Manager requesting task which I believe is unnecessary

Question

Background

I work as a developer in a software development department with three other developers and a manager. We have a desktop application that is being modified constantly based on customer needs.

Problem

Recently, one of our customers asked for a modification to a feature that is already present in the product. It requires couple of more mouse clicks to get the job done.

My manager wants this modification to be implemented per the client's request.

I clearly explained a few times that we already have that feature and it's working fine. Also, I explained the technical impact of changing the functionality. My manager wants me to proceed with the change per the client's requests.

Question

How should I proceed?

Should I explain the situation again? Or maybe look for another job? Or should tell my manager that if it's so simple he should help out?

UPDATE

Every answer for this question cleared one thing for me: I need to change my attitude.

As almost everyone pointed out: I am not the manager, as long as I inform my manager the technical downside of a request, I should not judge. Also, resigning would be a temporary solution, as problem lies with my attitude toward the job and manager.

Answer 1

My manager wants me to proceed with the change per the client's requests.

Question

How should I proceed?

You should proceed with the change per the client's requests.

Apparently the client wants this modification. And apparently your manager agrees. It seems that he's willing to absorb the technical impact in order to make the client happy.

There's no use explaining it again, unless you don't think your manager understood you even though you clearly explained it (it seems he did understand but doesn't agree).

Clearly, your manager is the one that gets to decide what is unnecessary here, not you.

Once the client's request is met, you might want to find a quiet time for a discussion with your manager. Your goal for such a discussion should not be to convince your manager that you were right. Instead, your goal should be to ask your manager about the decision, so that you better understand the client request process at your company. Clearly there are things about the clients that you don't understand.

Or maybe look for another job?

If you need a job where you get to decide what the client gets or doesn't get, even though your client and manager have already decided, then you should look for a new job.

Perhaps you should look for a management position, where you would have more influence as to which features are delivered and which are not. Or perhaps you should look for a client services or product management role, where you would interact with clients more closely, impact the product feature timeline, and could help decide which client requests to satisfy or deny.

Or, as @IsmaelMiguel correctly points out, work for a product company, where individual client requests are seldom solicited or fulfilled. (Of course you'll still have your manager's instructions to contend with.)

Or should tell my manager that if it's so simple he should help out?

You should get snarky with your boss only if you don't really value your job.

Answer 2

Your question is based on questioning the validly and correctness of the users request, and your manager's choice to accept it and have it actioned. The user's request is valid, and your manager's decision is valid.

This is the work you are employed to do.

What you are being asked for is the implementation of a non-functional requirement.

You are being asked for a usability improvement, not an expansion of functionality.

Non-functional requirements of a system are still requirements.

In this case, these usability fixes are intended to increase the user's productivity and lower their error rates.

Usability fixes can be non-trivial to implement. This does not mean they should be dealt with as second-class concerns. As a developer, you are there to create what is important, not what is easy.

An excellent book for helping understand usability as a key, core, engineering concern is
"The Design of Everyday Things" by Donald Norman (link).

A good example of a system which is feature-complete, and which needs further development of the user controls, is the Model T Ford. As a car, it goes. It steers. It stops. It carries passengers.

Now take a look at the user controls (link). No-one makes them like that any more - for good reasons.

They are hard (and error-prone, i.e. injury-prone) to start.

The throttle is a pair of sticks on opposite sides of the steering column, and they have to be operated independently and, at times, simultaneously.

Answer 3

Try to think of a solution where both situations can work.

If this functionallity allready exists, it's apperantly not properly done in terms of User Interface. Maybe redesign the controls or navigation? Try to decrease the amount of clicks via a clever way to what they want.

Also, resign when your manager tells you to do something you don't completely agree with?! You must really like looking for jobs, because this is quite common.

Answer 4

Your question is a mess; it is one big contradiction. Either it is already in the product, then there's nothing to do. Or it isn't, and there are technical problems that you have to overcome. But not both. It's impossible that you could stumble on technical difficulties when you reinvent the wheel.

If the feature is not yet in the product, proceed as follows:

If you have not yet done it, explain all your concerns in writing to your manager. An email should suffice. It should contain the concerns and the technical difficulties you have to overcome to solve them, and a rough time estimate if possible. Clearly mark those where you really have no idea how to solve them, and ask for his assistance.

Also ask him whether the feature is worth the effort, and show him more important features that wait in the backlog. Now that you have provided him with a time frame ("5 weeks for everything that is solved and 4 problems completely unsolved") and possible alternative uses of your manpower, he should be able to make an informed decision.

If he answers "Yes, go forward", implement everything you can, and communicate everything you can't solve. He asked for the feature, and he provided you with a time frame to solve the problems. Everything else is above your pay grade.

