There once was a PhD . . . 4

[DHambley]

No, not "from Nantucket".

New job - The guy I replaced was a Phd; really, really good at mathematics of control theory. His software algorithm covered every parameter of the motor and system, from details of the Lq & Ld inductances to the mechanical damping of the load on the shaft. Sharp guy. However, the circuit he designed does not work; it smokes. His old notes show a lack of basic understanding of power converters, everything from Miller effect, core loss calculations, managing of ground planes, reset of current sense transformers...you name it. Power converter design is much more involved than just the control loop.

So here's my problem: I'm presenting a plan to redesign this circuit. The new boss knows nothing about power converters and the attitude is, "We don't want you redesigning boards. New boards don't work. Our proof is that a PhD couldn't even do it". The arrogance and anger of this boss was upsetting. Now, I'm not a PhD in control theory but, I have designed many power converters and laid out many boards. My circuits work. He rejected my plan before he even saw it. The fact still remains that you can't make this circuit work by changing the software.

I'm assuming you, the reader, has had to manage hard-to-get-along-with managers like the rest of us. I bet you've been in a similar situation. How did you handle it?

 

[msquared48]

Why don't you patent it, demonstrate that it works, and sell the patent to your firm?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[btrueblood]

Bet him a case of his favorite beverage (against one of yours) that you can redesign the board, and it will work the first time. Then pull it off (make a proto and test it at home if you have to, to get it right the "first time"). And, from then on, every time something like that conversation starts, simply say quietly, "My designs work."

Worst case, he won't take the bet (highly unlikely with that type of personality - but you might have to do a little background work to figure out where his passion lies and what will entice him to make a bet, any bet. Maybe it's a round of golf, or tickets to a game, whatever). But if he won't play, you then have a choice - slowly win him around with designs of other circuits until you have a chance to prove it ala the above. Or go somewhere where you will be appreciated.

 

[MintJulep]

The PhD board smokes when? Any time it's turned on? Under certain conditions?

If it's a problem it will eventually show up as a warranty cost - assuming that this is a for sale product.

At any rate, it has been made clear that its not your problem to solve now, so don't solve it.

Good power electronics guys seem a relative rarity (bad ones are a dime a dozen), so I'd freshen my resume if I were you.

 

[DRWeig]

I miss Bob Pease.

Best to you,

Goober Dave

Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies

 

[kylesito]

PhD who couldn't design a real world solution...shocking. (I apologize to all the PhD's out there who can...just a little humor)

I stay stick to your guns. You know something works, keep pushing. I like the approach of betting him as a way of getting your point accross and keeping it light but stick with it and be emphatic.

Of course, if your approach really doesn't work any better, well then there isn't a spoon big enough for all the crow you will have to eat!

PE, SE
Eastern United States

"If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death!"
~Code of Hammurabi

 

[tygerdawg]

I was once told to implement BadConcept by my "Engineering Manager" boss who never set foot on a university campus, much less had studied any engineering. So besides all of your guy's anger and arrogance, I had to deal with his massive insecurity & fear of being found out. He fancied himself the world's best salesman and he had "sold the management" on BadConcept.

BadConcept was unworkable, and would have caused me much misery. I had an alternative BetterConcept, but had to figure out a way to influence his decision without sticking a pin in his fragile ego. Instead of making a counter proposal or calling his baby ugly, I made a "Project Update" document and asked for his review. I performed many hours of analysis and documentation to guide anyone who would read it to the same conclusion, without really drawing a conclusion.

He resisted at first, but once he realized I wasn't pointing fingers at him, he bought in. The extensive analysis gave him the ammunition to go back to the management, re-propose the solution as his own better idea, and save face.

BetterConcept was a success and I lived through it. But to this day I always scratch my head and wonder why it has to be this way. As the saying goes, "amazing success can be had if one doesn't care who gets the credit."

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[SNORGY]

Too many engineers and managers have never played in competitive team sports, at least not successfully.

If they had, they would get it.

 

[DHambley]

tygerdawg, Good points which you've brought up. Yes, I agree that sticking a pin in his ego is not a path to success for this project. Snorgy, Point well taken; We all have to work as a team, not against each other. One way I have found in the past to work with arrogant people is to find their good points (everyone has good points) and mention this in meetings or whatever. He will then look at you as a person intelligent enough to have noticed these good skills in him and he will view you as someone he should work with instead of this negative path.
"I always scratch my head and wonder why it has to be this way". yes tygerdawg, how true. Good managers should have these people skills but, sadly the burden is on us engineers to have such skills instead.

 

[lacajun]

I've run into this a number of times and have found these work best and produces consistent results:
[ul]
[li]not placing blame or crticizing[/li]
[li]highlighting the benefits of change[/li]
[li]sticking to facts[/li]
[li]patience[/li]
[li]repetition[/li]
[/ul]

I learned many years ago it takes most people 33 times to learn a new habit. I immediately translated that concept to many other aspects of life. I quickly applied it to IQ.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[berkshire]

Lacajun,
That is why you have a technique for dealing with managers called " Broken Record".
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor

 

[lacajun]

Excellent point, berkshire!

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[Artisi]

Why are you bothering, your suggestion has been turned down so leave it at that for the time being, in the mean time ask for some written direction from the "boss" as to how to overcome the problem in light of not wanting you to redesign anything - put the problem back into his court - that's why he is there and that's why he is the boss.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

 

[cvg]

get both designs peer reviewed by an "expert". review this with your manager and then decide how to proceed. By the way, you need to get your boss to ok the peer review first...

 

[macmet]

I agree with Artisi. Ask your boss how to fix the product's problems given software changes won't work. Just say you're looking forward to seeing his solution and how it would be great if you could apply his techniques to your suggestion. Get started on the next thing onyour list.

Then enjoy your weekends, sleep well and let him stress out about it. Maybe you can answer his questions on Eng-tips.

 

[ScottyUK]

Are you friendly enough with the development / prototyping guys to get your new design built 'under the radar'? I've run a couple of highly successful modification projects covertly because I was told that my ideas 'couldn't work' or it was 'impossible', usually by self-appointed experts who didn't know enough to realise how little they knew. It's certainly a lot easier to do this if you have a reasonably long leash and are allowed to manage your own work, order your own materials, etc.

Some personalities will take this sort of thing badly though, so use some judgement! After one covert trial reached a successful conclusion, one individual was monumentally pissed off at me because he'd stood in front of the brass and said that my solution could never work and they would have to implement a different one costing two orders of magnitude more. The brass remembered that mistake for a long time.

 

[btrueblood]

Hmm...yes, forgot about that method Scotty. My approach was to use one of my ideas for the purpose of testing other components (life cycle testing). Quietly pointed out to the boss one day that my test apparatus had survived testing of multiple components with no failures, "sure is a reliable way of doing things". It only took 5 years for him to come around, and a repeating field failures of the old device.

 

[SNORGY]

lacajun,

So, by your arithmetic, after six engineers individually told our Project Management Team that their schedule was stupid and unworkable, all we need now is another 27 engineers on the project in order to get them to change it?

Great...

 

[cvg]

so apparently the management team thinks they have an entire team of idiots working for them. with this stellar team, they believe they can remain on schedule?

 

[SNORGY]

That would be their position, yes...I think...well...I don't know...I never know with these guys what (if) they think.

I know we have - for example - a line item in the man-hour estimate for "Miscellaneous" and another for "Contingency", and now we have a bunch of Primavera Monkeys insisting that they can drop such things into a Project Schedule and logic link them together with predecessors, successors, and determine if they fall on the critical path.

They are either way dumber or way smarter than me, since I have never tried what they are trying.