Strays

My Dear Princess, Loulou and Fellows,

The solution architect on Gromit's project is a nice fellow. He is that somewhat stereotypical IT person who LOVES his stuff. He gets very excited about it. He LOVES to talk about it. And he loves being appreciated.

We appreciate him. He's incredibly helpful. He's integral to our team. He really wants to offer help and advice. But, if you don't listen to his advice and then the thing he said would happen, happens, he gets upset. 

You have to understand. He's been burned so many times - as many of us in IT have. I mean sure, you CAN do things the rushed, cheap, dumbarse way, but why WOULD you?

"Cheap, you say?" say project managers far too often. And they ignore Solution Architect's advice. And it all turns to sh*t. And then it gets stressy, goes over budget and falls behind schedule in a mess of finger-pointing. 

Gromit found our Solution Architect in tears at his desk the other day. This is somewhat shocking. He's normally such an upbeat fellow. But basically, he'd been offering advice (as usual) when his Other Project Manager interrupted, and when he tried to make the point he was trying to make, she got sh*tty and complained about him to his manager.

Gromit was AFFRONTED. 

She's now fighting his corner. This is nothing do with her but...

"I'VE been that person! I'VE been patronised! I'VE been bullied!"

She said. 

She went on to say, "Look, Solution Architect HAS got a reputation for being difficult. But that's only because he's like a puppy who's been beaten and abused all his life. He's like a dog who thinks you say you'll throw the ball and then you don't throw the ball. And when I first started working with him I was like, why is he growling at me, why doesn't he trust me and I had to tell him look when I say I'm going to throw the ball I'M GOING TO THROW THE F*CKING BALL."

Faz and I discussed this later. We are both surprised how well things are going and how well this team works together. We both keep waiting for the thing to go wrong. For senior managers to can the project, or cut our funding or take away our solution architect. Neither of us can believe that nothing like this will happen.

"WE'RE like abused puppies too!" I said to Faz. 

And she agreed with me. 

For all abused puppies everywhere, I hope Gromit tears a strip off his other project manager. I fear for THAT woman. 

S. 

p.s. Today's blip is a prototype of Gromit's poster that she fought and clawed and argued and raged for. When she says she's going to throw the ball, she throws the f*cking ball.