Do You Have a Jeff?

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Do You Have a Jeff?

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

SSC Guru

Points: 736173
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February 9, 2024 at 12:00 am

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item Do You Have a Jeff?

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004324 More actions · Answer 1

Whoa... oh my... now there's a subject I didn't plan on reading about tonight. Other than stating that my levels of imposter syndrome just shot through the roof, I'm not sure what else to say other than thank you for the very kind words, Steve. I'm deeply humbled and glad that some of the things that I've learned and shared could be of use to others.

The SQL Community has certainly gone global (especially in the last decade) but a lot of the roots of the community started right here on SSC, thanks to Steve and the other founders, and the thousands of "you" that took part over time. Whether you asked questions, provided answers, or did both, without that interaction, none of us would have learned (and continue to learn) as much as we have.

Thank you, thank you, thank "you".

Shifting gears to the subject at hand... don't be what Steve is calling "the Jeff" in your group or company. Instead, Be the "you". You don't need to live up to anyone's expectations other than your own and life is short, so take it easy on yourself. If you like what you're doing, you'll become REALLY good at it. If you don't like what you're doing, you could still become REALLY good at it so that you don't have to spend so much time doing it. 😀

The important part is that this and other communities have a whole lot of good people in them. Be the "you" for yourself and any family you may have and enjoy the ride. Remember that a really good ol' VW Beetle is a comfortable ride and a whole lot less expensive than a Lamborghini. There are different costs associated with both but both will get you there. It's just a choice. You can even drive a Beetle and occasionally rent a "Lambo".

"Luck" is defined as when opportunity meets preparation and so spend some time to get prepared but, always, Be the "you".

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Phil Parkin SSC Guru Points: 246960 More actions · Answer 2

Note to self: remember to rent a Lambo one day.

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
- Martin Rees
The absence of consumable DDL, sample data and desired results is, however, evidence of the absence of my response
- Phil Parkin

David.Poole SSC Guru Points: 76000 More actions · Answer 3

Whether you are a Brent or a Jeff there are some pitfalls to watch out for to avoid burning yourself out.

Do others see you as a leg up or a crutch? I'm fine with activities that help people help themselves, help them to grow their skills etc.

There's the book "To serve them all my days" by RD Delderfield where one character says that sometimes you just show people the ropes and marvel at the speed at which they climb them.

Where I have struggled is setting boundaries and by not doing so, taking on more than I should or even could. Show them the ropes but remember climbing is their responsibility you don't have to climb with them on your back, or in some cases its not even your rope to climb.

The other thing to watch for is when senior people insist that their reports don't move without consulting you. I'm all for a RACI but the risk is that you are becoming a crutch for managers. "We couldn't deliver because of Jeff's availability was hard to secure". Part of the role of managers is to have a healthy attitude to risk and make the damn decision. Can Dave perform as well as Jeff and with the same level of expertise? Probably not, but his performance and skills are sufficient for the task and he will gain expertise and improve performance by having to do the task.

Throughout my career I have made it a habit to document HOW TO processes on Confluence and finding ways of auto-documenting code and databases.

Always write for the reader
Use SEO techniques to make what you write easy to find. This works on Confluence.
Seek feedback from the reader
Emphasise the reader's importance and right in improving what is written

Someone asked me how to do a particular task. When I sent them a link to the Confluence page they said "I knew you would have written it down somewhere, I just had trouble finding it". They went away happy, I knew they were satisfied working through what I had written.

Help them run because one day you will need their help to keep up.

PS. I know lots of tips and tricks with Confluence if anyone is interested.

LinkedIn Profile

Steve Collins SSCrazy Points: 2157 More actions · Answer 4

Back in the day, before SQL Server 2012 was previewed, I worked on a project which started with a blank database. My teammate at the time started sending me articles he thought I should read. A few of those were by Jeff Moden. Quite nicely written and very informative

Aus dem Paradies, das Cantor uns geschaffen, soll uns niemand vertreiben können

Doctor Who 2 SSCrazy Eights Points: 8194 More actions · Answer 5

Great article Steve! Jeff, your humble reply is so gracious!

To a degree I think that even if you are a Brent or a Jeff, you might not shine as well as you could, if the environment isn't conducive. At my previous job I was something of a Jeff. I helped write the database and applications that ran against them. So, I was the go-to guy. (I can't do networking or security, so I don't count myself as a Jeff.)

When I came to my current job, I was very surprised at how restricted it is. The culture is all wrong for allowing anyone to become a Brent or a Jeff. There's no sharing of what you've learned, no brown bag luncheons to discuss anything new, etc. The technologies tend to be older with no intention of replacing them, ever. And even when I've tried to introduce anything new, it is met with no interest and no participation. I get the feeling that everyone's attitude is, "Just let me get through this day and leave."

I like to share what I've learned with others, but I've realized in my current circumstances I won't be doing it here. So, I'll share in Slack channels, etc. Looking for other avenues of sharing. Not here, hey you folks are great! There's nothing I can teach you about SQL Server or databases in general.

