RE: dba mgt woes

  • To: <Paula_Stankus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:08:42 -0700

So you might start by not recommending a certain route and let the Junior dba 
spread their wings a bit in participating in making the decision, instead of 
you making it for them. It would probably short circuit the next item ( he 
immediately writes the recommendation to users), since he probably will not 
want to stick his neck out in front of end users until he has a working 
solution. Also if they are not experienced in these areas you might have to 
change your training tactics. Although you can be commended for taking the 
initiative when you started out, people are different and learning tactics that 
worked for you, do not always work for others. Sometimes it is helpful to send 
people to training, along with periods of work in the area after each training 
session to reinforce what they were taught.
I have found it useful in cases to take a complex script that you already have 
and break it down into it's component parts and hand those equivalent tasks to 
the Junior DBA:

Connect to database.
Execute query.
Put results from database into a file or into a variable and then perform basic 
manipulations on that data set.
Loops
Executions of OS commands.

You might give them training pages on the web to point to, then once they have 
performed some basics tasks, you can point them to already built script and 
have them break it down into what is being performed and why.

If you want to teach others, then you as the teacher must make the extra effort 
to bridge the gap for the student. There is also a point that you may determine 
the person is not suited for this career, but that is a long way off, after 
much frustration and self reflection as to why your teaching methods are not 
working.

-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Paula_Stankus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 8:33 PM
To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: dba mgt woes

So,

I have recently become a dba manager and I have a small issue.

I have a junior dba new to scripting, sql, plsql, oracle.  This scenario
has happened a few times:

-I request him to research something and recommend a certain route
-he immediately writes the recommendation to users
-he then writes me asking me how to do it, script it....
-I assist him in finding where to go or if I have a script I give it to
him
-he has trouble implementing the solution
-he comes back to me with "your process does not work"
-I discover it is how he has implemented it and correct it

It is a frustrating experience and I wonder how to get him to take on
the task and see it through to the end.

Any ideas?

When I was a junior dba I would implement something and ususally go a
step farther - I would not go back to my boss instead chosing to "figure
it out myself".

Now I know why management is called damanagement.  It is the same issue
as to why children are convinced their parents are crazy.  Who do you
think pushed them over the edge?

Trying to be supportive, teach how to fish but didn't figure on this
interesting personality.

Sigh.
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