In this kind of thing you just go full on formal by requiring the request via e-mail, were you notify them that you’re not qualified to do it and require confirmation (and, if applicable, confirmation that your own manager authorizes it).
(Also if you are busy with some other project, be very very explicit it will have to be put on hold and request confirmation that the manager in charge of that project has authorized it).
By this point, in all likelihood the person doing the request will give up. If not and you do get a go ahead, you’re now fully covered to take tons of time, do a bad job of it and it’s will officially be the fault of the person who asked you to do it.
Great advice, thanks! With my honesty and gullibility I probably will end up in that situation anyway though. :)
I have ended up in this situation! The first commenter is extremely right. Realistically, your manager doesn’t want you wasting time on a “learning opportunity”. They need you doing what you’re good at
Just to add to this, the whole thing is driven by:
- Managerial type has problem.
- Managerial type sees possible solution (a somewhat naive and eager to help techie).
- Managerial type tries that solution.
That’s it: it’s all about them and their problem and zero about the person they’re asking it from, including about any “learning” (if it was about “learning” it would be a “problem in your area of expertise but more complex that what you’ve done so far” and even those are commonly a “solve my problem” that just happen to fall in your area if beyond what you’ve so far done).
So for somebody receiving such “solve me this problem (outside your expertise)” request, the right approach is to make it so that “any problems from me doing this, are not my problems” and make sure it’s all on record because sometimes it is actually needed (normally it’s not, but plenty of managerial types will blame you if this solution of theirs through using a person with no domain expertise blows up, so one does it “on the record” just in case).
Hence, full-on on the record including a clear notice from your side about your lack of training for the job and with clear explanation of consequences for other projects (“If I’m doing this, I’m not doing that”, as said managers might be trying to get you to use your personal time in solving their problem, i.e. you’re still expected to do all the rest in addition to solving their problem) and the authorization of the managers of said projects.
It’s sad that you need to cover your ass just in case, but if it’s all on the up and up said manager has no reason to see your approach in a negative way (it actually looks professional and, had they been managing one of the projects you will put on hold for this request, they would want you to make sure their approval is obtained just like you did), whilst if it is not on the up and up, he or she will give up and seek an easier victim, not just this time but likely from then onwards.
If they do end up getting everything prim and proper and authorized for you to do this totally new kind of thing, you just got yourself a consequences-free and reasonably open-ended chance to play around with new stuff, on the company dole, with no expectations you’ll be good at it, so have fun.
Not trying to troll you but technically, that would also preclude being able to expand your skillset since you can only do what you‘re already good at.
Then again, I‘m probably splitting hairs. Thanks for elaborating.
I should clarify. I mean things completely out of your scope of responsibility or career trajectory
Yes, this is the right way to do it.
Even without directly requesting permission I usually try send a follow up email.
Something like:
To confirm what we discussed previously, according to you request I’ll stop working on ??? (Actual project I’m actually paid for) to do ??? instead.
Of course this will delay ??? (The task I’m supposed to work on right now)
By this point, in all likelihood the person doing the request will give up.
I have found in a majority of cases, they don’t even remember requesting it. I give those requests the scream test: don’t do it and see if they even notice. Sometimes they do, depending on the management, but most jobs like the OP cartoon just say stuff to look important in the moment and have zero follow up plans to make sure it was done.
Thats easy.
- open Excel
- Set the desired image as background
- colour the required cells on top of the image in the company colours (you may have to resize cells)
- open the snipping tool
- take a screenshot of the new image with company colours
Congratulations, you just used THE best program on your pc to finish another task.
Reasons you tell the it department you need the best cpu available and more ram than their servers: complex simulation software and autocad
Actual reason you need it: thousands of calculation cells in a single spreadsheet that references other spreadsheets
I manage to crash my work computer more often with my excel bullshit than with GIS or CAD.
Lies.
It’s so we can load our model into x plane or doom or something. You know. To check the real world physics.
It’s either that or we build a scale model and blow it up…
Do this but with VBA/macro so you can automate it next time.
As someone who will spend 10 hours figuring out how to automate a daily task that takes 8 minutes, I feel attacked!
A boring routine, even if it’s short, is a distraction from stuff that require more focus. Also it’s a source of human errors.
At least that’s how I rationalize it
because, really, it’s just more fun to work on automating stuff.
How to handle
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Say outside of my familiarity as it’s not my skill set.
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Suggest bringing it to a designer
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If they push for it, elevate it to a higher up. Your boss is paying you to code, not to Photoshop. And if they’re so stupid to not defend you, you have bigger problems.
4: Do a deliberately bad job and take your time doing it
5: Get recognized as a master of post-minimalist design, placed in charge of department
- Do it anyway because it’s a delightful distraction from your normal work
Yeah, I’d be all over something like this. I’d document that I was being asked to do something outside of my wheelhouse, of course, if my boss wants me to spend my time on this then that’s on him. But I wouldn’t object, sounds like a fun activity.
Launch an entire design movement among developers, developer-managers, and PM that runs in the face of every good idea from design with horrible consequences.
It becomes incredibly popular.
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Ignorant supervisors (and judging by the comments here, many engineers) who think that engineers can do a graphic designer’s job with no graphic design experience are the reason why so many corporate logos, websites, email templates, official apps, apps in general, and branding in general just look ugly. But they don’t care because somehow a prerequisite for becoming an engineer or someone who supervises engineers is a complete lack of any kind of aesthetic sensibility.
Here’s the secret: they don’t know that it looks ugly. They probably don’t even use the product.
I’m an engineer myself and hate working with people like that. In my experience, people playing that responsibility game are usually just lazy.
If you aren’t able to say no to stuff that isn’t you responsibility, you’ll be fucked like me one day.
“I love the taste of boot polish, please give me more work that isn’t my department, management daddy”
-You, apparently.
I learned not to do other people’s job unless they ask me in a union plant and it was a good lesson. I’m gonna do it worse and slower and there’s a chance I’ll open myself up to a grievance if I don’t know some random person from a different branch is unionized. It’s better to say “that’s so and so’s department, I can set you up a meeting with them if you need it”
And you’re the spineless parasite we all hate for dampening down the boundaries for predatory extortionist behaviour
I’m okay with that. I’m an engineer too and I have pretty much no incentive to work hard. I don’t get overtime and they pay me about a fifth of what they charge customers for my services—so yeah, I’m lazy.
I’m with you. The company is paying you for your time and if learning a new task is what you’re getting paid for, great. If they “punish” you for it, for example “now you have to stay late and finish your other work” or you get dinged for not meeting your regular metrics, then they’re full of shit. But if the request is simply please take care of this thing because we don’t have an expert to can, then you just do it. I don’t get what the issue is. It’s interesting new stuff you get to learn.
However to be honest, I am in management and I manage a team of engineers, and I expect to them to be flexible individuals. Sometimes they’re doing technical drawings, sometimes new development, sometimes assembling prototypes with tweezers, sometimes they’re learning new software, and sometimes they have to create renders for customer presentations. If any of them gave me shit about “not my responsibility” I’d be pretty pissed off because IMHO an engineer needs to be a flexible individual especially in a small company.
Apparently, you’re the only one who gets it. I guess the others either aren’t engineers (yet) or only work in huge corporations where there’s a department for everything.
I’m in a small company, too. Those cannot survive if people aren’t flexible in their tasks and in my opinion that’s far more interesting work than being a cubicle drone.
