Workspaces for tech workers (large company)

Its been hard. Its been definitely an uphill struggle. Its my first time being the project leader. We've had switches in who our client contact is. Obviously, just the fact that its in three countries, the time zones are an issue and the complication of like who, one of your questions has been who is the decision maker on the client side, and its like it could be anybody. There's like there are key stakeholders in India, there are key stakeholders in China. And then the company itself is sort of split. [2621],[2622]
. Obviously, just the fact that its in three countries, the time zones are an issue and the complication of like who, one of your questions has been who is the decision maker on the client side, and its like it could be anybody. There's like there are key stakeholders in India, there are key stakeholders in China. And then the company itself is sort of split. [2618]
We've had switches in who our client contact is. [2623]
We've had switches in who our client contact is. Obviously, just the fact that its in three countries, the time zones are an issue and the complication of like who, one of your questions has been who is the decision maker on the client side, and its like it could be anybody. There's like there are key stakeholders in India, there are key stakeholders in China. And then the company itself is sort of split. [2619],[2642]
Well, we're about, like, I don't know, we're probably two-thirds through the project so I would say now its going pretty well. Its been hard. Its been definitely an uphill struggle. Its my first time being the project leader. We've had switches in who our client contact is. Obviously, just the fact that its in three countries, the time zones are an issue and the complication of like who, one of your questions has been who is the decision maker on the client side, and its like it could be anybody. There's like there are key stakeholders in India, there are key stakeholders in China. And then the company itself is sort of split. [2620]
But we doing the research, you know work directly with the engineering and technology people because they're the users we are designing for. So its been complicated in that way and I kind of figure out who our audience is and which work is important to frame to whom because its like these people who don't know anything about these people. These people totally know what their problems are but don't get ... you know. So its been complicated. [2626]
There's the group that's responsible that First Spaces Architecture Facilities Manage Real Estate so that's who our main client contact is and that's who like the project was conceived with. But then they, even though they're that same company, they treat the engineering arm and the people who are doing the technology work, as their client. So its like us, client, client sort of through them. [2624]
There's the group that's responsible that First Spaces Architecture Facilities Manage Real Estate so that's who our main client contact is and that's who like the project was conceived with. But then they, even though they're that same company, they treat the engineering arm and the people who are doing the technology work, as their client. So its like us, client, client sort of through them. But we doing the research, you know work directly with the engineering and technology people because they're the users we are designing for. So its been complicated in that way and I kind of figure out who our audience is and which work is important to frame to whom because its like these people who don't know anything about these people. These people totally know what their problems are but don't get ... you know. So its been complicated. [2625]
So there was an expectation that this would be more follow on work, when its like a whole different ballgame and you know that's something that I don't know. But we do, we have like a lot of projects running concurrently for this client at the same time but none of them in India and China. They are all in San Jose. So, I think it was scoped a little bit like oddly. [2627]
Hard to say who the decision maker is. That's part of the problem. [2643],[2628]
. I think they have a pretty high risk tolerance but I worry a little bit that that's just trust. They don't know so they just like okay They want to change things. [2629]
I think they have a pretty high risk tolerance but I worry a little bit that that's just trust. They don't know so they just like okay They want to change things. [2644]
I mean so the project brief was kind of treating this project as like we're just going to learn from, adopt, add to or modify context from the work in San Jose. [2645]
That was ... well it was a little bit simple and I think it was a little bit unrealistic. I mean so the project brief was kind of treating this project as like we're just going to learn from, adopt, add to or modify context from the work in San Jose. Great. And you know, not bearing in mind that we could go and see that ... like, we're dealing with two totally different worlds. [2630]
Might mean like we should really have three more months to do work. [2646]
But I think that's what they want. So its kind of bearing in mind again a divide between what a client kind of wants and what they see the path to be and then when we come in, we can see all of this opportunity and how you would do things and really do them right. But, in the end, it's not our company. [2631]
So its kind of bearing in mind again a divide between what a client kind of wants and what they see the path to be and then when we come in, we can see all of this opportunity and how you would do things and really do them right. But, in the end, it's not our company. [2647]
