How Possible is it to Get Honest Opinions at Work?
I've been asked to give a assessment of the current technical state of the Shop I've been at for about nine months now. In general, I'd say that's not enough time to really understand the ins and outs of the place, but they asked, and so I have to give it my best shot.
As I started formulating my answers to their questions, I started to really wonder if they wanted my answers. I mean, really... I was thinking that many of these questions were the equivalent of re-arranging desk chairs on the Titanic. They were questions, yes, and they had answers, yes, but they were all the wrong questions to be asking. I kept trying to think about a way to phrase the answers to give a politically-correct answer while still expressing my opinions, and just couldn't.
This, of course, made me want to not answer the questions, but that really wasn't the answer, either, as they didn't ask everyone the same questions, so they were clearly looking for my take on the issues, and that meant that I really had to answer these questions, like it or not.
So I decided to take another tack - the direct approach: answer their questions stating that it's not about these details they should be asking, but the bigger questions like centralized versus distributed and diverse... groups providing fixed services, or groups assisting other groups in what they want to do... there are a lot bigger issues that need to be answered before you can really get a good idea of what your current state is.
For example, if you are moving towards a distributed development model, then the only measure that matters is: are the users getting the tools they ask for? If the answer is Yes, then it doesn't matter that there are six different types of databases in use, or that there are a dozen different languages on three different operating systems. It's all secondary to getting the product to the end-user.
But if you're going for a more centralized approach with standards for linux workstations and servers, and a Database Team where lots of decisions are made, then you're not just looking at the end result - you're looking at how the systems work, are deployed, supported, updated... all the things that large, centralized IT departments look at.
Two very different ways of working, and two entirely different ways of delivering a product to a customer. But both can work - it's just important to remember which one you're attempting so as not to confuse the two.
When I looked back at what I'd written, I realized that I really didn't know if they were interested in reading this. Maybe so, maybe not. I decided to end it with a simple closing paragraph
Like I said, I'm not sure this is really what you guys, and the guys asking you to compile this list were looking for. I've only been here nine months. That's not long enough to know a lot of people, or really understand the way things are done, and why.
But I've done my best at giving you an honest, clear, direct answer to your questions. I hope it helps. If not, throw it out. It's all just an opinion.
And in the end, I think it's nearly impossible to get a really un-biased, honest opinion of the technological state of things from within. Everyone has their biases, and while we might try to really remove them, they're there, anyway. I guess it's going to have to do for the list they are compiling. It's the best I can do.