Sharing IT Problems with Executives?

dicey asks: "Later this week all of the IT department at my company (50-80 people) is having a dinner with the company President and VP/CIO. One major reason for this is so that they can get a better understanding of what is going on in IT and how it impacts the company overall. Ideally, with the ideas and sharing, these guys will have a better appreciation for us, adjust our budgets appropriately, and help us in our business. However, many of us are wary to speak about what is going on because it will inevitably reveal problems with the company. We are worried about what we discuss coming back to our directors ultimately to bite us. I am curious what my fellow Slashdot readers have done in similar circumstances, where there is a great chance to let someone high up in your company know of problems so that they can be rectified, but whereby revealing them you may get hurt in the process."

Comments

Simple Advice

[CGP314]

Talk about the good things first, then air your complaints as suggestions.


--
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be careful...

[havaloc]

You may be tempted to get everything (problems) out at dinner, but usually this will harm you in the long run. Be extremely careful on what you say, and what you do.

Never

[savagedome]

There is probably no good way of doing this at the company dinner. The size (50-80) makes it even more difficult as probably everybody will know (recognize) everybody else. You do not want to be the whistle blower of any kind. Sort of a catch-22 if you will.

A better way that I've seen happen at my place is an anonymous ballot kind of thing. If the executives are interested, they will read the ballot. If not, well, then you live and learn.

My 0.02$

Skipping a level up in Management...

[b0r0din]

I think if you're management isn't addressing the questions you have, you should be upfront and honest to the executives in the company about the problems you are facing. However, what issues you are dealing with? Is your IT spending up, is there talk of layoffs, what are your actual problems with your company's IT infrastructure?

It's good that your president/CIO are having these discussions with you, as it shows they are concerned and want to know how to drive profit in their industry. They are concerned with the bottom line, so be honest and try to address the problems with the bottom line in mind. Will adding 1 million to the IT budget save 10 million? If you have concerns, or better, if you have ideas, share them, but only if you think they will help. Don't say you need 2million in new computers without explaining why that would drive profit up.

This is probably the best thing to do

[SlashingComments]

Have you seen the movie "office space" ? If not rent it and see it before going there.

I hate to say it..

[XaXXon]

but I have to agree with what a lot of other people said.

Be *extremely* careful. Even valid and obvious complaints can get you in a lot of trouble.

My advice? Keep your mouth shut.

over the head

[netfall]

It would seem to me that problems within the IT group should be brought to your manager / director or whoever is just above you in the chain of command before it would go to the CIO or VP. If the director sees fit to bring it to the executive level, then they should. Only if your direct supervisor is neglecting to fix problems / bring severe problems to their boss, should you have to go above their head to the executive level. I know that sounds like the Office Space problem of having 8 bosses, and that might not make sense in a business of 50-60 people as described - but it makes more sense in much larger organizations.

Keep your fucking mouth shut

[Anonymous Coward]

Perform your duties as enumerated in your job description. No more, no less. Don't try to make things better, because you'll only piss people off who can make your life hell.

Anything you say to the higher-ups will eventually trickle down to your immediate supervisor(s). If it makes them look bad, you'll eat shit until you quit or are otherwise drummed out of the company.

Take it from someone who's been there... if you're an IT geek, when it comes to corporate politics, your kung fu is weak. Period. Accept it.

Keep your head down, do only what you're supposed to, and keep your resume polished anyway, because you never know when your job will move overseas no matter how good you are at doing it.

Color me pessimistic

[44BSD]

Realistically, how much can anyone learn from a dinner with 80 people, the vast majority of whom are going to be complete strangers? This is going to be a chance for the executives to mouth platitudes, for the IT "leadership" to get their knees and noses dirty, and for the peons to get a dinner that will come out of the Christmas bonus, ultimately.

I advise you chat up the bartender, and try to get a six-pack or two into your laptop bag.

Gauge the situation

[kneecarrot]

My advice would be to gauge the nature of the individual in power. Is this someone who genuinely wants to improve things or is he going through the motions? Is he a no-BS type of person or does he tend to beat around the bush? How does he take criticism?

