Conference 7.286::digital

668.0. "Undervalued Veterans" by BUNYIP::QUODLING (Anything! Just play it loud!) Mon Nov 21 1988 21:28

Can any one out there identify with this...
        
        q
        
        
From the Latest Australian Computerworld

Guest Column by John Barnes, who is the Pacific Northwest Area manager for ADB,
a High Tech Marketing Organization.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE VETERANS.

        I call them undervalued veterans. These are the people who are genuine 
experts in their field but whom people seldom listen to.

        An undervalued veteran is usually a tremendous unexploited resource, a
wonderful store of experience and expertise with a gut level understanding of
what is going on. It is possible that you have such a person in your MIS shop --
someone whom you are not using to the  fullest potential?

        Here are some of the marks of the undervalued veteran:

        * His work seems extremely demanding and complicated, yet his reports
are laconic. "We got it working again" or "It went out on time, but we had to
push a little" might be all that you hear.

        * The chances are that he got into computers through some irregular
channel a long time ago. He often had the least formal education of anyone at
the same level in the company. This may well explain why someone who has been
doing a demanding job consistently well has never been promoted.

        * An undervalued veteran hates meetings and hates them for constructive
reasons. Undervalued veterans would rather be doing their jobs than discussing
them. They often find reasons not to attend meetings. When they do attend, they
put most of their effort into getting out.

        * Probably because they are undervalued, many of them have
intellectually demanding hobbies to which they devote most of their free time.
Their offices and desks may be decorated with anything from chess tournament
results to tiny hand built working model steam engines or ham radio cards.

        * Undervalued veterans are frequently loners. When they socialize with
coworkers they tend to socialize oddly, often with people considerably above
them or below them in corporate rank. They seldom talk about work at lunch or
at company gatherings and tend to choose friends that they consider to be
interesting people rather than politically helpful contacts or peers.

        * They tend to be well read outside the computer field.

        * Often they are described as sour or as having attitude problems  and
having hostility to new ideas. Not every cranky curmudgeon is an undervalued
veteran, but many undervalued veterans come across as cranky curmudgeons.

        Some might say this personality develops because the veterans are
undervalued or that it is because bright idiosyncratic people who cannot or
will not play up to the boss -- people too valuable to fire and too unpleasant
to promote -- tend to become undervalued veterans.

        Ignoring them seems to be a common vice among recently hired people
with business degrees.

        The undervalued veteran can be used as a private back channel of
information. If asked, he can provide you with priceless oral history on what
actually, as opposed to officially, was the basis for long-ago decisions and
designs.

        Most of the undervalued veterans hate to write, even though they can
potentially write very well. They suspect that there written reports are being
ignored. You will almost always get more information from them face-to-face.

        These veterans make perfect Devil's advocates. If there is something
that you do not like about an idea, but cannot put your finger on it, get his
off-the-record comments.

        If you need a new area researched and capsulised, consider putting your
undervalued veteran on the job. He will not waste your time with too long a
report.


        

       
       
       	Oh No!! I've been found out!!!!!
       
       							mike

I like the way that some of the tips for recognizing an undervalued veteran are
the same as in two other popular articles, "Your pet may be a space alien" and
"Your coworkers may be space aliens".
				/AHM

	Jeeez...  .0 is _eerie_ ...  downright uncanny.

	Speaking as a space alien, I find the bit about new ideas
	inverted.  "Graduates", recent or otherwise, tend to believe
	they've learned the latest & greatest, and any departure
	therefrom is suspect  --  excepting graduates of programs that 
	teach the pursuit of novelty.

	Regards, Robert.

    I didnt know you knew me, but as I read this I thought it was about
    me (I dont consider myself vain) anyhow it was great reading!!!!
    
    Thanks!

         My question -- does an 'undervalued veteran' EVER BECOME a 'valued
    veteran'?

         Signed -- another undervalued veteran!

    Not until you stop being efficient, hard-working, curmudgeonly,
    learn to LIKE meetings instead of skipping them, and associate with
    the right people instead of interesting ones.

    D

    
    'tis the way it goes...
    
    
    You do, at least, get the satisfaction of knowing you're not
    'kissing' anything.
    
    						Rich

    There is little reason for concern here.  Most of the people who
    match this description don't really care that much for the opinion
    of 'other people' (I know I don't).  I do what I can do best.  If
    there are some who don't understand or don't value my efforts, I
    just don't care.  There are plenty of people who appreciate the
    help I have been able to give them over the years.  The last thing
    I want is to become a 'public figure', about whom everyone is
    gossiping.
    
    Regards,
    
    Dick