Re: [SAGE] Managers who "engineer"

[Skottie Miller <skottie@anim.dreamworks.com>]

Phil Pennock wrote:
> I'm looking for feedback from those older, wiser and more experienced in
> industry.
> 
> How common is it for senior management to make engineering decisions,
> overriding the engineers?

overriding the engineers?  not in my experience, but maybe I've been
at places with more informed management.  But most all my past and current
management wer at one time talented engineers, who moved into management
as a career path, often because growth was stifled in the pure engineering
areas.

I'm a firm believer that management should hire talented people that
they trust, and then trust them.  managements role is to coordinate,
provide resources, mentor and protect their talent. then step aside.

personally, If I was at a place where management didn't do that, I'd leave.
life is too short to work at a crappy job where you aren't trusted.

> 
> When this (repeatedly) results in breakage, costing the
> company/institution $$$, what is typically the consequence?

the types of managers (and engineers) that make decisions that
lead to overruns are frequently the kind who understand how to
spin doctor.  in other words, some of the worst f**ckups often
lead to promotion...

most places don't have accurate enough cost accounting or project
plan-to-actuals type tracking, so clear proof of who causes what
is often difficult.

run, don't walk, to a healthier company.
  -Skottie

-- 

Scott Miller                 | Animation Technology
work: skottie@dreamworks.com | Dreamworks Feature Animation
life: skottie@pobox.com