If the answers are that he genuinely wants to improve things, is a no-BS type of person, and seems to be able to take criticism, then by all means take this gift and use it! Be specific, but try to not assign blame. Approach every issue from the perspective that it isn't a huge problem but rather an opportunity for improvement.

Good luck!

Problems, present solutions!

[Aparthy]

Whenever you pose a problem, follow it up with a solution. That way it doesn't sound like you're complaining. Having solutions shows you actually care about your job and the company. Then you just need the go ahead to fix the problems.

Speak!!!

[SlashdotLemming]

If no-one talks, then don't expect any problems to get solved.

Do the following:
1)List all of the issues you would like to raise.
2)Go back through the list and pick the few that you think are most important.
3)For each issue script a clear description, and most importantly, script a solution to the problem. If you don't have a workable solution, then never escalate the problem. Without a proposed solution, the manager will feel that s/he needs to find a solution, which is not always ideal.
4)Bring up only the 1 or 2 most important issues at the dinner. In that environment, any more than that stuff will be forgotten.

Bring up issues that will matter to upper management. Don't bring up crap like "The IT Director wants all of us to partition our drives a certain way, but that is not always optimal". Bring up stuff that effect finances and/or employee morale.

Finally, don't single out people for criticism ("My boss is an idiot!!"), but don't always hold back because you are afraid of the consequences. If your choose your actions based on fear of being trampled upon, then be prepared to always be trampled upon.

Keep in mind that upper management sometimes does care about the company. If they don't know about problems, they can't fix them.

Bad management team

[Flavius Stilicho]

When executive management has this type of meeting with the entire department it means they do not have confidence in their manager's ability to manage otherwise they wouldn't have (or need) the meeting. It's a sure sign of more serious problems within the company.

As head of an IT department, it's my job to communicate the problems/concerns my staff bring to my attention that I can not address at my level. It is equally important for the staff to understand that, unless they are working for a charity, the object of the game is profit and they are there to make the company money (or at least not cost it as much). The value of a good management team is that this type of communication is natural and automatic.

Re:Get your resume together

[Alan Partridge]

Agreed.

Theoretically, you're all working toward the same goal - increased efficiency / productivity / profitability. IN THE REAL WORLD, knowledge is power and your fiercest competitors aren't rival companies IT depts, they're your own own colleagues and - particularly - your own management.

My advice? Keep everything business critical you know secret and use your knowledge to leverage your position to your own maximum advantage at ANY opportunity.

Don't make a fist around a lit firecracker...

[Fortunato_NC]

If a firecracker explodes on your open palm, you'll get burned, but you'll probably recover. If you close your hand around it, the explosion will more than likely mangle your hand.

It's similar when it comes to dealing with situations where you're dealing with senior managers. I don't know if your company is 50-80 people or your IT department is 50-80 people, but I assume you are anticipating some "face time" at this event. You're correct in assuming that the issues you bring up are going to be communicated back to your bosses. You'd be stupid to think otherwise. But a little tact goes a long way when it comes to speaking to your boss's boss. (or your boss's boss's boss)

First, don't turn the conversation into a bitch session. The last thing you want is for the higher-ups in your company to think that all you can do is mope and complain. They'll remember it when the next round of downsizing comes along, and you'll be doing your moping and complaining on the unemployment line. Instead, maintain a generally positive attitude. If you can't do that, you work for the wrong company and need to move on, anyway.

Second, frame the issues you wish to bring up in terms of opportunity instead of attacking individuals. Suppose your boss is a terrible communicator, and sends out project requests in short emails instead of discussing them with you and detailing specifications and requirements. Instead of:

"I think Frank is a dickhead, because he sends curt one-line emails that simply bark orders."

That's making a fist around a firecracker. Frank, regardless of how poor his communication skills might be, is going to be rightfully upset when that gem gets back to him through the grapevine. Instead, say:

"I believe that our team would benefit from some training in business communication. Too often, we rely on short emails where more discussion and clarity is needed."