I think the time is really unusually tight. [2648]
I think the time is really unusually tight. And its a struggle because we can't change it. It really needs to be changed. I can say that as the project leader. You know when we talk to India and China, it sort of ... and this is a huge learning for IDO that I've to figure out how to convey. But it took us at least a week and a half longer to just get what we needed when we were there and to recover when we got back. And it was the holidays. For all of these reasons, our project got really blown out a lot. But, the client is like marching along because they are doing sort of a similar thing, where we are on a critical path. Like we're going to hand off work to another team who's an architectural programing company and they are going to hand off work by a certain deadline to the architect and they are going to do construction documents. [2632]
So, its like if we ask for another week and a half, we're just taking that away from someone else. They're not going to move things back, which is, in such a huge organization understandable, but you know, it makes it hard for us to do our best work. [2649],[2650],[2633]
Some things just take a certain amount of time. For example, we delivered our research snapshot on Monday night. That's the other thing, we have to hold meetings at like, really odd times to accommodate - [2634]
No to accommodate people in Hong Kong or Shanghai or wherever. And you really can't do ... and like if you had a meeting on Friday, that would be Saturday for people in India and China. So, just things like that which make it take longer. [2635]
Cause you can't just have a meeting on day and have it be the same day for everyone and people all have really different calendars so its hard. So anyway, so for example, we had our research snapshot on Monday, and we are having a workshop next Tuesday or Wednesday. That's crazy to expect to really jump from presenting research to having frameworks and design principles and the beginning of concepts in like essentially three days because we have to travel to California, we have to set up the room for the workshop, and actually hold it. So, its just time wise ... so my stomach is like. [2652],[2651],[2636]
It makes it less than ideal. We can't really let it compromise the work, it just means that we take on less. So they're not getting their best value out of us. Like we have a lot to offer, because we're not given the time to get deep, then, we're giving them less than they could get. Which I mean, that's one of the ... if you don't have enough money or you don't have enough time, something has to give. You can't give it your full effort and attention and then thoroughly go through things as well because you're rushed. [2655],[2653],[2654],[2637]
I would say the relationship with the client are ... its good. I mean we have a good comradery with the client, and their fans of IDO and fans of design, and smart forward thinkers. They're really rushed because they are kind of squeezed between us and their deadlines and their architectural goals. So, I kind of feel like we have half of their attention when we talk to them. I don't know. I mean, but we check in, actually have a check in call with them pretty soon. [2638]
They're really rushed because they are kind of squeezed between us and their deadlines and their architectural goals. So, I kind of feel like we have half of their attention when we talk to them. I don't know. I mean, but we check in, actually have a check in call with them pretty soon. [2639]
Other than that, I mean I have a practice person who's almost full time on the team so that's been good and helpful. And I've been pulling in other people cause I've just needed the help. So their kind of functioning as part time on my project, and I just pull them in as I need them. [2641]
So, the relationship with the team, again good with some, hard with others. So, there's a brand new person on my team that we like onboarded for this and he didn't have any ... he had very, very limited experience and he got put on the team to do research in India and China which is like a huge task and he's just not ... he didn't know what to do. So, I've had to do a lot of teaching and to do a lot of the work myself, which another person would have done if they were more senior in that position. So, its been really stressful having a three person team, and one person is, you know, basically just in training mode. [2640]
Reference Tags
[2621] Believes one has a hopeful path,[2622] Resilience,[2618] Vague roles,[2623] Internal changes/challenges,[2619] Communication issues,[2642] Cultural differences,[2620] Inexperience,[2626] Scope creep,[2624] Vague roles,[2625] Resilience,[2627] Scope creep,[2643] Vague roles,[2628] Vague roles,[2629] Vague goals,[2644] Risk compensation,[2645] Finding Existing Ideas,[2630] Great example - Individual & Team outcomes for future efforts,[2646] Planning fallacy,[2631] Compromising conflict about ideas,[2647] Alignment,[2648] Planning fallacy,[2632] Planning fallacy,[2649] Communication issues,[2650] Planning fallacy,[2633] Planning fallacy,[2634] Planning fallacy,[2635] Planning fallacy,[2652] Communication issues,[2651] Internal changes/challenges,[2636] Planning fallacy,[2655] Alignment,[2653] Lack of resources,[2654] Planning fallacy,[2637] Planning fallacy,[2638] Planning fallacy,[2639] Communication issues,[2641] Organizational encouragement,[2640] Unbalanced workload pressure