How Engineers and Managers Communicate: A Video Parody

[freedomofspeech1]

That's like the most fake and stereotypical Indian accent ever :D

[jellovendigar]

When the middle management isn't decisive and out spoken, this kind of shit always happens. The project leader should have intercepted this delay.

[korent1991]

this video only proves engineers are way better in managment than managers... xD

[tnguyen318]

Thats not Engineering.  Thats Computer Programming.

[prathik728]

@tnguyen318 google the word engineering

[xingfenzhen]

that's why I don't work at large corporations... too much resources wasted at internal grinding and often the wrong decision is made due to politics. (though small companies has it's faults too, but I take the lesser of two evils)

[mintoo2cool]

sad but true ... managers r dicks

[eTiggy]

wow, this is freakily accurate! every time it's "we love the project, we are totaly for it! just one little thing: make it work with half the money, half the resources and move the deadline closer by 6 months."

[futsalfred2]

Wow, engineers..

[ctiebs]

Fuckin Michael... what a dick.

[WolfClant]

dilbert much?

[AFnord]

This is why every engineer should learn at least a bit about rhetoric... it saves time, money & frustration.

[pirolocito]

Like it has been said, tragic comedy.... this is my day to day.... Do what should be done in half time with half budget... And most time endless waiting for customers to get decided and after the decision, work must be done tomorrow....

[heartlessvietboy]

What is an engineering graduate doing working at a factory?

[HoSayLiaoLah]

I dun think Warren Buffett is going to invest in this company.

[sckryde]

this is funny..

they should show this to some of the managers in my company..

explaining technical data to some of the managers is like teaching a 5 year old fluid dynamics.

[zairiedb]

The engineer is an ordinary man with extraordinary thought. The manager wants the products in a period of time while engineers produce the produces before the period end. Ironically, the managers gets more money than the engineers. Hmm... I wonder if the engineer launch a strike...? Probably, the managers starts to be good with the engineers. Hahahaha... Long live engineers...!!!!

[cybernut509]

@bblan26 do the medical professional.....I couldn't look in mouths or butts all day. I love being an engineer but companies will fire you as soon as their orders drop. They don't think about costing them 25K for relocation 40K for a head-hunter and they certainly don't consider how much money you have made for them. The what have you done for me lately is prevalent in this industry POST #1

[Ape65]

I'm a civil engineer, and in my experience the insane deadlines are imposed by clients. The managers don't want to lose clients, so they go along with the insanity. In can take bureaucrats a year to BS over a $3 millions project, then they'll expect their consulting engineers to design it in a few weeks. Admitedly engineers who work in the private sector are generally more competant and efficient than those that work in the public secto, but this is ridiculous!

[bblan26]

wow this makes me want to switch majors. engineering is hard work, i would hate to end up working with people who dont appreciate it. I think ChemE might be a bit different, bc alot of managers were engineers. My dad went from Eng to management. he talks to them like they are children when he is pissed, and curses and yells. Maybe ill become a dentist or some medical professional.

[ItalianoConfuso]

@bblan26 Managers usually work to make money, engineers to make things work. That's why engineers make few money and managers can't do shit but arrange correctly the work of others (and get the money)

[0tispunkm3y3r]

@bblan26 do not worry.... stick with engineering. its hard but it pays off because even if you dont use the technical skills, you learn a lot about scheduling work, getting things done and developing the right mentalities..... without realising it actually gives you the right character to become a manager. Managers from an engineering background are worth their weight in gold...not only can they manage people, they cant be BS'd with tech mumbo jumbo, are more level headed and not so short term

[xingfenzhen]

@bblan26

I'll say do the medical professional (family Physician, if you can), it's something my family has push me into since I was 5, now I wish I should have listened (with my cousin finally graduating medical school) but beware of the looooong schooling and residency where it's pretty much a living hell. (though sometime engineering will do that to you too) But then may be you'll complain about dealing with insurance companies and how some people shouldn't have died...

[Airbusftw]

The work of an engineer does not consist of a calculator and some numbers, It requires analysis and techniques that require a lot of time to do. I hate it when these managers just say I need that this be done NOW! They do not care about the beauty of engineering and that is why I never want to play along side them!

[oogerthegreat]

I'm seeing this sort of stuff in my first semester of grad school. And in projects I've done during senior year of undergrad. Yikes, i feel like i'm already burning out and i haven't even started on my professional career.

[cybernut509]

Regardless of the final product we Engineers take the beatings in the meetings. These Engineers do what is typical, back down. They in the long run will cost the company dearly. I stand for what is possible....Then I get mowed over by jerks that will not listen to reality...We are just as guilty of companies leaving the states and going to china as is the EPA, GOV in general and stingy CEOs

[4775josh]

Look, it's Tina Fey/ Sarah Palin!

[sarikavarshney]

really true video ....

[rpguitar]

Hardly a parody. It's pathetically accurate. "Looks like I'm not going to see much of my kids this summer" - she says, resigned to it being inevitable. And somehow that is expected of her. I like jradetsky's comment: work sucks. And it does.

[studleylee]

What I want to know is: how you taped the meetings of the past companies I've worked for. This was soooo dead on. Great job. Anybody want to lend me a Cessna?

[jradetzky]

work sucks

[Landy2landsend]

I noticed that there was no swearing in this video, a meeting between managers and engineers in my work usually ends in a lot of swearing

[alanskillcole]

Great video. Reminds of some of the comments of Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

The hyperlink has a parentheses and full stop - but paper is very interesting.

Thanks.