I hope you see the difference. The issue is framed as one of communication, as opposed to a defect in Frank's personality. Similarly, instead of:

"Our email server was down for four hours last week because Bob is too cheap to replace it."

Try:

I believe that productivity and uptime numbers would improve if we replaced our email server with more modern equipment.

You might undergo some pain, especially if you are assigned the project of upgrading, replacing the email server, but nothing compared to what you'd experience if Bob felt like you were badmouthing him to his boss.

Finally, speak about things you know. If you're the network admin, bring up issues related to the network. If you're a web monkey, bring up the web site. Don't just blast things you really have no business commenting on. You might feel like your company's sales team is a bunch of lying, egg-sucking weasels. Most sales teams are. But it's not related to your sphere of expertise, therefore it's not appropriate to address. Starting a war with another department is DEFINITELY grabbing a lit firecracker. And it may be more akin to lighting the firecracker and popping it in your mouth. Only, instead of a firecracker, you swallow a lit stick of dynamite. (Now, THAT is taking an analogy too far!)

All too often, geeks take business issues personally, when there are often simple, business-related explanations. Bob isn't tormenting you with the crappy mailserver because he doesn't like you, he can't replace it until next year because the company spent $1 million bucks on yet another ERP/CRM upgrade. When you take things down a notch, and address the issues instead of the personalities, then it almost inevitably breeds a more positive tone. Frank may be a dickhead, or he may just be a techie who hasn't learned much about managing people.

Third, don't try to solve all the world's problems in one night. You won't have the time. Pick some important issues, frame them as opportunities for improvem

What I've learned as a manager

[NtroP]

This is free advice, so you get what you pay for :-)

Don't come to me with problems; come to me with solutions.

If all you can do is give me a list of what is wrong, you're a whiner and I don't want to hear it. If, instead, you point out a problem and then offer a solution, I know you've taken ownership of the problem at least to the extent that you've given some thought to options. This generally means that you've considered more than one point of view - otherwise, it's hardly a solution.

Provide the proper context.

Often problems are discussed in isolation, so that even possible solutions appear to be disproportionate to the original problem. By framing the problem and the solutions in light of their relavance to the ultimate goal or direction of the (company/department/project/etc.) it can lend better perspective. When viewed in the right light, problems that don't affect others (but who's solutions would), might be considered more seriously. You may also find that it's simply an annoyance to you and, when placed in perspective isn't worth mentioning - especially in this venue.

Move the conversation forward.

If the horse is dead, stop beating it... Pay attention to how your suggestions are being received. If now is not the time, you should pick up on signals to that affect; move on. Don't keep comming back to the same old rant. This is politics, not a technical problem. If you sense you're losing your audience, don't piss them off. Work the problem out later through your chain of command. If it's really that important, put it in a memo.

Focus on the positives

OK, that seems trite, but it's true. I'm much more willing to pay attention to you if you have good things to say. If everytime I talk to you, you come off negative, I'm more apt to chalk your current rant up to just more complaining. Some people are never satisfied, and I have bigger fish to fry. I don't know how many times I've heard "You should ask for it. If I ask, we'll never get it." Well, duh. If everytime I turned around, I was complaining and asking someone else to solve my problems, I'd expect to be blown off too. I have a reputation for asking for very little, so when I do ask, I'm taken seriously.

Network first

Like I said earlier, this is politics. First impressions are important. Take that into consideration at this first meeting. Perhaps keeping this meeting very positive will earn a little karma that you can burn later. Geeks tend to view problems from a technical perspective and forget the human side of things. Don't burn your bridges by coming on too strong right from the beginning. Perhaps making a point of saying that you feel a follow-up meeting might be a better place to discuss specifics will show you as being aware and considerate.

When it comes down to it though, you know your company and coworkers better that we do, and must act accordingly. Some tactics may work at one company, but would be totaly inapproprate at another.

