What to do when you see bad methods...

... and can't convince people of it.

I have had this experience a few times, and I have thought long and hard about writing about it.I still don't want to get into details, the old "if you can't say something good..." situation. But the possibility of it happening starts with joining a project already underway and the methods have already been chosen. When I first see something troublesome, I might nicely say something like "this is a bit different, how did come to be used?" The worst answer is "that's how we have always done it", and I really have to shut my mouth before reflexively responding "and how's that been working for ya?" ala Dr Phil.

I won't jump ship because of this (new ships not always passing by), so I make the effort. The real problem comes when you see that using the bad method(s) will make you produce bad or late deliverables. The worst response in this case is "Work harder, Work overtime, etc" because that is what always has happened, so it is seen as the norm for doing projects. Even if what you do eventually produce results in buggy systems and missing functionality, so that the change log balloons, that is also seen as the norm.

My personal problem is that I know it does not have to be this way, so it is tough to continue working to the 'norm'. If you are lucky, some project goes so awry enough that 'lessons learned' are considered; that's when you might have chance to suggest improvements.If not, I start considering my options for moving to a (hopefully) better situation. This could be within the organization if it is big enough, but leaving the org might be what is needed in order to join a better environment.

Anyone want to offer their similar experiences as comments?