More from the complaints department.
Project Management: a profession centered around appeasing clients through overpromising, then sitting back and occasionally asking the team the vague question, “How are we doing?” through various communication channels.
I swear I’d get in on that if I didn’t have to wear a tie and be in on time. The punctual fashion-conscious ones among us are compensated out of proportion to those whose shoulders bear the brunt of the yoke, with their heads on the block and their noses to the grindstone.
Granted, what I said was harsh, but not entirely unjustified. There are times, like with anyone, that management really shines; but when the chips are down, they are not the people I rely on, and are not typically the people who get shafted out of their free time.
I am aware that punctuality and image-consciousness are important aspects of the function of management. They are not important to what I do, though I make an effort out of simple courtesy not to have people waiting on me.
While every position serves a function in the success of a project, it is my opinion that production work is undervalued (based on salary and respect levels) and management overvalued. It is an imbalance that concerns me at a political and philosophical level. This is not to say that management is worthless, only overvalued.
Regardless of my personal relationships with people, my thoughts on the matter remain much the same.
Comment by steelbuddha — 8/31/2005 @ 9:34 am