Slashdot Mirror
Organizational Practices of an IT Department?
fbg111 asks: "I've recently joined a company, a regional airline, with an IT department that has grown organically (ie in response to immediate, rapid-growth-driven need, rather than according to any organizational plan). In the past five years the company has come to rely on IT, specifically the web team, for about 3/4's of its revenue. However, this unstructured growth has caused some problems, like this one: the lack of defined career paths and clear promotion 'triggers' makes techs feel 'stuck' in dead-end situations, and we tend to lose good people who find more transparent advancement opportunities elsewhere. I've recently joined the new CIO's task force for putting together a plan that addresses the immediate problem of defining career advancement paths and payscales. Does Slashdot have any ideas on this subject?"
"I'm particularly interested in industry best practices that cover providing breadth and depth of experience and training, dual (or more) career tracks that allow techs to go the management route or the technical guru route, and aligning promotion triggers and career paths with IT department & corporate goals, and anything else relevant to the matter. Do any of you have anything in particular to recommend?"
Unionize! That always fixes things.
This ilk of article is a tired saw, but its frequent appearance here at slashdot may be a sign of the times, i.e., the problem may be getting worse (I doubt it's getting better).
The bottom line is you, as an individual, fend for yourself first and foremost. If IT is messed up, management doesn't seem to care, or know how to do their job(s) that's not something you can fix. Decide what you want and need, weigh those criteria against what you experience in your job and management. If it's bad, it's unlikely to improve (much).
You, as an employee, owe the company little other than doing the work expected of you. (I used to be much more gung ho pro-company... but that's another and long story.) Businesses today don't view employees as valuable resources, nor do they care what upheaval they toss employees' ways. If you want something from your job and they say okay, get it in writing. Be suspicious. Be paranoia. The next visit to your desk from your manager may be a stroll to the front door.
Most companies aren't interested in grooming, triggers, etc., they're interested in their bottom line. Unfortunately they don't (typically) associate healthy career paths and directions with business performance. That you've been "tasked" (hate that word) by joining the CIOs task force is scant evidence of addressing the problem (I know, people will ask "what else do you expect them to do?"). But a company that doesn't "get it" isn't going to "get it" by organizing some CIO appointed task force.
As I mentioned, I used to have more faith in business and companies. Under the auspices of cutting costs, improving the bottom line, "right-sizing", (and very little mention of better customer service), articles are popping up almost every day about companies "making adjustments", but if you read a bit closer and between some of the lines, there are a whole lot of bent-over employees being victimized in these scenarios.
I'd be inclined to be more sympathetic and say "business is business" and companies have to make hard decisions, but when a recent article showed the average ratio of pay for CEOs compared to their employees increased to 431 times (did you hear that?, 431 times!) the pay of their employees it started to feel wrong (actually it'd started to feel wrong quite a while ago). When CEOs are getting this disproportianately higher compensation than their employees, I expect better performance numbers from businesses. I haven't seen that. Aside: Heads up, since you've joined an airline... make sure you keep the jackscrews lubed!)
Talk directly with each and every member of the IT staff, first as a group and then in private. Find out what they want. Find out what they expect. Collect all the data you can directly from them. Then discuss your findings with the CIO.
After you come up with a preliminary plan, again, discuss it with the staff. Get their input. Don't just come up with a plan and then implement it. Use all the feedback you can get, so that you create something that benefits everyone (potentially).
Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
There are plenty of compensation programs in the industry to copy. Find one that looks the most like your organization and copy it. Change whatever areas you feel don't suit your particular organization (how promotions are handled, vesting, etc.). Get a good HR professional in the discussion to avoid opening up a can of whoopass on your company by how you handle benefits.
"Rocky Rococo, at your cervix!"
Well how to feel like you not in a dead end job.
If you do good work you get better pay, also the longer you work the better you should get paid. This way we keep the most salt of the earth of the workers, if they can get better pay elsewhere then they will go there.
Titles and advantages to the titles. If the person doesn't want to go into management positions they still should get titles that represent their status. Sr. Programmer or whatever. Besides just giving the name there should be some benefits of earning the title, other then pay, they should have higher priority on what projects they want to do, depending on their status. If they have 10 years of experience and have done a good job for you in the past they should get earlier pick on the more fun jobs and leave the more mundane to the less experience people who need experience (But depending on the person you may be surprised what jobs are quickly taken up early)
Say in policy as people advance they say in company IT policy should have more weight.
Job Security, the higher position the more secure you job should be from layoffs.
Improved Benefits, Like allowing to work at home during normal hours, Flex Hours, More vacation time. With ¾ of the business they should also get some commission on their work.
Constant training, allow them if they choose to keep their skills up with modern technology, that way you are not stuck with software on a dead platform with a near dead language and IT staff who is afraid of changing because they don't have training on newer tech.
