Re: proper response?

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:29:16 -0400, legg <legg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:12:05 -0700, John Larkin
<jjlarkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I just finished designing another board, a waveform generator, and I
asked one of my guys, my most-recent hire actually, to look it over
before we gerber it. He said "I really don't have my head into what I
was doing, so I'll take a day or so and give it a full check assuming
that it was designed by an idiot."

What should I have replied to a statement like that?

It's good attitude o take when proofing 'perfect' work....like
something off the boss's desk. Proofreading docs at the board level
art stage is a thankless job, but if done well can save your ass. The
less familiar the proof-reader is with the work, the harder it is to
do effectively.

He should probably have kept his mouth shut, though. As a 'new hire',
he's probably interested in finding out, as quickly as possible, if
you can be trusted and whether it's worth hanging around.

My own attitude, very early on, was actually probably the same as my
employer; give it six months before deciding to commit seriously for
the long term. Now-adays, I just look at the project and work around
obstacles (administrative or otherwise) for it's duration. No comment
on which is more fulfilling.

Not having been a 'new hire' for a while yourself, it's maybe a good
idea not to expect to come up with automatic responses when they're
unlikely to be applicable. Full marks for keeping your own trap shut.


I have got "no respect" from R from the moment I met him, much less
hired him. I don't want respect, I want good electronics. I've had too
many engineers who would plough on, doing stupid things, because "John
said to do it that way." I need engineers who will preferably argue
from the get-go, or at least go off, try it, and come back soon and
say "this is a crock, I have a better way."

No engineer should ever turn off his ability to think, no matter how
much authority is stacked against him. And tact should be applied
selectively... it's not a good idea to call a new customer an idiot,
but it's fine in a friendly context.

We have a common goal, to make the electronics as mind-boggling good
as it can be. It is impressive how important, or how destructive, egos
can be in this respect.


John

.

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