sloppy,unprofessional and contrived?

[1man1desk]

quote:But you constantly have to make balanced decisions based on how much you will piss off the driver if you ask him to re-machine areas, or whether it is better to accept a bit of machining that is not quite up to your preferred standards

quote:Seriously though, as I've never taken flack about my standards of machining but have been criticised for wanting it to be too clean I'm not going to worry too much about 1mans and Vulpes claims that I'm ducking my responsibility and sacrificing standards.

Not quite sure how you reconcile these two statements.

I made no claims - I just quoted your own statement, then applied to it the standards that you claim to uphold. If you are making those compromises, then you are responsible for them.

quote:ps. I really look forward to the day when I am criticised on site by Vulpes or 1man for either compromising standards or not taking responsibility for my actions.

In my role as a consultant, I have criticised field units for not doing various types of work, including both machine stripping and hand cleaning, to the specified standard. Unlike a curator, however, I am in a position to enforce the standard required, as long as it is in the agreed Specification (WSI), and I do so without hesitation.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[mercenary]

1man,

It must be woderful to exist in a working environment where you are not forced to compromise in one aspect of your job to better achieve a second more important goal. I don't really believe that you can fail to grasp this concept though.

The interesting thing about this scenario is how it reveals the close link between power and responsibility. The times when I have had to deal with substandard machining have re-inforced the point that my own power is limited. I can try by whatever means to coerce/cajole better quality out of the driver, but getting them replaced has not been possible. (If I had an omnipotent consultant like yourself to back me up then I could have done it without problems) In each case when I tried there was a failure to take responsibility by my managers that made it clear that I was trying to take too much responsibility. (I can't recall whether consultants were involved in these jobs, and the curators were as usual unavailable) Without power to change things there is no responsibility. I do take responsibility for my decisions, but in retrospect I was a fool to take responsibility for something I had no power to change.

I'm not really sure why this scenario, which is commonplace in field archaeology is of more interest to you than the frankly shocking scenario that Troll started this post with.

[1man1desk]

Posted by Mercenary:

quote:It must be woderful to exist in a working environment where you are not forced to compromise in one aspect of your job to better achieve a second more important goal. I don't really believe that you can fail to grasp this concept though.

No problem with the concept - everyone alive has to live with compromises. The point, though, is that in your initial comments you made it clear that you considered the compromises you were making to be unacceptable.
If, however, you have taken action to try and change things but been frustrated by your managers (as suggested in your most recent post) - then any failures of standards become their responsibility, not yours.
I am not sure what you mean about the scenarios. However, the point is that there are three archaeological parties here - the curator, the consultant and the contracting unit. They all have responsibilities, and if something is not being done properly then you can't just automatically say 'it's the consultant's fault'.

No consultant (and I am one) should be able to dictate to a curator, as Troll alleges happened in this case; if the curator allows himself to be dicated to by a consultant, that is a significant failure by the curator, not the consultant.

At the same time, no consultant should try to dictate inappropriate methodologies to a curator, and if they do that is a significant ethical failure by the consultant.

Lastly, no contracting unit should agree to carry out a methodology they consider to be inadequate for the purpose.



1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[mercenary]

By Jove, I do believe we actually have agreement here! A rare thing that should be cherished.:face-approve:

[BAJR Host]

:face-approve: I could but I won't

I love it when consultants try and tell me (as a curator) what to do.... until I am a consultant in another county, when bloody curators won't listen to my reasonable demands..

just kiddin....... [:0]

Another day another WSI?