Not everything can be fixed by automation
Jul. 3rd, 2021 08:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rosa_heartlilySo, in my 1:1 (which is really a 2:1 because I have one line manager but two people who I discuss my work with), one of the people suggested that I 'automate' the monthly report I make to the Big Committee. They said if I sourced the information from the portfolio, I wouldn't need to ask the senior people to review it because they would know it was coming from the source of truth. Apparently, they spend an hour checking the report against the dashboard.
I don't know where they think I get the information from. Of course I get it from the portfolio - it's updated every week by the PMs! This feeds into the dashboard AND the monthly report. In the first case, I summarise the update into a headline so everything fits onto a single page; in the second, I smooth out the language into a narrative. Even if I did some form of 'automation', I'd still have to do those steps.
Also, the report is a Word doc that is the standard template for the Big Committee. I began playing around with the idea of running another query, similar to the one I already do for the dashboard, converting it into a PDF and doing a screenshot to paste into the document. Then I though, 'WTF am I thinking about! This is a Word document and I'm providing narrative content - it's just copy and paste, which is what I already do!!!'.
I didn't spell all this out to the person because a) I don't like to dismiss someone's idea before I've thought about it and b) I find when someone's got that kind of bee in their bonnet, they don't listen to explanations. But there is no way I'm putting myself through that kind of trauma.
The reason I share the report with the senior peeps is really to check that I've included everything they want to include. I'm not asking for wording, although this person has told me stuff was out of date, when it was taken from the PM's most recent update O_o They are also the most likely to include things in the report that aren't on the portfolio, which this 'automation' idea would make impossible - I can only report from the portfolio on stuff THAT'S ON THE FUCKING PORTFOLIO!!!
Anyway, my plan of action is to share the list of what we reported last month - ie, NOT the full report - and ask if there's anything they want to add to it, and anything they want to report on that isn't on the portfolio will have to be added. I will also add a comment to the effect that the narrative that will go alongside the list will be taken from the PMs latest updates, then copy them in when I submit the report to the Big Committee.
I won't bother sharing my thought process, unless I really have to.
And that was the most exciting thing from last week! See you Saturday, DW.
Edit: just remembered, there was something else - the iris in my pond (#itsapondnotapuddle) flowered this week! It was very sweet and pretty but only lasted a couple of days. Irises were my grandmother's favourite flower and it's one of the few plants I bought for the pond that's actually doing well. So pleased <3
I don't know where they think I get the information from. Of course I get it from the portfolio - it's updated every week by the PMs! This feeds into the dashboard AND the monthly report. In the first case, I summarise the update into a headline so everything fits onto a single page; in the second, I smooth out the language into a narrative. Even if I did some form of 'automation', I'd still have to do those steps.
Also, the report is a Word doc that is the standard template for the Big Committee. I began playing around with the idea of running another query, similar to the one I already do for the dashboard, converting it into a PDF and doing a screenshot to paste into the document. Then I though, 'WTF am I thinking about! This is a Word document and I'm providing narrative content - it's just copy and paste, which is what I already do!!!'.
I didn't spell all this out to the person because a) I don't like to dismiss someone's idea before I've thought about it and b) I find when someone's got that kind of bee in their bonnet, they don't listen to explanations. But there is no way I'm putting myself through that kind of trauma.
The reason I share the report with the senior peeps is really to check that I've included everything they want to include. I'm not asking for wording, although this person has told me stuff was out of date, when it was taken from the PM's most recent update O_o They are also the most likely to include things in the report that aren't on the portfolio, which this 'automation' idea would make impossible - I can only report from the portfolio on stuff THAT'S ON THE FUCKING PORTFOLIO!!!
Anyway, my plan of action is to share the list of what we reported last month - ie, NOT the full report - and ask if there's anything they want to add to it, and anything they want to report on that isn't on the portfolio will have to be added. I will also add a comment to the effect that the narrative that will go alongside the list will be taken from the PMs latest updates, then copy them in when I submit the report to the Big Committee.
I won't bother sharing my thought process, unless I really have to.
And that was the most exciting thing from last week! See you Saturday, DW.
Edit: just remembered, there was something else - the iris in my pond (#itsapondnotapuddle) flowered this week! It was very sweet and pretty but only lasted a couple of days. Irises were my grandmother's favourite flower and it's one of the few plants I bought for the pond that's actually doing well. So pleased <3
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-07 05:20 pm (UTC)