you do, and they are the ones who you have to deal with to get the requirements and specifications of the project? You ask for more details about the project you are working on. They try to give you answers but then you discover they don't really know what they want, they start guessing, then go into the solution domain to try figure out incomplete answers. In other words they give you some solution idea (how to do it) instead what they want. For me it's frustrating when I see the management not really competent in the field and they are not up to the point where they can give detailed specification of the requirements. I'm really confused whether to just do what they want me to do, even if it's how-to-do-things, or should I stop them when they try to suggest any solution for incomplete problem and approach the requirements differently by using for example forms they need to fill in... I don't want to upset them and lose my job, at the same time I need to be happy with what I'm doing and not lose motivation. Job is not priority over my life, but it's my source of income. Anyway your help and suggestion are greatly appreciated.

Story of my life! I toiled under this management for nearly 8 years.

My solution? I quit.

But seriously though, there is this thing called push-back. Call a meeting and discuss the bare minimum and give extended deadlines. If they don't sense they are making headway, they will be forced to bring in more people closer to the requirements or ask more questions that gives you the chance to expound. One of the biggest things you can do is keep an open mind and then design something open ended that can be expanded a little bit, but no more. You have to set limits so it forces them to make a decision. Either it's good enough or they will give you another requirement.

One big concept a lot of people don't understand is that you aren't responsible for delivering on every expectation. You are supposed to filter the nonsense. If you totally fail, it's management's problem for lack of communication. I maintained a fairly firm disposition with the expectation that I would receive a "minimum" specification for any project before proceeding. If I didn't, I would be responsible for whatever was out of control. I stopped this quickly and that's what began a whole new understanding of how to behave as a successful engineer. You do more by limiting more.