You should be talking out what others can
expect from several topics.
Peoples perceptions of your ability
are always filtered through their expectations. Everyone has a vague
idea of what you should be doing and how long it will take. These ideas
may not be based in reality, so it is your job to realign them to the
real world of CAD Management and progress timelines.
Set clear expectations, understood by
you, management and the users. Make sure everyone knows what it takes
to make progress and what the timeline is for getting things done.
Don't make it seem like you are whining and complaining about having too much to do. It is your job, but you need
to verify that everyone knows what can be reasonably achieved and in
what time frame.
2. The Software
The farther you get away from the day
to day use of a software tool the greater the chances of
over expecting results. Software now days is powerful
and fast, and it is just as complicated and frustrating to
users.
Talk to people about the failures of
the software and the steps it takes to recover or work
around them. Tell them how it is tough to know exactly
what has happened when things go wrong. Reassure them
that you can work through the tough issues. Calm them
when they appear to be overreacting.
3. The Speed of Change
Software upgrades are coming faster and
faster. You often cannot keep up with this pace.
Transitions are hard to start and get done. Migrating
to a new release takes time and training and focus.
Skipping a release of two can make it even harder.
Talk to people about why you are moving
or not moving to the new release. Talk to them about
what is in there that is really needed. New software
has many features but not all of them will bring an increase
of productivity or time savings to your firm. If you
are moving forward then you should have a list of the
positive features that are compelling you ahead. If
you are staying put, be able to articulate the reasons why
the pain is not worth the gain.
4. The Need for Speed
Most people think that they need the
best, newest, fastest hardware and software on the planet.
While this may be true, balancing the dollars you spend and
the need of the users can be tough.
Talk to people about the tradeoffs.
How today's machines in general are capable of getting the
job done. Unless your machine is older (you pick the
time frame) or you have new software that makes greater
demands, then most likely your hardware is fine.
5. The Quality of CAD Files
All CAD files have flaws. Some
worse than others. Some are mere annoyances and others
are fatal.
Everyone needs to know that a little
choppy water will enter into every project no matter how
solid your CAD Standards are, how much training you have
completed and how well your system works. Things just
fail from time to time. Focus on getting back on track
and not seeking to place blame. Move past the witch
hunt for the guilty to the repair shop of restoration.
