Posted by asdf on 11/02/07 00:15

"Bone Ur" <monstersquasher@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns99DBAA0C913CAboneurhyphe@85.214.62.108...
> Well bust mah britches and call me cheeky, on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:23:12
> GMT
> andrew scribed:
>
>> On 2007-10-30, Amy Sinclaire <amysinclaire@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> As the key decision-maker at your web development company, how do you
>>> handle situations like work overload, short-term staff shortages, etc?
>>> How do you plan to tackle the upcoming holiday season's increased
>>> workload?
>>
>> When in trouble
>> When in doubt
>> Run in circles
>> Scream and shout
>
> When in trouble,
> Do not sob.
> Go out drinking,
> And quit the job.
>

This all reminds me of a very old joke that my old boss years ago used to
tell whenever we told him we were running over schedule:

Q. What does an IT professional do when they see light at the end of the
tunnel?
A. Extend the tunnel.

:))

Seriously... given a staff shortage and no prospect of recruitment, one has
little choice but to not over-commit oneself in the first place.

If however, one finds oneself over-committed, there is little one can do
other than attempt to renegotiate timelines and deliverables with affected
clients. If the staff shortage is *that* bad, they most likely will not be
able to find another supplier anyway. I have found that if you are honest
with clients and explain the situation clearly, most are understanding and
accomodating. If not, who needs them anyway- there's no shortage of clients
if you are good at what you do. Sometimes you will find yourself in a
situation where you need to manage your losses, and bail out if possible.
It's unfortunate, but we've all been there at some time or another.

Whatever you do, you should NOT:

a) panic
b) smoke too much / take up smoking again
c) drink yourself to oblivion / fall off the wagon
d) get grumpy or depressed
e) eat too much chocolate or burgers
f) over-extend your workforce. They'll just leave, leaving *you* with even
less production capacity.

One should always attempt, when writing development agreements and contracts
to provide 'staged withdrawl' clauses and conditions for all parties
concerned at defined project milestones. That way the supplier *and* the
client have opportunities to back out of a project gracefully and without
ill will, hopefully leaving the client with something of value. One should
never write an agreement or contract that one is not 100% willing or able to
fulfill IMO.

Minimise your risk.

Sometimes (and this is something I still have trouble with), it's good to
say 'No' to a client in order to ensure quality and reputation.

Another trick... if possible, make sure you over-estimate the time it takes
to do things for a client at the outset. That way, when you get finished
before schedule, you and your company look good. :)

[Back to original message]