Re: [Non-DoD Source] DBA Team Communications
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2020 09:43:43 -0600
Message-Id: <05C56900-D661-416A-AA69-93B6160A907A_at_gmail.com>
Donald,
These are great rules and I 100% agree. I have been in your position and experienced the same frustrations. Just because one or a few people will always do as requested, it only takes one person that comes back later and says “oh, I didn’t see the email” to cause confusion and/or make the team look bad.
There is a reason that in radio communications there is always a response (Roger, 10-4, over and out, etc.) even though it’s almost certain the other person heard you.
Keith
> On Nov 11, 2020, at 9:25 AM, Freeman, Donald G. CTR <donald.freeman.ctr_at_ablcda.navy.mil> wrote:
>
> We hire a lot of DBA's based on resumes and a few minutes conversation, and we hire people from all kinds of cultural traditions. I think the key trait I'm looking for is good judgement. A lot of what we do is scary. You have to be able to overcome fear and paralysis of doing the wrong thing and not be such a risk-taker that you're a danger to the enterprise. That being said, people don't tell the *entire* truth on their resumes. Now the stage is set for the communication problem. I make a small assignment to unlock an account or write a simple shell script. I hear crickets. I get suspicious. Some people cannot admit they don't know how to do something. They get defensive and ashamed. I can't fire everybody who disappoints me in some way I need to train and bring my DBA up to speed. It's easier when they are honest I do hire noobs. I just want to know they are noobs when I get them.
>
> Essentially what you are saying below is, "I already know how to communicate" and would be offended if somebody thought you didn't. The very fact that you responded to this tell us something about you (good :D). Well, some people don't communicate well. As a manager I need to know what you are working on so I can either give you more of it or take some away if you are flagging. I have never personally met most of the people who work for me in this brave new world. I get that you don't want to be bugged by the kind of manager who requires constant handholding. I don't do that. I think I have a pretty light touch for people who are self-starters and work well independently. I get a four line status report once a day. I do require people to check into chat when they start work so that I know they are alive. Otherwise I manage through incident tickets or change requests.
>
> Our fairly large organization of 300 or so people seems to be functioning well having moved to nearly 100% remote work. I don’t think we've ever been more efficient. You have to learn how to do that.
>
>
> Donald Freeman
> Database Administrator
> Imagine One Technology & Management, Ltd.
> Robin Hood Road (RHR) Facility, Norfolk, VA 23513
> Telephone: (757)-852-7724 Commercial
> Telephone: (717)-497-1037 Mobile
> Telephone: (757)-852-7777 PMO-IT Help Desk
> donald.freeman.ctr_at_ablcda.navy.mil
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andre Maasikas <amaasikas_at_gmail.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2020 4:04 AM
> To: Freeman, Donald G. CTR <donald.freeman.ctr_at_ablcda.navy.mil>
> Cc: list, oracle <oracle-l_at_freelists.org>
> Subject: [Non-DoD Source] Re: DBA Team Communications
>
> On Tue, Nov 10, 2020 at 5:17 PM Freeman, Donald G. CTR <donald.freeman.ctr_at_ablcda.navy.mil> wrote:
>> >> Haven't contributed anything in a long time. I had to send this to my team >> this morning and thought it may be useful for other dba team leaders.
>
> Apologise for the personal style of this message, this is not directed to YOU personally, as english is not my native language i don't exactly know how it may sound :) just provides my views.
> As people are different, have different personalities and communication skills:
>> >> Rule 1 >> If I ask you to do, look at, provide, review, fix, report, respond, >> create, delete, or move something in an email or other communication >> respond, with an affirmation that you have received the direction. >> >> Answer, OK, Got It, Roger, Will Do or something indicating you have >> received the communication. Because when you don't do that I am left >> wondering if you got it. I don't want to wonder. It makes my head >> hurt and forces me to ask you again, "Did you get that?" That's inefficient.
>
> I consider email nearly 100% reliable transport and view such responses as spam.
> I'm a grown-up and if I'm told something - i do it or provide reasoning/suggestions if i don't.
> I can see if feedback is needed if i finish the task(e.g to communicate back to customer/other team) Last time when I was needed to reiterate something was in child care or maybe middle school.
> I also do not work to make YOU comfortable or to be a slave to you if that was implied, I work
> 9 to 5 to support my family.
> If you feel that your team is unreliable or doesn't make you feel good maybe HR can help, in the end you don't _have_to work together.
> I personally have no trouble following-up if needed.
> But then again, I don't work in a field where miscommunication can cause people's lives.
>
>> Rule 2 >> If I ask you more than one thing in an email then in your response >> answer all the questions, not just the first one. Take as many emails as you >> like, but answer all the questions so I don't have to circle back and >> ask you again.
> granted, sure, but have no trouble following up.
>
>> Rule 3 >> If it's important, I'll put in a ticket. Then nobody has to remember >> because the ticket won't go away by itself.
>
> Your choice, if it's important I expect to talk to me personally or in a meeting. Then we can be sure that everybody understands what needs to be done, when, and has the resources needed for the task.
> I have another page of thoughts about usual "tickets" for maybe another time:)
>
>> Rule 4 >> Be thoughtful in dropping people off an email thread. When I send an >> email with a distro list to you carefully consider before you turn a public >> communication into a private one. I know you don't know all these people and >> are nervous about being judged by a bunch of random people on an >> email. I generally don't lard up emails with people who don't have a >> need to know about the subject. >> >> If you turn it into a private one and give me information that >> everyone needs to know then I have to send ANOTHER email to the same list of >> people to communicate your thoughts. So, if you have questions you don't >> want to viewed by all then call me on the phone or send me a chat. >> Or, you can decline to answer it to everybody and say something like, >> "I'd like to take this off-line before I answer" or, "I'll call you," >> but don't break the chain. Got it?
>
> Ok, but again, if there are no company/team rules for this - I'm a grownup and perfectly capable of judging myself whom I communicate with. If i write an email this is MY message/communication and I decide to whom i speak to, e.g If i feel you included 10 managers in the CC to show that"you work" and left team members who might benefit from the information out I don't hesitate to drop the CC and add people.
>
> Andre
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