https://www.seangoedecke.com/getting-things-done/ is an interesting article that proposes that getting work 'done' is 'finishing' things. Or more specifically:
It means getting them to a point where the decision-makers at the company are happy
I understand this point to a degree, but it's a bit bleak and it's not truly sustainable. Ideally your reporting lines are solid and have good engineering practices. Things like [[20211011115919-tech-debt]] and tech health is valued. You get the time to consider maintenance, building for the future, writing quality code, etc etc.
However sometimes you don't, and in those instances the concept of 'done' being misaligned between you and upper management is important.
I think more important than following this advice is knowing that other people have this perception. An engineer will be a much bigger advocate for technical health than a product manager, or even a senior engineering manager that has optics to worry about.
As such, think about the perception of your work, but don't necessarily abandon good principles to make upper management happy. It's a balance.
Additionally, try to align them when possible. Explain and convince people that your work is valuable, even if they originally didn't care about it. Alignment is important!
[[career]] [[engineering]] [[management]] [[product]]