Ed, the funny thing is I have customers that end up paying to do this.
I give them an answer and then they take 3 hours going in circles to arrive back at my first email. I am slowly coming to see it as them paying for time towards their education when they decide to insist understanding the inner workings of something better than someone who has built it.
Despite my best to bring it to their attention to send me the information complete and once to get the quickest resolution, folks feel productive when going back and forth.
I squarely blame this on the Blackberry exec mindset. Talking all day by email or IM or phone doesn't mean you get anything done.
If you point it out, they won't like finding out they're the cause of slowing everything down, because they're so important.
It is often more effective to ask the right questions so that the other part can arrive at the correct conclusion by themselves instead of telling them the conclusion from the start.
I give them an answer and then they take 3 hours going in circles to arrive back at my first email. I am slowly coming to see it as them paying for time towards their education when they decide to insist understanding the inner workings of something better than someone who has built it.
Despite my best to bring it to their attention to send me the information complete and once to get the quickest resolution, folks feel productive when going back and forth.
I squarely blame this on the Blackberry exec mindset. Talking all day by email or IM or phone doesn't mean you get anything done.
If you point it out, they won't like finding out they're the cause of slowing everything down, because they're so important.
0.02