Answer 5

First, the existence of the feature should be communicated to the customer, if it hasn't been. Just because it is implemented doesn't mean that they are aware of it or that they know how to use the feature. This should be done by whoever is the primary contact with the customer, which could be your manager. Knowing about this feature could be all they need. However, if they find that the implementation isn't useful, then the way the feature is implemented would still need to be changed.

If the point of contact is your manager and your manager either has brought it up and the customer still wants the change or your manager doesn't feel it necessary to bring it up, then you did all you could do. You made the argument and a decision has been made by the person responsible for such decisions. It's now time to carry out the decision.

However, it does sound like there are issues within your organization. It's not uncommon for code to degrade over time. Technical debt builds up and changes to a system only cause the design integrity to degrade (software entropy). Eventually, these issues must be dealt with or the cost of software maintenance may increase to the point where it becomes extremely costly to make changes to a system. A lack of time for testing and building quality into the process is also a problem.

These organizational issues are longer-term problems. It's a case of "change your organization". You can either fix these problems or start seeing out a new organization that is more appropriate.

Answer 6

Provide a verification of what needs to be done to the customer. Draw a picture, provide step-by-step instructions, etc. to be sure that you understand the request. This is not explaining to the customer how things are done now, it is to make sure you do your job correctly. You can even compare it to how the feature works now, to verify that their change is as simple as it appears to you.

EDIT:

You can have the customer or the manager approve this change. You can mention to your manager that it might help if it is presented to the customer to "sign off" in case, when it is delivered, they realize how minor the change is. However, the point here is communication and if your manager signs off on this, then at least the job is clear to you and you have documentation that you provided what was asked for, and did not cheat or manipulate the solution.

END EDIT

It is possible that your customer is asking for an "existing" feature and they do not realize it. It may also be possible that your customer needs this done in fewer steps / with fewer clicks. I am familiar with many systems that were not "acceptable" to users because of "more clicks."

It is good for you to try to protect yourself against making unnecessary changes or charging customers for features that already exist. It is not good for you to judge a customer based on their request or be like an over-protective parent, and try to help customers save money or do things "your way" when they want it done another way.

If you are unwilling or unable to perform the job, then you manager should know that. But then you probably should be looking for another job.

Answer 7

I feel for you. I get detailed design with no functional requirements all the time. They have no appreciation for the current data design and server calls. Two clicks can be clean and extensible and one click causes a change to the data model. They say they don't care but when it breaks or data gets corrupted it is your problem. Even if you do make it work you have a brittle code base and the next change is even more difficult. It is so frustrating when a programmer is just considered a coder and not a designer.

As for what you can do. 1) Explain the problem. 2) Then oppose and state your objection both in writing and verbal. Outline the time for this change and the longer term impact. 3) And then just do it. If it take 3 weeks to program and 2 weeks for test then so be it.

Resign is always the last option but if this continues the job is only going to get worse. Code is going to get more brittle and the boss is not going to be understanding. It is demeaning being treated as a code monkey. That said just do the best you can and build your skill set. If you are still frustrated at your next performance review then lay it out. If you bring up the process not associated with specific change then hopefully the boss will consider your position more seriously. If the boss says the process is not going to change then you know where you stand. Don't just quit. Decide if you can live with it. If you cannot live with it then make a plan for how to move to you next job. Once you stop caring about the current job it will be more tolerable.

Answer 8

The answer here is "get clarification!"

Does the client realize that the feature already exists in a more streamlined fashion, or not?

If not... then they'd probably be rather upset to not be told about it and subsequently be paying for more hours to worsen the functionality of an already existing feature. I know I would be ticked about that...when I say "I want feature X" to the project manager it's their friggin' job to know if it's already there and let me know that so I can make sure my decision about the project I commissioned is an informed one.

If so... then what the client wants for the project is what they want. The requirements are the requirements, they have their reason and they don't have to explain them to you. For example they may have hard data that that extra click does some weird positive thing for their business and they want that. Or even if it's just because they're dumb...they have the right to pay you extra for their dumbness should they choose. As long as they're making that decision fully informed and paying for the hours they take from your end that's fine.

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Conclusion: If this is just your project manager not properly keeping the client informed then that's a problem. If it's the client genuinely wanting a dumb requirement even while knowing a better version of the feature already exists then...then it's still a client requirement even if a dumb one.

You can't take proper action until you figure out which is the case...or at very least spend some effort trying to figure out which is the case so your butt is covered in case it turns out the manager wasn't doing his job.

Answer 9

I love it how everyone on the Workplace stack talk about ethics and professionalism where a lot of what we do is a result of interests and political games. The situation here is quite obvious and the answer is pretty short:
Customer wants to donate money (I mean, their ignorance makes them waste money on things they already got), manager has no problem with it. That money pays for your salary. Be happy that you take that money and be happy that you are wiser than your customer. Profit.