It's Saturday night in a recession..

Generali

PasturesNew wrote: »

That's how I describe my job as a Project Manager. I say "I am paid to sit and listen". And that's what I do. OK, I do all the other stuff, the updating of plans, the checking of constraints and resources and budgets, but that's just run of the mill stuff. The best thing I do is listen ... and when I don't understand something I know it's because there's a problem. So I then ask them to explain it to me... "show me, with diagrams, how that works". Then I can spot the flaw. As they're talking and drawing, I spot where another person or team's gone off at a tangent. In one instance it was a simple mathematical error made... nobody had actually DONE the maths. The simple maths regarding data/bandwidth and number of servers -v- the number of hours between 5pm and 9am the following morning. It simply wouldn't work. So I drew up a new plan/timeline and threw it back at them.

Experts are good, but sometimes they're so wrapped up in the wonderfulness of the technology - and how big and important their team/technology is - they forget to check the bits that actually make it possible.

So, even though Aspies don't have good listening skills and can't socially interact, or "just ask", when it comes to technical subjects I find that I AM good at admitting I don't understand something and then questioning, questioning, questioning it until I find out what was subconsciously niggling me. Another Aspie strength that benefits me as a PM is not actually caring what anybody thinks of me ... which gives me the ability to say "No. Stop". Too many projects just go full steam ahead because nobody has the b4lls to say "No. Stop"; they're too busy licking corporate 4rse. I do flag major issues. I don't care who likes/dislikes me, I'm there to do a job and get it done on time and to spec. And I will go as high as I have to if I think the project is failing and it HAS to be stopped and redrawn. Because of this, people give me the heads up when there are serious issues ... because they trust me and know I will always do the right thing by the people, the project, the company.

"Just say No" - it can only hurt you if you have a personal agenda.

I'm pretty good at saying to people, "Hang on a sec, this just won't work/could work better". It upsets a lot of people but I'm pretty thick skinned. The thing is, if you take that sort of thing to The Boss the chances are he'll be very grateful. If you take it to your boss he'll think you're an ar se for ruining his project.

Experts don't always have all the answers and often miss the bigger picture but you can learn a huge amount in a short amount of time if you listen and ask tons of questions.

SingleSue

PasturesNew wrote: »

You should know better than that.

If somebody's in my space I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof. Can't sit still. Leaping up to check things all the time. Unable to concentrate on what's being said. Nervous, talking twaddle. Unable to relax!

Yep know that one...my youngest is exactly the same, middle one tries to push you out the door again, by force if needed.

I talk twaddle all the time so I wouldn't notice

Enfieldian

Last night was a quiet one after a busy week at work.

Last Friday I had half a bottle of Hardys red as opposed to a night at my local for £3 a pint.

Am currently replaying old PS2 games before I sell them on Ebay.

The best part is waking up at a reasonable hour on Saturday morning and not having a hangover.

JonnyBravo

FungusFighter wrote: »

Who's still going out on the p1ss?

It's Friday

= drinks




But it's a credit crunch.

So it was off to Wetherspoons for Greene King IPA at 99p a pint. Prices to take me back to when I was a student.


Lovely.

:j

LillyJ

A few of us went round to a friend's house and got chips and drank a bottle of wine.
Nothing to do with the credit crunch, it's just what we like doing on Friday evenings! We normally go out on a Saturday night if we go out in town. Last weekend we went to Gatecrasher in Birmingham. Not my scene at all, but had a really fun night with friends, and it was different. It's expensive so I wouldn't do it too often, credit crunch or not.
I can't say that the credit crunch has affected my weekend entertainment habits in the slightest!

WTF?_2

Pobby wrote: »

My local of many years is really struggling sadly. I can remember Friday and Saturday nights, really packed out. Loads of pubs in our city are closing up. I think that the property companies that own them charge stupid rents. Couple that with the ever widening gap between supermarket booze and the smoking ban I see a poor future for the " local ". Sadly yet another bit of our heritage going to the wall.

My 'local' was pretty packed last night but it's a very good pub and attracts an adult demographic from all over the area who will travel to it because it keeps the kids out.

There are plenty of struggling bars and clubs closing down around the area though, it's simply much cheaper to get brand name booze from Tesco and drink it at home with mates. Plus you can smoke if you are a smoker.

FungusFighter

I'm off out in afew hours, got me lucky y-fronts on, one or two ladies are gonna have their dreams come true tonight :beer: :j

FungusFighter

chrisandanne wrote: »

Are you sure they don't call you Fungus because you're kept in the dark and fed on Brad Pit.

Ax

Mate, they call me lots of things cos I'm a legend where I come from, especially with the ladeeeees!!:cool:

PasturesNew

Well, it's Saturday night, I could go out, but I don't really like the people that asked. Their idea of a good night out doesn't match my expectations, so here I am and you lot have the pleasure of my company for tonight.

It would have been Wetherspoons with a chav family and an alcoholic.

Pobby

!!!!!!? wrote: »

My 'local' was pretty packed last night but it's a very good pub and attracts an adult demographic from all over the area who will travel to it because it keeps the kids out.

There are plenty of struggling bars and clubs closing down around the area though, it's simply much cheaper to get brand name booze from Tesco and drink it at home with mates. Plus you can smoke if you are a smoker.

Have to admit that our landlord and landlady try really hard to drum up business. Quiz nights, cheese tasting nights, karaoke and so on. A few years ago I didn`t like going there too much. The money grabbing old bag of a landlady would serve anyone in any state. So in consequence the language was foul and the odd fight would break out.

The new people have kicked out the trash and it`s a really nice, if tatty, friendly pub.

Trouble is, at £2.80 a pint, being mse, I find it hard to justify when I can get merry at home on a lot less than a tenner on beer. Lol!