http://youtu.be/BKorP55Aqvg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
Of course I can... I'm an expert...
- Thread starter knightly
- Start date
I've been in this meeting. My life is this meeting.
I'm the expert, and everyone else is either insane, or complete morons. 
Spot on - I've been in a few of these meetings in my time. I've learned there are two viable ways to respond to requests like that.
The first - for situations where it is truly impossible - is to simply say can't be done, impossible, I'm the expert, end of story. Whatever you do, don't try to explain why it's impossible. All that does is invite further uninformed discussion and opinion around the topic, which either ends up back at the start (it's impossible) or with you stuck having to attempt the impossible. Do this a few times - and only in situations where it is truly impossible - and people will tend not to attempt to argue as much and start to accept your word as the expert.
The second - for things that are merely highly impractical rather than truly impossible - is to say "Sure, lets do it" and immediately shift the focus from the task itself to the time, resources and cost necessary to pull it off. It's amazing how quickly "vitally important" features become unnecessary (or significantly simplified) when you mention the cost or shift in critical timelines. You're shifting the difficult part of the task from something they don't understand (the technology) to something they're comfortable with (budget/project management). I find in this approach it can actually be beneficial to enthusiastically support the request - that flips it from an antagonistic situation (you vs. them fighting over the task) to one where you're both on the same side but you both have to live with losing out because the budget just isn't there - and they're the one who decides it's impossible rather than you.
The first - for situations where it is truly impossible - is to simply say can't be done, impossible, I'm the expert, end of story. Whatever you do, don't try to explain why it's impossible. All that does is invite further uninformed discussion and opinion around the topic, which either ends up back at the start (it's impossible) or with you stuck having to attempt the impossible. Do this a few times - and only in situations where it is truly impossible - and people will tend not to attempt to argue as much and start to accept your word as the expert.
The second - for things that are merely highly impractical rather than truly impossible - is to say "Sure, lets do it" and immediately shift the focus from the task itself to the time, resources and cost necessary to pull it off. It's amazing how quickly "vitally important" features become unnecessary (or significantly simplified) when you mention the cost or shift in critical timelines. You're shifting the difficult part of the task from something they don't understand (the technology) to something they're comfortable with (budget/project management). I find in this approach it can actually be beneficial to enthusiastically support the request - that flips it from an antagonistic situation (you vs. them fighting over the task) to one where you're both on the same side but you both have to live with losing out because the budget just isn't there - and they're the one who decides it's impossible rather than you.
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That doesn't work so well with many things though Ray. For example, in my line of work, development. It's on me to figure out the 'how' for their want. I ask a lot of questions like how should widget A interact with dingbat Q, and that does tend to leave some things by the wayside -- often due to budgetary reasons.
But I find more often than not, clients have no clue how anything works, and don't really care, they just want what they want. Generally in a ridiculous timeframe, for far less money than is realistic. I'm glad the people I work with (now) are smart enough to push back on these kind of requests. But a former employer used to operate on the unwritten rule of "we don't say no" -- NOT a good way to work when your entire livelihood is dependent on attempting to solve the -- if not impossible, improbable, and they let their sales people lock in ludicrously below normal rates.
But I find more often than not, clients have no clue how anything works, and don't really care, they just want what they want. Generally in a ridiculous timeframe, for far less money than is realistic. I'm glad the people I work with (now) are smart enough to push back on these kind of requests. But a former employer used to operate on the unwritten rule of "we don't say no" -- NOT a good way to work when your entire livelihood is dependent on attempting to solve the -- if not impossible, improbable, and they let their sales people lock in ludicrously below normal rates.
Well, that's the sort of push back I had in mind.
Go ahead, ask the impossible.
But it's my job to make the client care, to be informed so that they may provide consent and just compensation.
Can't black box much these days.