Corporate trolling. Part one

In commercial activities, one always needs something from others. In the project business, you crave for your services. You need to make a profit. The customer also needs a lot of things. But, no matter what, you need to sell services and get money for them. At each stage you will resist. Today I will begin a story about who will resist you and how and what you can do to counter this.

In general, an IT project consists of the following steps. First, you will learn about the need of someone for something (or create this need). Then you rub near the customer, in every possible way licking him and leaning towards a frank conversation. I deliberately put out the corruption deals and will talk only about deals within the law. When a client matures for a meeting, you arrange a show during which the idea is sold and a picture of the beautiful life that comes after the implementation of your decision is drawn. Then a contract and an advance. Then the survey and long tedious work on the design. Then the delivery of project documents. Then the implementation and launch of the solution. Then put into action. Each stage is closed by an act, on the basis of which a penny falls on your account. Here is a business. Of course, I exaggerate, and sometimes it can be the other way around. And sometimes - and a collar.

So, let's do the classification of trolls and their techniques. Today - formal trolling. Another time trolling full-time.

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What are trolls

Trolling occurs at each stage, where you need from the customer a signature on the act of the work performed. Also, trolling occurs during implementation and even during the preliminary presentation. Because trolls are different.

In total, British scientists distinguish three types of trolls.

Trolls are victims. These are the poor fellows who suffer from your appearance. They lose influence, work. Or, on the contrary, they have to work if before that they kicked the noodle. Any changes people take bayonets. This is a scientific fact. At the same time, some people shut up and are silent in a rag, while others begin to troll. Calculating such offended, you must extinguish them at every opportunity. If they sit in the same meeting with you, then do not allow them to sit next to the boss. Squeeze between the boss and the troll. Look for logical inconsistencies in the words of the troll and point it at them. Question his competence as far as possible by context. The main thing is not to bend the stick.
The most evil trolls should be removed from the project. As a last resort, write official letters. Because the loss from the effect of trolls is enormous. Below, I will talk about how trolling is done and you yourself will understand everything.

Trolls killers. These are dedicated employees who prepare the ground for the appearance of a “boss in white” who will offer you knowingly unfavorable conditions or simply squeeze free work or a discount. Artistic issues are worthy of a separate description, so let's leave this pleasure for later.

Trolls are upstarts. As a rule, these are careerists who do not disdain to use any opportunity for self-promotion. If a person is intelligent, he can play along. When he sees that you work for him, he will also help you smoothly. If he is a moron, that is most likely, then you will have to scare him, humiliate him publicly and make it clear that he will not be beaten. In extreme cases, it should also be removed from the project, as well as the troll victim.

Types of formal trolling

The easiest way to work formal trolling. For example, during the coordination of documents and during the acceptance of the system. The documents are usually written any crap, to get to the bottom of which special mind is not necessary. Here for an example, the most noticeable rake.

Any, everyone, everything. These three magic words should not appear in your technical papers. Search and crush them if you don't want the trolls to celebrate an easy victory! Wrote "choose any object." The troll will choose the one that does not meet the specified conditions. And he will be absolutely right. It also does not break off check "every" element. If at least in one there is no similarity, then your phrase is formally false, which means you can safely record it in the protocol, without unnecessary details. The big boss will not dig in the details, but simply will not sign the act and leave you without money.

Val comments. The method refers to exhausting tactics. It is applied by a troll-killer who can spend a week preparing hundreds of comments for your documents. The trick here is that you spend significant resources on each comment. And you have to work them out. Even if you only need to give explanations, then you need to write them, draw up a general register, do not forget to prepare a working out protocol, a covering letter. Sometimes you have to pull out specialists who may already be busy on other projects or may be on a business trip. As a result, you can sate on the dates that will be a formal reason to send you.

Endless cycle. You work out all the comments sent and think you won. But the trolls have prepared something else for you. Documents are sent for approval to the troll from another department under the pretext of complex internal regulations, and that generates a couple of dozen comments. You are working on them too. Then the first troll says that you made changes to the source document, which he knows nothing about. And again begins to read and generate new notes. Everything continues exactly as long as you do not delay the next working out, after which you are happily sent.

First, immediately prepare a work schedule for comments, harden it with the boss. So that the customer will collect everything in one pile, in a standard form (for example, in a tablet) and send it to you for testing. This will eliminate cycles and duplication of comments.

Next, you must assign an anti-troll, which will systematically dig down to each comment. Where there is no specifics - what for. Where demagogy - nafig. From the entire pile of comments sent, select only those where it is clearly written what needs to be changed. The rest is rejected. In 70% of cases, you will be left behind. But if on the other side the troll victim has been dug in, prepare for a deadly duel. He will not calm down and will still peck you with remarks. In some cases, you need to attract heavy artillery from those who bring the loot , so that the troll victim will be removed from participation in the project.

Agree, all this would be very sad if it were not so fun. In the end, this is the same game as many others, which are played by adult uncles and aunts.