The main trick is to figure out what do you want in a job and break it into priorities and the higher you are the more you get.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
If the IT department is really bringing in 3/4 of an airline's revenue, either IT or the airline are going to be spun off.
B. Accept task requests
C. If too many task requests then
1. Deny addtional requests
2. Have users fight among themselves to determine what is highest priority
D. Work until you feel like going home. (if you like your job this may be late)
E. Be criticized for when you come in, despite having worked until x:xx AM previous night.
F. When time permits (often on employees on time) develop or research powerful new tools that make everyone's life easier with greater access to higher quality information and services.
G. Department gets outsourced to a bunch of chislers who end up providing terrible products and service because they adhere rigidly to terms of the contract.
H. Bonuses all around for executives.
(Ok, that was real and I'm still bitter about it...)
Seriously, you need to develop Positions. A position has defined certain skills and responsibilities and commensurate compensation. Set up a number of these like Webmonkey I, II, III, IV, ... When there is a need for a certain skill and responsibilty, assign the position to it and open it up for candidates to apply for.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I hate to sound mercenary, but if you want your employees to feel valued and appreciated, say it with money. Other gestures can be very nice, but in the end most people come to realize that money is the only metric by which businesses measure value. If the IT department is as important to the revenue of the company as you say it is (which I find a little hard to believe, but let's assume you're right..) then the employees should share in the company's success.
Indeed, it sounds like the problem may be more a case of there just not being anywhere for the staff to advance to. It would be pointless, and probably more problematic than beneficial, to artificially create managerial positions just to make the staff feel better.
Rather than waste money on useless managerial positions, give each staff member a raise. They'll get the financial benefits of having a higher position within the firm, while at the same time keeping a structure that is currently fairly functional, and without the overhead of excessive management.
Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
And then there's the oral sex.
*shudder*
We think there's some sort of hierarchy with an advancement/promotion plan involving a Lovecraftian quagmire of Thunderdomes and quatloos, but scientific instrumentality can only accomplish so much.
How the heck does the web-site of an airline account for 75% of revenue? Do you mean that most of your ticket sales come from your web-site? Or do you mean the company is focusing on selling hats and T-Shirts from its web-site and isn't actually doing any flights? (Granted, with the cost of fuel lately, it might be a better solution than actually flying.)
Geez. I don't recall ever seeing such a formalized "choose your own career-adventure things".
There is no "you rolled blue, advance three steps towards tech-guru", or "you rolled yellow, advance to middle management".
I've worked for people who used to code for a very short period of time, but moved into management. I've known people who coded for a very long time and switched to management. And I've known the old-school holdouts like me who have no interest in becoming management.
If you want to be a tech guru, well, you'll just simply have to be more knowledgeable and skilled than most people. Knowledge of arcana is amust for guru status.
If you want to go into management, start reading books on that or enroll in your MBS program.
Sadly, in my experience, nobody is going to manage your career more than you will.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
In my experience people don't leave because someone hasn't defined a 'transparent career path', but rather because there is NO career path, because their efforts aren't recognised and rewarded, and because they smell the stench of collapse just around the corner.
Forget 'industry best practice'. Forget asking Slashdot. Try asking those concerned what really matters, then delivering on it.
You won't find the answer in the failures of others, chart a new path that is in some way true. If you can't, resign.
Your salary grows 2-4% every year until the CFO decides to outsource your job to India for 1/10th the cost.
That is the future of IT.
Take it with whatever size grain of salt you want, but it is interesting food for thought for those in your position.
Recommendations... about IT people and career paths?
Given the trend of most companies to attempt to outsource IT, I'd suggest that. Outsource all of the web development because it is not the company's core business; they are after all a regional airline, not a web development shop. This co-source can support best practices and have a more defined career path.
That's right! Lay them all off. It also moves them from being an operating expense to a capital one. Human resources are costly.
Excuse me? Job protection? What is that? I have worked for so many companies that promote "technical people", usually engineers, into management paths that Do not want to be there, and Are not qualified to be there. So why would any web developer worth his weight in Javascript want to go from a creative hands on process to a managed hands off one?
Very few people in IT/IS these days expect employer loyalty. Allowing IT/IS people to somehow advance into management is about as rational as all geologists and accountants managing and designing all the software at the oil company I work at.
/\/\icro/\/\uncher
But let me know when you find something, implement it, have it fail, get laid off, get hired as a contractor somewhere else, get laid off again, and finally get hired by Google. Then you can tell me how Google does it...
And I lift my glass to the awful truth which you can't reveal to the ears of youth except to say it isn't worth a dime.
SAGE (the System Administrators Guild) has published 4 levels of system administration, which is probably a good start for developing a track system. We use it here to quantify jr/admin/sr type levels. They also have some good documents on hiring practices, interviewing, along with their comprehensive salary surveys.