My Experiences

[gavinjolly]

In my experience Management believe that throwing money at hardware or software will fix their problems. Or better yet we will outsource. The basic things they seem to forget or have not learned are:

• Buying new CRM software is a bad idea if your problems stem from your Customer Service staff failing to identify existing customers because they are too lazy leading to thousands of duplicate records
• METADATA is a process not a single step solution. You can have greate Metadata software but if noone uses it or enters crap data why bother
• You need a Thesaurus with your Metadata solution if you are serious
• To provide a quality solution you first need to identify the problem including if that highlights how bad things are at present
• VENDORS WILL LIE TO SELL THEIR WARES. Who here has had to implement a crap solution because the manager bought direct from the vendor without consideration (usually to integration, usability and TCO)
• Data is a corporate asset that has value. I have just recommendeed to my manager at a former employer to get their data valued as a corporate asset. This is a last ditch desperate effort to stop a specific manager from buying ANOTHER lemon that will have detrimental effects on said Asset. The last lemon he provided did the following:
• • Provided a solution with less features
  • Provided no security. The vendor provided a word document with instructions in how to set up an ODBC source (to Informix on Unix - Tru64). The document listed the username (informix) and password that had full rights. Anyone with this could drop production tables, databases at a whim. I later discovered the individual usernames had the same rights as the application would not run with security turned on.
  • Database logging could not be turned on as it broke the application. We were not sure why this was the case but it did. Dont worry, it was only a financial system for the main source of revenue for a Local Government organisation.
  • Introduced IT to the vendor with the WORST service they had ever encountered (in 20+ years experience)
  • The worst UI we had EVER SEEN
  • Poor process controls. The tables still had the fields for Coupons (someone explained this was a leftover from when the application ran on a mainframe)
  • Little or no user documentation and NO SA documentation. I was told the Users Group provided more real support than the vendor
  • 56 patches in 60 days a number that broke the system when tested. Need I say any more

  Most management decisions are made out of ignorance and head burying so the existing problems are not known in the hope all symptoms will remain hidden.

you've got to be kidding!?

[hellraizr]

been there done that. to be honest ya wanna know what happens when this takes place? the VP looses his job, his replacement comes in on a "clean-slate" basis and replaces all of upper management siting that "our current staff can not adapt to our technology needs". in the end you end up loosing all your good connections in the company getting replaced by green-horns with MCSE's and no real world experience trying to convert your "legacy" (about to move to linux) network to the *latest tech* windows system. FUCKING TRUST ME I'VE BEEN THERE 4 DAMN TIMES!!!

is a damn plague where I live. PLEASE IT GUYS do not enlighten your exec's to your job. it works SOO much better when they only know enough to quote laptop prices and say "hey, can I use XP?"

I speak from YEARS of experience here. please no -1 troll mod. I really am serious (although a bit jaded due to my loosing 2 jobs on this subject, but bailing from another 2 because of the patternistic behavior).

you're better off backing your IT manager in a corner and trully explaining to him/her how things are and letting them talk to the exec's than hearing it from the geeks. if you do it I swear unless you hold a Ph.D in bullshit you will only end up making things worse. as the poster said it shows the minor problems with a company that can seem massive to an exec but are a daily routine for an IT professional. it's just not wise to report such things to mangement.

On the real, your IT director/manager is there for you. if you look bad he does. and in most situations your manager is newer than you so image is a big thing. make him look good by explaining to him the problems and time lines for repair/completion and use his purported skills to improve your image. thats why there is a layer between IT and management (although we all know we are like -1 link behind the CEO as we _ALL_ do massive favors for them).

trust me guys/gals, been there done that. I hope someone can back me up on this.

I know all situations will not be like this but trust me on this one, experience is a mutha. . . seen it soo many times I wanted to puke when reading this article just from bad memories. Remember PHB's will always be PHB's. You can teach them untill your blue in the face and they'll still ask 'why did my computer lock up after opening that attachment from that person that said "ILOVEYOU"?'