As an SQL developer, I have had the opportunity to work with various teams and individuals with different levels of talent and skill. Throughout my career, I have encountered both supportive and challenging work environments. In this article, I would like to share my experiences and the valuable lessons I learned while working in a particularly challenging company.
The Uneven Skill Levels
In this large company, there were separate groups for DBAs and SQL Developers. It became evident that the skill levels of the SQL Server developers were quite uneven. For example, the company heavily relied on DTS Packages, but many of these packages were not properly written or utilized. The DBAs would schedule the packages by clicking on the “Schedule Package” option, resulting in long strings of numbers and characters as the DTSRUN names. When I opened the job, I discovered that there were ten connections for transferring five tables, instead of the expected two connections. Surprisingly, the poorly written DTS package was created by a DBA with over 10 years of experience.
The Importance of Effective Communication
One of the challenges I faced was the lack of understanding and appreciation for SQL from my immediate supervisor. On one occasion, we needed to backup a table in production, and my supervisor insisted on writing a script that would take hours to complete. I suggested a simple “SELECT * INTO TableA_bak FROM TableA” query, which would have been much faster and efficient. Unfortunately, my suggestion was met with resistance, and tensions arose between my supervisor and me. This incident taught me the importance of effective communication and the need to carefully choose my words when discussing alternative solutions.
Innovative Solutions and Resistance
One of my major assignments at this company was to create a data mart for a reporting system. I had to transfer data from 20 different flat files to SQL Server tables. Instead of creating a separate DTS package for each file or using a single large package, I devised an innovative solution. I created a lookup table that stored the necessary information for each file, such as file directories, format files, server and database names, and table names. I then wrote a DTS package that utilized global variables and a “Dynamic Property Task” to dynamically set the connection properties based on the lookup table. This approach allowed for easy scalability and flexibility when adding more files in the future.
Despite the efficiency and elegance of my solution, it was met with resistance and lack of appreciation from my colleagues and supervisors. Instead of recognizing the benefits of my approach, my supervisor criticized my documentation skills and added unnecessary information to my documentation. The DBA group also showed resistance, even though I demonstrated how to write proper DTSRUN statements and improve the efficiency of their work.
The Importance of Adaptation
Working in such a challenging environment taught me the importance of adaptation and fitting in with the team. I realized that it was crucial to carefully choose my words and actions, as I did not know who my friends or enemies were. Despite my innovative ideas and efforts to improve processes, I often felt isolated and unsupported.
Lessons Learned
From this experience, I learned several valuable lessons:
- Effective communication is essential when proposing alternative solutions or challenging existing practices.
- Adaptation and fitting in with the team can be necessary for success in challenging work environments.
- Not everyone will appreciate or recognize innovative solutions, but it is important to stay focused on the bigger picture.
- Documentation skills are crucial, and it is important to strike a balance between providing necessary information and avoiding unnecessary details.
Working in a challenging environment can be a valuable learning experience, even if it may feel isolating at times. It is important to stay resilient, continue to improve your skills, and seek opportunities to work in more supportive and collaborative teams.
Have you ever faced similar challenges in your SQL Server career? How did you overcome them? Share your experiences in the comments below!