Incredible amount of stress
Posted by revolutionPanda@reddit | ExperiencedDevs | View on Reddit | 22 comments
I joined a team about six months ago. They told me the project I’d be working on was already 5 months behind (they had not started it yet.)
Fast forward to now and we have to launch in a month. I dont think we have the time and the boss isn’t approving overtime.
To add to that, my boss has only been here a year and this is the first big project he’s launching. We’re thinking if we don’t hit this date then c suite might not approve to do the rest of the project.
So I’m really stressed out. Is this normal or just bad management?
UntestedMethod@reddit
Terrible management really. Why were the scheduling setbacks not communicated to c suite a long time ago?
Normal_Fishing9824@reddit
It's both
As for what to do. The deadline will be missed and your boss should be preparing stakeholders for this. That's really above your pay grade.
william_fontaine@reddit
I worked 80 hour weeks on a project like this. As soon as we missed the deadline I started looking for another job, and bailed for a slightly better place 2 months later.
Big_Function_N1@reddit
Unfortunately it happens enough. I agree with everyone else.
To add some more though, depending your responsibilities, split the issues up, prioritize the critical and easy to fix issues and work your way down, if you aren't already doing that. You'll need quick fixes and quick wins.
zica-do-reddit@reddit
Just GTFO. Switch teams or get a new job altogether.
codescapes@reddit
Bad management. "5 months behind" shouldn't be something conceptually possible unless we're talking about a rigid release date, multi-year project like you're making the new Call of Duty or need an iOS version for a new iPhone or something. Very few of these true deadline projects actually exist.
Because otherwise it's like "5 months behind" relative to what? Some perfect hypothetical made up by people who won't actually be implementing the project and who necessarily knew less about it then than they do now?
This is why if you want to actually deliver software you focus on specific and achievable goals / deliveries and update your roadmap according to pace. You don't set yourself deadlines like this unless you know what it will realistically take.
I'm not saying to never plan long term but if something is 5 months behind it implies something profound has gone wrong at the planning stage and that new information is not being incorporated into ongoing targets.
OutOfDiskSpace44@reddit
Bad management and it's normal. They have a dud of a project that needs to see completion and cannot be outright canceled because of sunk cost fallacy or to make the higher ups look good or at least keep collecting their paychecks.
Find whatever you can to pad your resume with experience from the project.
Find allies that will get you to a better team or assigned to a better project.
IncandescentWallaby@reddit
Normal for things to be late and behind.
Bad boss to create a situation where that happens and not handle it properly. They should be pushing upwards and explaining the impossible situation that was created and to state that the project will be late.
You do what you can with what you have, it’s up to management to decide what should fit.
By overtime not approved do you mean you are expected to work extra for free, or that you are not allowed to work extra?
revolutionPanda@reddit (OP)
They aren't paying overtime and I typically don't work for free - but the feeling is like "we'll I can not work overtime and then this project will fail and I won't have a job at all."
quokkodile@reddit
True, but then you’ll also probably burn out and they might say “look, the team can meet such deadlines so let’s not learn from our mistakes and just keep doing this BS over and over”. Do you want to work at such a company?
IdealBlueMan@reddit
It's bad management, but your immediate boss isn't necessarily the problem.
Either way, keep an escape plan at hand in case you need it.
NeckBeard137@reddit
So what if they don't approve the rest?
flundstrom2@reddit
So, you got hired to help ship a 12-month project in 6 months?
You (and your managers) should read "The Mythical Man-Month": 'Adding more people to a project which is already delayed, will delay it further'.
Now, in your case, throwing some 3x - 4x the originally intended number of experienced engineers (and testers) 6 months ago /might/ have been needed in order to make it /possible/ to complete the project in half the calendar time - assuming the tasks were possible to run in parallel.
But "just" doubling the number of engineers would not have been sufficient, because of the need to pre- plan, onboard and deal with dependencies etc.
Is your scenario common in the industry? It happens. Sometimes, you're forced to launch, independent of if you meet the requirements or quality level. But that's up to management. I've been forced to do that on very rare occasions, such as the Euro introduction on January 1, 2001. That was a pretty non-negotiable deadline. However usually, management realize compromises needs to be made.
You focus on your part during your paid hours. Solving the projects timeline is not your monkey to deal with.
Different_Suit_7318@reddit
Start your job search, take care of your mental health, and let the project fail. Unless they get rid of this manager this is what you have to look forward to as long as you work here.
Dave-Alvarado@reddit
Both.
ttkciar@reddit
Unfortunately bad management is pretty normal in this industry. I feel lucky whenever I have a manager who isn't a total chowderhead.
Brief-Translator1370@reddit
If you're really worried about your job here, maybe it's best to raise an alarm bell above your boss.
captain_racoon@reddit
Hey. If the concern is missing the delivery date. Dont fret, its already 5 months behind. If youre worried about loosing your job or your contract I get that. But here's the problem with that. With something already 5 month behind and the added pressure my your boss to deliver in a months time, chances are that deadline is going to be missed too and another deadline will come up. If leadership hasnt reassessed the timelines by now, they really dont care about the timeline as long as it gets done.
What youre describing is a failure by leadership to set realistic expectations or the inability by the team lead to offer up realistic tech timelines.
I would say. Dont stress. Make sure you do the best you can and thats all you really can do.
awjre@reddit
Being a good manager is, not only about managing downwards, but also managing upwards. Your manager should have very clearly stated to the business at every opportunity that any delay would shift the delivery date. Each week/month, the failure to start the project must be communicated up the chain with a new expected completion date.
If this did not happen, that really is not your problem to fix, and I would raise this to your manager's manager.
SypeSypher@reddit
yes this is bad management
Ime: yes this is normal, but there's also nothing you can do about it, if you don't have approved overtime....do you 40 hours and dip, project might fail but stressing about it outside of work isn't going to change anything
tomqmasters@reddit
I a similar position once. They hired like 15 people 2 months before it was due. Then fired them all during the install in a different state when it didn't work. They didn't even buy them plane tickets home after they missed the intended departure a few days earlier.
Sheldor5@reddit
if you break a leg at company time it will still be broken in your free time