My boss is unhappy that the project I was working on has gone over budget, and the results are unsatisfactory (not good enough to make money). Regarding the unsatisfactory results, it would take more time to achieve better results, but I don't know how to ask for more time when the project already has gone over budget...So what should I do when project has gone over budget?
#What to do when project gone over budget?
worldly zinc
unique sluice
I don’t understand something
Is the budget of a project your problem?
Are you personally spending the money?
worldly zinc
ahh well like my boss basically set aside a budget for a project, the project budget is made out of my wages and infrastructure costs. I guess what makes it a problem is that my boss is unhappy that I haven't met his desired deadline (July) for the project to complete with his desired results, so gone over budget for the project.
Hence since it has already gone over budget for a couple months, he is pressuring me to wrap it up sooner, but the results he wants take time...
unique sluice
ahh well like my boss basically set aside a budget for a project, the project bu...
So he set the budget and the timeline?
Did you give no input on those things?
worldly zinc
Well he was like I want this functionality built by July. The functionality being an image enhancement AI API that customers can use. And I was like ok and built all that, but he is unhappy with the results, and so that delays deployment for the customers.
Like here is an example
This is the pre-enhanced image
This is the current enhanced result I have, like around where I am now
This is our competitors standard (I ran it through their editor)
This is what my boss wants (btw this is the target image), as in predicted vs target type of thing
So like to get from 2nd or 3rd image to the 4th image takes time...and my boss's standard of acceptable result is the 4th image (the target image, which is done by human not computer generated)
At the start of project he said he wants to release it in July for customers to test and get feedback, and then keep improving on the model in FY2023...so I thought it was like a beta release where we'd release it, then improve on the model to get better results...but turns out he wants the ideal version for the beta release...
devout plinth
You need to convey this information to your boss. "To get to X, it will probably take about Y months." And then he can decide whether that's where he wants to spend time/money or not
Frustration about these things usually comes because you didn't communicate sooner. You don't want to wait until the last minute, but at the very beginning when the project is talked about, and continuously as you gain more information about the project's velocity versus schedule
(Your job is essentially to provide the boundaries of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management_triangle?wprov=sfla1 , and their job is to decide where on the triangle to be)
worldly zinc
Oh ok, so I should communicate all this information then. hmm. I guess I have a tendency to like prefer to communicate joyful news that would make my boss happy, which is why I was hesitant about this.
So in general with communication in tech, is it better to communicate stuff that would make the other party happy or communicate the truth?
Like you know, overpromise vs underpromise and all
unique sluice
Oh ok, so I should communicate all this information then. hmm. I guess I have a ...
How is this related to tech?
It’s just basic communication
You need to be more forward thinking instead of thinking about how people will feel right now
Because clearly your boss is not happy even though your intention with not setting expectations was to make him happy in the moment
worldly zinc
oh ok so communicating honestly and transparently would be better in the long term..even if in the short term they might be unhappy about it..
unique sluice
I mean you’re experiencing the result of your actions right now
Up to you to determine these things
worldly zinc
yeh I think you guys are right..I'll prepare the info to communicate to my boss next week, and also reflect on my communication approach in workplace..
devout plinth
That is one of the most important lessons that I learned in my early career
worldly zinc
So ahh I laid down the tasks and estimates to my boss like model splitting 2 wks, image details new model 3 wks, image sharpness 2 wks, color depth 2 wks etc etc and the total estimate of those tasks was it would take 3 months to get near there (till end of December).
He said 2 months at most (till end of November, then release in December). I said I can do 2 months but might not get that level of results that he is aiming for (the target image), he said he still wants me to aim for that, just work harder 🥴.
In the end I just said I would try my best...
mortal hornet
So ahh I laid down the tasks and estimates to my boss like model splitting 2 wks...
Are you getting paid well? I would look for another job if I was in that situation 😂
worldly zinc
Not really well paying, it's like $48k/a, albeit I am in Australia so the pay is lower than US. It's my first software job, and in AI, so I just took whatever I got, been working here since Feb 2021.
I do want to find a higher paying job, (and am already of the mindset of wanting to shift to a better job in the near future)...but just want to finish up this project well, partly coz I want the projects I work on to be done well to provide business value, and partly so I have something to put on my portfolio to show future companies..what just kinda sucks is that my boss has high expectations and all..
Anyways I'm thinking I'll just grind it out until like end of this year and start applying for new jobs in the December-January period.
devout plinth
It sounds like you did your part. Keep that schedule and estimates written down somewhere public to the company (wiki, issue tracker) and update it as things go along, and keep him updated periodically. That's all you can do
worldly zinc
Ok so just communicate updates transparently and do what I can do?
devout plinth
Yep
Doing the work and communicating progress is your side of the deal
Making decisions about what work to do and dealing with the consequences is his
worldly zinc
is the results my side of the deal? Like you know, if I do the work but he is unhappy with the results at the end of November...
devout plinth
As your boss he can do whatever he wants (I mean not whatever, but he can place blame wherever). That would make him a bad manager, but you can't control what he does so you shouldn't worry about it. And repeating the estimates continuously can help remind him that he had the information and made the decision he did
worldly zinc
ok so I'll just communicate and focus on what I can control by doing my work to the best I can