sigh.... inhouse life
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- NONEIS0
the truth is, you can argue with your boss, you just have to be a better communicator than them (see "convince them it was their idea in the first place") and grow a pair :D
then if you want, you can do whatever you think is best and be happy.
- if you communicate better it will sting the boss's ego and he may become very annoyed with you...janne76
- randommail0
you will find the answers you are looking for in 'Make It Bigger' by Paula Scher.
- CyBrain0
Go work for the outside company. If you work in house, it's an almost automatic bias against you they'll have. They'll always think the outsiders are the experts and you're the backup for the more creative work.
- fourthgen0
dmullins:
the only reason why I stay (besides OK pay, and the economy sucks for creative jobs right now) is because I get laid off for 3 months a year and I travel like a madman. the job works perfectly with my lifestyle
- they lay you off, then un-lay you?MSTRPLN
- I believe the term you are looking for is furlough?duckofrubber
- "seasonal" jobfourthgen
- janne760
never attempt to be smarter than your boss.
- hilchev0
nothing you can do about it. just find a new job.
- dMullins0
Well, in that case, who is your direct supervisor?
Come up with a logical workflow and sign-off process, spend some time making it read and sound right, and then request an hour of their time. Devote 30 minutes to your proposal, and 30 minutes for Q&A. Stay positive, don't mention anything negative.
For instead, instead of "Fuck John, he is always coming to me with minor changes for petty shit and it wastes my time going back and forth all the time with him over this shit."
Say: "Well, boss, I think that by creating a logical workflow and approval process, we can alleviate department-wide frustration when these situations arise, and in addition to that, we spend less time talking about the solution, and more time making the solution, in order to maximize the amount of work I'm able to do for you in one day. In the end, it's all about money, and I want to save yours. * slurp, slurp * "
- raf0
When I was an in-house, we had marketing people flown in from 6 European countries (sometimes teams of 2-3) and from the US to discuss the website for a few hours. It took months and months of meetings like that.
The guy from the US kept insisting on things like 800x600 compliance, was very vocal about not wasting screen estate with whitespace and bragged about his US clients being very different from European audience. Months into the process, when everyone agreed to bulk of his changes and the watered down web styleguide was published, the guy unexpectedly quit and moved on to another company.
I knew he wasn't to be trusted when he came in to my desk one day just upon arrival from the airport and pulled out a new Jakob Nielsen book, very excited about it.
- dMullins0
As far as the CEO issues, you might have to just get over that, he's the boss. Alternately, you could propose that your company drafts a branding style guide, then you could distribute it, make 100% sure that these are the standards, and no one is to break out of them.
Best bet is probably to come up with solution for the fixes, or keep your lips sealed. Your higher-ups and low-belows are probably trying to be seen and heard as decision makers, and if people notice you are always pushing back with negative feedback, it could actually make you look bad, instead of making them look like whiney bitches.
I don't know, that's all the advice I have, but I've definitely been in this exact situation before, and hated it, so I felt the need to weigh in.
- set0
God damn that first post was long, i read your title at least but yea working inhouse sucks, excuse me if ive missed the point.
go freelance!
- 5timuli0
"Pop"
I hear that shit every fucking day.
- brandon_phillip0
Been there, done that, doing it now - and I agree that it blows. Another thing to add, if you cannot communicate all the petty and irrelevant changes that are done to your work, is to document it all in emails to your boss and CEO - so you don't get left holding the bag on someone else's stinking bag of 'shit'.
- +1, transperancy can be your best friend when other people in the office fuck with your workflow.NONEIS
- fourthgen0
dmullins
yeah that's all good advice, I did a style guide for my last big project. Just a "hey this is exactly what it's going to look like and why so STFU" and it went over pretty well.
I've always strayed from negativity and if I ever needed to argue I used sound reasoning– "the signage is white punched out of brown and has more contrast then white on blue, therefore more readable..." only to be met with a crazy stare and ".... uhm make it blue, they need to be blue"
I can't get past this type of criticism... it's like I should be asking these people what their favorite color and animal is at times. Basically there is no trust in me at all...
- fourthgen0
i forgot about this :o
wow thanks guys. some valid points
- dMullins0
Oh I agree. That sounds very very familiar. I think I know your boss's type.
Smile, nod, and ask, "What do you want me to do?" Take their direction, and do it. Otherwise, you're just causing yourself stress. Spendogg was right I imagine. This is a creative dead-end. The only thing you can probably do is put in years to get the respect you deserve, and find some other way to create work you appreciate. Otherwise, you will end up internalizing it, taking it home with you, and ruining the beginning of those vacations :)
Again, speaking from my experience, so I could be off base.
- digdre0
to much text in this topic.
- brains0
Just quit my inhouse job. Freelance FTW.
- lobstarr0
I just had an instance where the AM told me I sent incorrect templates to the developer... coming off as "our" problem but so delightfully choosing words that it was "my" fault.
Later I get an email from the developer saying that he was looking at the wrong templates - wow.
But no apologies from the AM... guess I should expect so much in an agency.
- but hey whatever, cant complain on my freelance rate!! hahlobstarr