Voice of the DBA

Author: way0utwest

  • Daily Coping 14 Dec 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

    Today’s tip is to listen wholeheartedly to others without judging them.

    This is similar to a few tips across the last year, and for me, it’s one I’ve been working on. As I find myself hearing someone else complain or cheer or anything, I’m trying to let the words and feelings wash over me and avoid judging or projecting my own feelings onto them.

    I’ve had some success, but I still need to remind myself of this. Without disclosing names, I was listening to someone tell be about their success with finances and work this year. Rather than compare myself, or view them as a bit arrogant, I cheered on their success in my mind. It’s hard to not compare or examine how I feel I’ve done this year against them, but I was working to limit this to a “could I do better” than a I or them was more successful.

    I think I did this well internally. Externally, I just congratulated them and listened to their joy, feeling good for them.

    I had another friend who is having a hard time in life and getting together with others. My initial thought was that some of their complaints are self-created, but I worked to stop myself from judging them and instead just listening and providing the support and sympathy I can. No advice, no suggestions, nothing but “I’m here for you.”

  • The Chili Shirt–Memories of Euan Garden

    Early on in the history of SQL Server Central, we were offered the chance to work in a booth a TechEd and promote our little site. Brian Knight, Andy Warren, and I took the opportunity to go and hang out at the conference. I think this was 2004 or 2005, and we decided we should have logo’d shirts. I was given the task of choosing them and getting them customized.

    I ended up going with Hawaiian shirts, doing 3 for each of us in different designs. The idea was to wear a new one each day and match each other. I chose a fish theme, a traditional flower theme, and a chili-pepper theme.

    It was at that conference that I met Euan Garden, who was working for Microsoft with the SQL Server team. I enjoyed talking with him and seeing him talk about the platform. He liked the shirts and asked if we’d make him one. No one had asked, and I thought it would be good marketing, so I had another one made and gave it to him at another event. I don’t even have my shirt anymore, but it’s this one:

    IMGP6775

    I don’t have a picture with Euan (actually, I don’t have the shirt anymore). This was pre-iPhone, pre cameras everywhere, back when I made most calls to Brian and Andy on a land-line, reserving the expensive minutes on cellular for emergencies.

    Over the years I’ve seen Euan at various events and had a short chat. I’ve enjoyed our interactions, and I’ve thought of him every time I wear that shirt.

    I’m stunned at his passing, on a day where the husband of another friend also passed.

    Life is truly short, and you must enjoy it while you have it.

  • Changing Case in SSMS–#SQLNewBlogger

    Another post for me that is simple and hopefully serves as an example for people trying to get blogging as #SQLNewBloggers.

    I never knew I could change case for objects in SSMS easily. This actually was something that another individual pointed out to me, but once I tried it, I liked it and know I’ll use it at times.

    CTRL+Shift+L will lowercase whatever text is selected in SSMS. A quick gif to show this below, where I select a portion of the code and then CTRL+Shift+U to upper case it, which is what I’d want. I then CTRL+Shift+L to put it back.

    Untitled Project

    Normally I use SQL Prompt to do these types of things, but that reformats the entire section of code. I don’t always want to do that. I could certainly CTRL+K, Y, which would upper case this according to my current format, but I can’t change to lower case easily. Knowing these shortcuts makes it easy for me to match case if needed.

    SQLNewBlogger

    When I ran across this and realized it was new, I just wrote this post. It took about 5 minutes and I spent more time deciding if I should record the screen than it took to just do it.

    You could easily write this type of post as you learn small things. Tag them with SQLNewBlogger as well to encourage others.

  • Acknowledging Success

    Today is the Redgate annual award event, and I’m honored to be hosting again. I’ve been asked a few times, and I used to look forward to the gathering in Cambridge followed by our annual Christmas party. Last year this was virtual, as it is this year, so I’m hosting again from my home office. Not what I had hoped would happen, but I’ll have some fun. Last year I had a number of shirt changes between my parts, and I may do that again.

    I know there are often annual sales awards in many companies, usually with some vacation or prize being given out, but not a lot outside of the sales department. In most of my jobs, we’ve usually had some sort of holiday party, but nothing else for most employees.

    As we approach the end of the year, I wonder if you find your organization doing any sort of recognition for your work this year? Or maybe highlighting those that have gone above and beyond what is expected? At Redgate, we have nominations in various categories. Some are sales-oriented, but we have an open award category as well as an ingeniously simple one. We’ve had people or groups from different parts of the company win that one.

    I think that recognition of effort and work accomplished is important for the morale and motivation of employees. When management recognizes people for their hard work and lets other employees have input into the process, you build a better team of people working together. Even when we aren’t the winners, we can appreciate the effort that others put into improving the organization.

    My view is that few too few in the management of organizations appreciate the value of employees, especially the knowledge workers. Replacing people is hard, and it is expensive. Unmotivated people do less work and do it less well. I hope that more organizations learn this and start to put effort into valuing those that contribute to everyone’s success.

    Steve Jones

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