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This thread came at the perfect time. My wife is tired of listening to me complain about the same thing all the time.

Some background: I'm a programmer in a market research company. When we do surveys, "open-end" responses (ie, What do you like about the product) have to be "coded" so that we can report results. Programming sets surveys up, and produces the final results. Coding happens in between those two processes. We have project coordinators, that work with all operations departments to manage deadlines, coordinate efforts, etc.

Now, the gripe: Every day, for the past two weeks I've gotten a phone call from one or both of the same two project coordinators asking me about a process around coding and internet surveys. It's a simple question, with a simple answer, and the process has been in place for two years. Why are we paying these people so much money to coordinate things when they can't even remember a simple, basic process that happens on EVERY project?

It's a big problem around here... programming is involved in pretty much every stage of projects. So, we get people asking us abotu every stage of a project, even if it has nothing to do with our job. Our project directors (the actual market researchers) require graduate degrees to even get an interview. Many of them have phd's, and 20+ years experience. Their bonuses are bigger than my annual salary. And they call me to ask how to do their job.

It's incredibly frustrating, because after they waste hours of my time doing their job, they complain that I'm late doing mine.

Which brings up giant bitch #2: If there's delays in any stage of a project outside of programming, they get extensions, etc. Programming time lines are set in stone. If I'm supposed to have a survey ready for interviewing on Monday, and I receive it 3 days late - too bad. It has to happen on Monday. I'm constantly working overtime to make up for other departments being late. And they are never held responsible - it always comes down on us.

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Awesome post. I've been in this situation many times.

What makes it even worse is when you get some sly douchebag who KNOWS you will take over some of his work, so even goes out soliciting more work for "him" to do, so he can take all the credit and just pass it on to you. Worse yet, if it's just too much, he'll try to blame that on your not doing the work rather than him both overscheduling himself and you -- and then copping out on his own part to boot.

The only way I've found to deal with this kind of thing is to document what you're doing in memos and ask others what to do so that you can stick to a project and get it done. Especially useful when it's someone higher up than the douchebag and the douchebag is trying to horn in on time you needed to spend on the higher-up's project. Then the higher-up realizes he has to protect his ability to get his own projects done, and sets people straight. The "it's out of my hands" response as to what you can do, and the "The Boss" response when asked "Who authorized you to do that" can be delightful and a sorely needed comeuppance to weasels trying to throw their weight around and curry unearned favor.