<OT> Did I do the right thing?

[Alma J Wetzker]

David A. Bandel wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 12:22:38 -0600
> Alma J Wetzker <almaw at ieee.org> wrote:
> 
> [snip]
> 
> 
>>>The answer is a definitive, "that depends".  If he had time to "fish"
>>>through the documentation in order to get the app up, you did the
>>>right thing.  If there was some claustrophobia of circumstance that
>>>meant he had no time to acquire (unix) document understanding, you
>>>could have been more helpful.  A lot also depends on his attitude.  If
>>>he is asking "teach me" (as opposed to "do it for me") you probably
>>>would have been more forthcoming.
> 
> 
> If there was no time to learn, then there should have been a $$$ offer
> up front to "do it for me".

There is that 's' word (should).  At GE and Ameridata training or bonuses were 
very rare.  We had to beg and sign constricting contracts to get it.  I have 
worked other places where things were done properly.  The latter sort are much 
nicer places to work.  Not because of money, but because of the attitude of 
the employees when they know they will be treated fairly by management and 
other employees.
> 
> 
>>>I always liked skill transfers at work.  If you build a system that
>>>only you can maintain, you will never work on another system.  I like
>>>working on new stuff so training others on what I did was very
>>>important to my job satisfaction.  (Plus it often generated a few
>>>favors I could collect...)
> 
> 
> The real reason supervisors and managers are supposed to be training is
> so there's a replacement ready for the time when the promotion, firing,
> moving on to a better job happens.

Any manager that does not have proper backup for supporting a business 
critical function should be terminated.  Putting a business at risk because of 
petty ego games should not be tolerated.

     -- Alma