Advice for my review 1

[RhythmAddict112]

Hi All,
This is my scenario...I've been at my company for just over a year now, and I have a mid-year review on Friday morning. Basically, since it's a "mid-year" we go over what I've done in the first 2 Q's, and some objectives for remainder of the year. I'm a developer, and I really haven't had too many projects that I got to initiate, most of the apps. I've worked on (and now "own", maintain, support, and enhance) were developed by consultants that are no longer with the company. Anyway, long story short, we do mostly ASP (Classic) and I really want to get some new projects and ditch the classic ASP for ASP.Net(we're like years behind the curve, here!) Anyway, my question is...I need a way to communicate that I'm ready for the next level here, and I want to move forward utilizing bigger and better frameworks (.net/java) How can I say this tactfully? I have the feeling if I say something to the affect of "I'm ready for the next step" my supervisor will just look at me and think "Is this kid serious?" (I'm the youngest developer by far on my team of about 15) Any advice or ideas on how to communicate this or help me out in general are much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

All hail the INTERWEB!

 

[Thadeus]

Hello RhythmAddict:
My first question would be: Why do you feel that ASP.Net is a better framework for what you are doing?

~Thadeus

 

[RhythmAddict112]

Good Question. Well, naturally this would be arguable but the reasons I want to utilize .NET (both in terms of personal interest, and organizational interest...)

- I work for a large company, plenty of [similiar] teams are utilizing .NET and other more powerfal OO (Java) based environments. Advantages of Java/.NET:
- More powerful built in features (validation for example) Which translates to developers spending more time on the business logic rather than wasting time building tables for data, writing javascript for validation, etc.
- Better source control features (speaks for itself, and my boss explicitly mentioned he'd like to use some kind of source control - none in place now for our team)
- More opportunity for code reuse, it's easier for me to link a .DLL to my .NET project rather than copy and paste VBSCRIPT functions into my ASP. Also things like enterprise library caching block, data block, etc

Now personal reasons...
- I personally think it's much neater to code with OO frameworks...It's nice to easily be able to separate data blocks/data blocks and presentation layers in your apps (we do mostly web apps...)
- We're going to have to move off of classic ASP sooner or later - I don't really see any advantages in developing future apps with ASP as opposed to .NET
- ASP.NET is in much higher demand in the job market

Specifically, our team does small to medium size projects - mostly web based apps. .NET specifically has a myriad of built in controls that would help us focus on the business logic aspects of our apps, which is the hardest part most of the time. I suppose from a purist standpoint, we dont NEED to move to .NET, but it's kind of like using a small lawnmower for 5 acres of land when we could be using a tractor - it may take a bit longer to master driving the tractor, but once you do - you'll never look back.

All hail the INTERWEB!

 

[RhythmAddict112]

Oh, and also, I just like learning new stuff. I've done enough dabbling, I kind of just want to jump into it head first now.

All hail the INTERWEB!

 

[Zen37]

The key is showing business benefits to going your way. If you can show that the business would either save money or make more money by going with your solution, then it will be alot easier to sell to your manager, and his manager, and so on and so forth.

You will need to make an analisys of the pros and cons and present it to your boss. Because no matter how much you want to go with that technology, if there is no business benefit attached to it, might aswell try to sell fridges in Siberia.

 

[RhythmAddict112]

Good idea Zen...keep them coming, I'm listening!

All hail the INTERWEB!

 

[DrJavaJoe]

My guess is that you are slightly intimidated when talking to your boss due to the age thing, this is respectful but you need to over come that. So my suggestion would be to break the ice a bit before Friday, try talking to him about a non work issue such as how poor the Dodgers are doing %#@%$&, some news event, something. By doing this you'll find yourself more confident when talking to him on Friday, rather than "Mr Jones I would like...", it'll be more like "Hey Bob I think we should be..."

Get my drift?


Two strings walk into a bar. The first string says to the bartender: 'Bartender, I'll have a beer. u.5n$x5t?*&4ru!2[sACC~ErJ'. The second string says: 'Pardon my friend, he isn't NULL terminated'.

 

[chiph]

Oh, and also, I just like learning new stuff.

