[BC] Negativity

[Cowboy]

On Tuesday 24 April 2007 08:42 pm, Dana Puopolo wrote:

 One of those rare situations where I do agree with some of these points.....

> WE are ther ones to blame for our situation.

 Very true ! ( but my views on the reasons probably differ )

>  Unfortunately,
> there's always someonbe willing to whore themselves out, and they drag the
> rest of us down with them. As a result, all of us lose.

 Only to a point.
 Them that are willing to work for less generally know what they are worth,
 or lack the self confidence due to usually fear.
 Generally, the type of management that hire such, *I* don't want to
 work for anyway.
 Also generally, the type of management I *do* want to work for won't
 hire such "cheap" labor. They pretty much know the value of a good man.

 Lest we forget, there's always been, are now, and always will be, someone
 willing to work for less.
 There's also always someone who will pay what one is worth.
 ( note that I didn't say what one *wants* nor did I say what someone
 *thinks* they are worth )

 In my experience, ownership is seldom interested in cheapest.
 They are almost always interested in best value.
 There is a difference. Failing to recognize that difference is fatal.

> If my toilet is leaking and I call a plumber, he quotes me a price and I have
> two choices: either pay his price or keep mopping up the floor. Same thing
> with a car mechanic. Yet, in broadcast engineering there alwsys seems to be
> someone who will work for a few dollars cheaper...

 There are two labels for that. One is Competition. The other, Free Enterprise.

> THAT's the reason that 
> contract engineering rates really haven't gone up in Boston in over a decade.

 Actually, no !
 The reason is poor sales on part of the better engineers !
 Getting the gig is your commission on your sales job.
 Doing the gig is something else entirely.

> We don't cheat the owners, WE CHEAT OURSELVES when we  allow things like this
> to happen.

 Not by "allowing" this, but by participating in the rush to the bottom.
 I do not, will not, do that.
 Why ?
 Because you cheat everyone. Other engineers, AND the owners and
 management as well.

> With regards to Paul's comment, that's fine whenh you're single 
> without a family to feed and house, but it doesn't cut it for the majority of
> us.

 But Paul is still building a track record. 
 Many of us no longer are !

On Wednesday 25 April 2007 08:34 am, Bob Tarsio wrote:
> Dana:
> 
> 
> These are great comments.

 Many of them are, taken in proper context.

> Engineers today have to constantly ask themselves, 
> what is my time worth?

 For one, I pretty much know.

> Often the answer is: not much. And we do it to 
> ourselves. Whether it is low self respect of conditioning by management or a
> combination of both it is a serious situation.

 It's self respect, and fear mostly.
 Management doesn't really have much choice.

> I can't tell you how often I 
> hear this phrase: my manager will never pay for that. This is usually a
> retort after a sales pitch for a product that will in fact save time and
> money. 

 To me, all that means is that your pitching the wrong guy !

> A radio or television station has ownership. Along with that ownership there
> is the responsibility of maintaining the owner's investment.

 The ownership that I personally know, are very, VERY much aware of that fact.

> Often, the 
> ownership is too short sided to see that investing in people first, and then
> good systems will allow them to actually have a better bottom line. 

 Not necessarily. They simply view things from a different perspective.
 Failing to recognize that can be fatal.

> Dana, you hit the nail on the head with the idea of choices. Ownership has
> two choices really. The first is to do nothing. Not a very good choice but a
> very popular one.

 Again, not in my experience.
 Local management, perhaps, but very seldom ownership.

> The second is to invest in the people and systems 
> necessary to do the job. Engineers need to get the burden off of them and
> onto ownership.

 No, but some engineers do very much need to quit assuming burdens
 of ownership that are not their own !
 ( think about that one for a bit )

> Dana you offer good advice to anyone reading this. The next time you find
> yourself in a situation where you are expected to fix the problem and not
> spend any money doing it make sure that in a diplomatic way you tell the
> manager or owner that it is his or her choice and decision.

 Very likely, this is the single biggest failure of many engineers.
 The failure to properly communicate to the right person in a way
 that they can understand.

> Unless your name 
> is on the license, it isn't your choice but responsibility to inform those
> names that do appear on the license what their choices are. 

 However, failure to do so does, in fact, make it your own choice.

-- 
Cowboy