[rohit401]

Hell of a vid..... could associate pretty well with what is shown.. gr8 stuff :)

[MeesterPetrus]

This would be more enjoyable if I could make out what they were saying.

[cr1ticalvoid]

engineers are always getting a hard times from managment

[TechnoLife120]

@cr1ticalvoid to make things worse, management never really understand what engineers works are. unless on rare occasions the manager is an engineer,

[csnoopy]

I agree, they don't know how much excruciating technical analysis, design and testing engineers go through. why, I remember designing a simple rotating steel shaft last semester, my brain was fried by the end of it XD

[Wedler78]

it is so true !

[redmond12400]

This happens everyday at my work!!!!

[o0Godfather]

.............................

[el777rgb]

OMG. Why I become an engineer

Moral of the fable, you can have a life or be an engineer but no both.

[tomyo669]

haha management fail

[203132]

keyboard at the knees....obviously not a good engineer....

[cccpkingu]

Good point, awful video.

[1986kip]

So true :(

[pisulo]

5:52 priceless

[aekthada]

Whoa! This is like my life on video!

[Walls3854]

Great Video, and I agree with most of the people here. This is not so far away of the reallity.

[CCard83]

It wasn't funny, but it was realistic, that's for sure! Management always wants more for less, putting entire projects in danger.

[bajan13k]

Great video!

[edersiomoran]

this is why there are so many crap cars and crappy products out there. Dumb management pressured my stupid marketing decisions which slump the creative process of the engineers and the creators giving the outcome a poorly rush-designed cheap product.

[reddycomit]

Engineers get eaten by managers, managers eaten by marketing, marketing eaten by impatient public.

[glorifieddraftsman]

Awfully familiar...

[auswipe]

The chips, the older T-800 and the newer T-1000 are both the same names as the Terminators from Terminator I and Terminator II. Most amusing!

[SteevieQ]

The moral of the story is...engineers are always right.

[oiyabastard]

@SteevieQ NO MATH IS ALWAYS RIGHT , NOT PEOPLE CURB IT BUDDY

[dLimboStick]

This is comedy? This is reality where I work. On reflection, I guess it IS comedy...tragic comedy.

[Chileandude18]

it's drama...

mixed with tragedy....

[DeathrowNZL]

This was intreasting

[WhinestonCryhill]

engineers love a good flowchart

[soccergod561234]

wow now ill belive my parents when they say work is ALOT harder than school :T

[bigjared420]

I work at a chip plant and this soooo true.

[batteekha]

pics or it didnt happen

[SAULHDL]

How managers think about design schedules: "Initial Estimate was 20 engineers ---> 6 months total. We are 2 months before due date and project is 40% done, then Progress (P) is P = 10%/month @ 20 engineers, need remainng 60% in 2 months: Pneed = 30%/month to complete project 10%/month ---> 20 engs 30%/month ---> E E = 60 engs Let's hire sobe barely graduated ones. God bless MBA's maths!!!!!"

[Ingve1234]

haha, this is so fake

[johnfranks999]

I think they could benefit from "I.T. Wars" - some fresh and original thinking in that book. Subtitled "Managing the Business-Technology Weave in the New Millennium".

[swesleyc7]

I want to stop being an engineer... and work in a place that's not library quiet.

[zagweman]

Im becoming a mechanical and computer engineer (mechatronics). I dont feel like this work place is sutible for me - should I change majors - im alraedy 60+ credits away

[PScottrwp]

my advice, stage to become a consultant.. pick an esoteric aspect of the business, get on the leading edge, then innovate beyond that and go into consulting... be arrogant. bid high, dont allow your schedule to be compromised,

wage jobs compromise a person, its destructive over the long term

Phil scott ME, controls, consultant

[kkranen]

Actually, engineering is great. You can differentiate yourself and rise to the top by standing up for what you believe and holding your ground. Remember, managers are not mind-readers! The engineers in the parody all caved without speaking their minds. Too sad.

[ItalianoConfuso]

@kkranen It's also sad that engineers are not instructed on "how to sell" their ideas, but more on creating them and making them work, wich actually brings, and also often, to the situations portrayed in this "parody". This actually happens in real life...

[cybernut509]

@kkranen 

[Gutsyndicate]

boring right?

[jojomcbean]

i'm an engineer... so true! managers are always too stingy in the beginning of projects and end up paying too much later for half-assed fixes.

[bwildasi]

All the players interests, as usual, conflict through job bias. This is where top execs must triple check their method before they manage the project into the toilet. One way is to have outside consultants, fact-checkers, and policy wonks that match goals with actual performance measurements before another Executive Train Wreck.

[vkgfx]

the guy in charge is an idiot

[Hammondlover2]

I'm truly glad I'm a graphic designer.

[sti302man]

very sad,you know, this is exactly how it happens. That pissed me off when they gave the Indian guy a short time to complete some crazy ass job task, reminds me of work.

[rwdplz1]

That's not a parody, it's a true story, where the names have been changed to protect the innocent...

[justaguy123456]

Say what? This is not a parody at all. This is exactly the way American corporations actually operate!!!

[MartySchrader]

Pretty accurate. Too bad, but this is really how it goes down.

[kkranen]

This video parody was originally aired at the DAC 2007 Productivity Impact Luncheon, sponsored by FSA and EDA Consortium, themed "Changing the Dialogue Between Engineers and Managers". Also discussed at the event was an MIT paper entitled "Nobody Ever Gets Credit for Fixing Problems That Never Happened: Creating and Sustaining Process Improvement". (Google it for a very insightful read.)