The first thing your boss will ask is: "What benefit will this bring to the business?"

Changing development platforms has a major cost to it, and you'd better be prepared to justify it.

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first

 

[BadFrog]

Zen is right. Show them where it will save the company money and half your battle is done. Make charts, management loves charts. That way they don't have to read they can just look at the color differences. Wows em everytime!

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[sha76]

Although this is linked into your personal development, it's also bigger than that. Personally I'd bring this up in your review, but then leave a nicely argued business case with your boss (with the pretty charts!) & request another meeting to discuss it when he's had time to read it.
Use it during your review to emphasise how you've been looking at, and thinking about, the bigger picture and the future, not just the projects you've been handed.
Also, have you discussed with your colleagues how they feel about this? Obviously a move to .net involves them too. Let management know that you're not the only one thinking this & you have a much stronger case (& you get the 'good teamwork' box on your review ticked in the process).

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[Thadeus]

A number of years ago I had a position that required a lot of travel. Others in my department were in the same boat, but seemed to thrive in it, whereas I grew to hate it.

So I wrote a proposal for a new position that offered remote support for the travelling techs. I advanced business reasons such as improved customer satisfaction (due to faster, researched answers), added customer face time (since the tech doesn't have to search for answers), fewer return trips (techs had more time to work on issue at hand).

The proposal was accepted and things went great for a year. Then lay-offs loomed and it was darn easy to cut the new position (and me!) out of the budget. Techs kept their jobs because someone still needed to service the customer. So I created myself out of a job...

I asked earlier why you think .NET is better... your answer (cleaned up and "business-fied") goes into your proposal.
-Additionally you should speak with employees in the other areas that do use .NET. Gather more reasons from them.
-Choose a project that you believe would showcase .NET technology and propose a pilot. Alternately, just gather "effort assessments" to complete the project from a team that uses .NET and from your own team. Use these assessments to point out the efficiency or tech advances possible.
-When you are having trouble financially justifying, speak to efficiencies and security benefits.
-If you are in an extremely competitive industry, see if you can find out what your competitors use. You can sometimes get this info off of your competition's press releases or published articles.

Lastly, realize your limits... If it doesn't look like your getting anywhere with management, you very well may not be. If you put this forward as a business proposal, then you need to be ready to have it shot down as a business proposal. MORAL: try to stay detached from the outcome. I've seen many people get a project declined and take it personally. Sometimes they fester within a department causing added stress for themselves and their co-workers... better to move on and keep learning than to be seen as a whiner that didn't get their way.

As a final point, if you get shot down, but management was divided, ask immediately for an opportunity to re-visit the proposal in six months. In the meantime, go with the flow, but watch for opportunities where .NET would be the better tool and document them for your next proposal.

~Thadeus

 

[RhythmAddict112]

Thank you for that great advice, Thadeus. I'll definitely look into that (although my review is in 2 hrs! so it'll be my next one in 6 mo) Thank you again though, enjoy your weekend!

All hail the INTERWEB!

 

[Thadeus]

No problem RhythmAddict.

If you still want to pursue this near term, I just wouldn't make it a part of today's review... do your research and bring it up in a few weeks. Alternately, tell your reviewer that you have some ideas and would like permission to do a little more legwork, so long as it doesn't interfere with your reg. duties. This way you can get your ideas out there before 6 months tick away and you have asked permission which covers your butt if someone hears you are asking other teams questions....

Just a thought.
~Thadeus

 

[BadFrog]

Lastly, realize your limits... If it doesn't look like your getting anywhere with management, you very well may not be. If you put this forward as a business proposal, then you need to be ready to have it shot down as a business proposal. MORAL: try to stay detached from the outcome. I've seen many people get a project declined and take it personally. Sometimes they fester within a department causing added stress for themselves and their co-workers...

Not only have I seen this happen many times, I've also been guilty of it myself more than once. Great piece of advice there Thadeus! Thanks.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[Thadeus]

badfrog, I have also been guilty of it... that's how most of my advice gets born I screw up and then I try to pass the lesson on so others don't have to go through what I did.

Thanks for the kudos.

~Thadeus