Rod

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004324 More actions · Answer 6

David.Poole wrote:

Whether you are a Brent or a Jeff there are some pitfalls to watch out for to avoid burning yourself out.
Do others see you as a leg up or a crutch? I'm fine with activities that help people help themselves, help them to grow their skills etc.
There's the book "To serve them all my days" by RD Delderfield where one character says that sometimes you just show people the ropes and marvel at the speed at which they climb them.
Where I have struggled is setting boundaries and by not doing so, taking on more than I should or even could. Show them the ropes but remember climbing is their responsibility you don't have to climb with them on your back, or in some cases its not even your rope to climb.
The other thing to watch for is when senior people insist that their reports don't move without consulting you. I'm all for a RACI but the risk is that you are becoming a crutch for managers. "We couldn't deliver because of Jeff's availability was hard to secure". Part of the role of managers is to have a healthy attitude to risk and make the damn decision. Can Dave perform as well as Jeff and with the same level of expertise? Probably not, but his performance and skills are sufficient for the task and he will gain expertise and improve performance by having to do the task.
Throughout my career I have made it a habit to document HOW TO processes on Confluence and finding ways of auto-documenting code and databases.
Always write for the reader
Use SEO techniques to make what you write easy to find. This works on Confluence.
Seek feedback from the reader
Emphasise the reader's importance and right in improving what is written
Someone asked me how to do a particular task. When I sent them a link to the Confluence page they said "I knew you would have written it down somewhere, I just had trouble finding it". They went away happy, I knew they were satisfied working through what I had written.
Help them run because one day you will need their help to keep up.
PS. I know lots of tips and tricks with Confluence if anyone is interested.

Man, truer words never spoken. Like I say, "Be the YOU" and take some time to enjoy.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

David.Poole SSC Guru Points: 76000 More actions · Answer 7

Phil Parkin wrote:

Note to self: remember to rent a Lambo one day.

Don't. Had a driving day for my 40th birthday.

Lamborghini. My fantasy cracked and died.
Ferrari. Knackered Fiat until it hit 90mph then OMG!
Aston Martin. Felt guilty that I wasn't wearing a tie.
Lotus. Your head will know every reason why you shouldn't. 10 minutes into the drive, your heart will be telling your head to seal the deal and lets boogie.

LinkedIn Profile

SoCal_DBD Hall of Fame Points: 3380 More actions · Answer 8

I've been a member of this forum for 17 years, mostly a lurker with very occasional posting or replying. I am the baby Jeff at my company. My scope isn't as wide as Jeff's, but I am without a doubt the go-to person at my company for issues within my scope. I can say without question that many of the skills I've acquired over time were as a result of Jeff's posts. Wonderful to see such flattering editorial on him!

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004324 More actions · Answer 9

Phil Parkin wrote:

Note to self: remember to rent a Lambo one day.

😀

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004324 More actions · Answer 10

SoCal_DBD wrote:

I've been a member of this forum for 17 years, mostly a lurker with very occasional posting or replying. I am the baby Jeff at my company. My scope isn't as wide as Jeff's, but I am without a doubt the go-to person at my company for issues within my scope. I can say without question that many of the skills I've acquired over time were as a result of Jeff's posts. Wonderful to see such flattering editorial on him!

Thank you for the very kind feedback.

Looking back at my posts, the forum says that my first post was on February 16, 2004 at 12:38 am... I don't have much on you for being a denizen there.

Hmmm... 20 years a week from today... Like my Dad used to say, "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself".

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004324 More actions · Answer 11

Steve Collins wrote:

Back in the day, before SQL Server 2012 was previewed, I worked on a project which started with a blank database. My teammate at the time started sending me articles he thought I should read. A few of those were by Jeff Moden. Quite nicely written and very informative

Thank you for the kind feedback, Steve. I have to say that I do enjoy the many times you jump in to help on a lot of the threads. I sometimes look at a thread, see what you've done, and silently say "Yep... he's got this".

This article today reminds me that I should be less silent in agreement. It's not a judgement... it's just showing appreciation for the "you".

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736173 More actions · Answer 12

Glad you liked it, Jeff. You've impressed and taught a lot of people and a few things came together recently that reminded me of you.

So thanks for all you do and you're welcome for the piece.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004324 More actions · Answer 13

Steve Jones - SSC Editor wrote:

... and a few things came together recently that reminded me of you.

Oh my. I can only imagine. Any chance of you sending an email about that? I'm just insanely curious about that.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Eirikur Eiriksson SSC Guru Points: 182911 More actions · Answer 14

Jeff Moden wrote:

Steve Jones - SSC Editor wrote:
... and a few things came together recently that reminded me of you.
Oh my. I can only imagine. Any chance of you sending an email about that? I'm just insanely curious about that.

Now I'm curious, how many pork chops?

😎