Sometimes I feel like a super hero at my job. I get to fly in and save the day when ever there is CAD trouble, and it feels pretty darn good. Other times, I feel like the overworked super hero in this comic I read where Joe Citizen yells for help, and the super hero responds with "Take a number.".
I can have people stacked three deep most of the day, all with problems that only I can solve. The stress from the constant stream of emergencies sometimes made me a grumpy super hero. Like any good super hero, I have found that gadgets can go a long way to helping ease that stress. Here are some gadgets that may help you out.
CAD Man demands that you take a number.
Use a issue tracking software like Spiceworks to sort out 5 alarm fires from kittens stuck in trees. This will also help with the constant calls for help that you may get as you walk around the office. Organizing all the calls for help will ensure that the big fires get handled first and the things that can wait get handled too. It will also help you track trends. Those reoccurring items can be linked to an intern Blog site, where you can document changes in procedures and fixes to common problems. This means, you may only have to email a link to the solution of a common problem instead of making a personal appearance. Blogs are super easy to make and can be made confidential to your office or shared with the world. I use a lot of screen shots in my Blogs. I used to just use the print screen function and Windows Paint but I later convinced my boss to front a small amount of cash and buy a screen capture software called Snagit. It is the best for making professional looking screen captures. I have also made a series of CAD training videos for use in my offices for when people forget how to do a task that is standard, but doesn't happen everyday. For that I use Camtasia. It costs, but it's worth it and handling repeated questions and stream lining training.
There is probably a gadget for any issue you might be having as a CAD manager. The secret is to realize it and find something that can help. it's the old work smarter not harder thing. Often the little helper you need can be acquired for free, you just have to look around.
I hope to write a long article next on using the tools that come with AutoCAD for tracking licenses and pushing updates if I have an interest out there.
6 comments:
I'm not a CAD manager but I'm definately the go-to person for CAD issues. Luckily the office is small so I'm not stretch as thinly as it sounds like you are. I just had a drafter (who is technically senior to me) tell me how I should make a list of all my 'cool' CAD commands so everyone could be as smart as me. I declined. That's a monumental document stored safely in my brain...
To appease him (and because I saw some of the work he was doing) I showed him "Mleader" and he's entertained for the day...and I can put my cape away until next time.
Laura, don't worry about anybody getting better than you because of an AutoCAD trick. It's your drive to know AutoCAD so well that puts the cape on your back. If your co-worker had that same drive, they wouldn't need a word document with CAD tricks on it.
Then again, you can always direct them to my blogs.
I will disagree with both of you Todd and Laura. The reason that a person is a CAD manager is to teach those who work under him/her. Why should a person 'wear the cape' if the are not willing to share their knowledge? A CAD manager should be holding training with people to make them better, not withholding to make themselves look better. I would rather spend 3 minutes telling someone how to do something then for them to spend 30 trying to research it themselves. It has nothing to do with drive, it has to do with being part of a team. If I were your bosses I would judge your performance on how well the team is doing. If the team is not progressing on their knowledge, then I would hold the CAD manager responsible and his/her review and salary would reflect that. I have worked for CAD managers who would not share their knowledge and guess what, he was fired. I am currently a CAD manager and I share everything I can with everyone. It improves the productivity of the office to immediately share the information. It makes the whole company look better in the end. If I find something on your blogs Todd (or other people's blogs), I email it out to the whole company. Then everyone has the information and can put it to use. I guess since I used to work for a CAD manager who would only give out little tidbits of information to us so he could look the smartest, I have a pet peeve against that type of management. And even if you are not the manager, sharing information still makes sense.
Kevin,
I agree with your comments, but will hold out that there are people that you can teach and mentor all day and it won't stick.
I agree with you for the most part - until I run across drafters who want all the new information spoon fed to them and their problems solved without them lifting a finger or learning. I happily pass along the info I learn - to the people who are grateful for it and would do the same in return. :)
You are right about that too Todd. I have had to let a few drafters go when they couldn't do the basic AutoCAD commands. I spent 6 months training the same thing over and over.
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