You are an employee in a private company. You are working at this job to get experience and plan to switch jobs within a year, you are not interested in climbing the corporate ladder at this company.
You have been given a project by your boss, with set guidelines and set deadlines.
Your boss is a businessperson and you’re the engineer so you’re the expert in the stuff that is being done and you are the one who really understands the stuff.
Its obvious to you that the guidelines your boss has given you can be improved and you know how to do that…not drastically but a significant subtle improvement. However, this might take more time than allotted. Plus, it will also take you much more effort. But the end result will be better, not that the original one is bad either though.
Time is an issue though and the company does prefer that work get done fast.
At that time, what is the decision you take? Would you
(A)
Just go ahead and do what your boss has asked you to do?
pro(s):
Boss don’t know about those potential improvements that could have been made. Project finishes on time, boss is happy and work is done without too much pain.
con(s):
In your heart you know that you could have delivered a better final product and you feel you did not give your best shot.
OR
(B)
Mention your ideas to your boss, and request more time and if allowed put in the extra effort to deliver a better final product?
pro(s):
You have the satisfaction of giving the product your best efforts and when you look at the end product you know it is the result of your sincere optimum performance.
con(s):
Its extra work.
Boss might be unhappy and think you’re just making excuses for extra time, specially when most other employees are finishing work within the deadlines.
If guidelines are set, deadlines are in place and time is an issue, I prolly don't wanna throw a spanner in the works, as I may be affecting more than just my own output when thinking change.
Unless I have a very strong reason to think otherwise. What are all the related variables? Just how much of a difference will my suggested change of plan or extra time make? And more importantly can I convey and justify that to the boss. Facts, figures, comparisons - it's all about showing the numbers. It's not so much what the suggestions are than how they're illustrated.
How's my working relationship with the boss, is s/he professional enough to reason with, will want to weigh everything in and step in his/her shoes for a bit. Work towards what s/he may know to favor, cut and chop off any edges I know will not work with him/her, no matter how brilliant they seem to me.
If I'm not planning to move up, I'll make sure I'm confident enough and have strong justification to suggest 'alteration' if the environment doesn't allow it - so any possible future reference remains unharmed.
If I'm really feelin' it then (B) unless the boss is overly unreasonable or policy strictly doesn't welcome change.
a good idea is that with your recommendation, go with simple documents. i.e. no death by IT jargon approach, and especially it should be not just a chat.
show how your ideas would mean bottom line impact for the effort that is currently going on. Sometimes the level of sophistication and granularity is either not needed, or the costs outweigh the benefits.
a simple 2-3 page document could have an approach where u address the follwoing topics
1) this is what we are doing in order to support xyz goal
2) my suggestion/idea is to make abc enhancements/changes
3) the cost/additional time for these enhancements is $123
4) the benefit of this will be a,b,c
Then leave it up to him to figure out if the additional cost and time is worth the incremental improvement.
my boss was happy with the suggestions and gave me extra time
j/k