Other than that its also important to distinguish management and supervisory positions that make sense for the size of the group. Then you can chart a course for both the folks who want to head towards leadership roles, versus the pure techs who never want a single soul reporting to them.
I interviewed for a position in the web team of a regional airline that gets 75% of its revenue from the web, has grown organically, and where their guys feel 'stuck'. You don't happen to work for Jet Blue, do you?
When they didn't call me back for a second interview (I had almost no IIS experience) I was somewhat relieved. The biggest reason was that I knew it would be a rough few years working for them while they worked out their issues. Their problem (which sounds suspiciously like your problem) is not just that you don't have a clearly defined organizational plan, but that you let the business drive the department. With three-fourths of your revenue coming out of the web site, *everyone* watches the daily and even hourly sales numbers. When there's glitches in the system, *everyone* from the sales guys to the CEO knows about it and *your* butt is on the line. Structure a business plan for the IT group. Lay out simple and clear lines of responsibilty, disaster mitigation plans, and (to get to the heart of your question) career paths. Make sure that all layers of managment understand that IT can be subject to forces outside of its control (network/power outages and acts of God anywhere in the world affect everyone else). Have set goals for each employee and set rewards for meeting them. Yearly bonuses, raises, and other perks will go a long way to the retention you seek.
I know it isn't the specific advice you were looking for, but you're not going to find that kind of answer on Slashdot. You know your business better than us. You know your IT needs, and only you can fix it. Start with the basics (career paths, goals/rewards, clear lines of responsibility) and the rest will fall into place. Good luck!
ASCII tastes bad dude.
Binary it is then.
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog00000000 38.html 0 70.html
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000
Fleur de Sel
Before I acquired my most recent job, I worked for a company where I was in a similar situation. No raise/bonus/promotion in sight, etc. More importantly, however, I didn't feel like what I was doing was important.
Companies need defined ways of moving ahead. Performance reviews, raises to acknowledge good work, yearly bonuses for the staff - all great ways to help people feel motivated to go the extra mile. But in addition I would argue that you have to make their job feel needed - like they are the only ones who can do it, specialists in some way. Knowing people rely on you is a good feeling, and one that will make most people work harder and better.
Psy us, the IT workers out there, whatever we ask for. For fear that all your systems shall come to a grinding halt, and us in the back room having a party.
Design a new IT structure and convert over. Very harsh and un-popular but it is probably the only way. Large organically grown structures tend to have huge inertia.
With almost 100% certainty their are many positions where the skill set of the person have evolved to fit the position and vis-versa. No other individual has the skill set to fill the position and the individual in that position can't fill another position because of his/hers skill set is unique (read diverse and yet incomplete). Their direct managers refuse to give the individuals up because they fear for the worst, and the individuals don't have the right skill set mix to get out. Catch 22, and you have inertia.
The first thing is to definite what jobs you have there. Web designer vs network engineer vs help desk level 2 or whatever you have. List out their responsibilities and required skills. Do this like HR, but make it seem important, don't over do it It's important to define the role as best you can and identify if the job that person is either completely unique or can be taken over by someone else. For example, if you have one DBA who manages the database for your system, and no one else really has his responsibilities or his skills then that's a specific job. If some guy is responsible for keeping an eye the email server but 5 other guys could do it, then his role is more broad, that of a generic IT tech.
Once you have a definition of their jobs, then create levels. Four levels is typical. Each position has levels for which for which the level gets both more responsibilities and more pay. First level is entry level. Second level is "certified" in that they've proven themselves over months or even up to a year as being good employee. 3rd level is senior in that they know the processes well, are fairly independent, and have high quality of work. 4th level are those few shining examples of great employees who do outstanding work on many different levels and would be very hard to replace.
Create paths to different groups to. For example, in a lot of IT departments, the path from a department that helps with desktop leads to network or server support as advancement.
Create requirements for each level to move from level 1 to 2. Some people use written tests to grade someone skills, others simply use management review. Some require a specific certification in a computer technology.
Finally, make sure everyone in IT starts out as level 1 and create a short term plan to have everyone move through the levels. This will help you figure out who's worth holding onto, and reward them appropriately. Be Prepared for a little backlash from those who don't warrant promotion, but if they don't warrant it, you have documentation as to why not.
And make sure you have guidelines for how managers should document everyone under their pervue so that they have a more standardized way of grading people and don't go off doing their own thing. When one manager grades easy and one grades hard, the people under the harsh manager feel left out while the easy guys get the money.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
I also suggest browsing the back issues of Rands in Repose, another blog about IT management.
Media that can be recorded and distributed can be recorded and distributed.
-kfg
What you said is what's leading to my question. How many companies are "good" with the IT dept. example valuing the employees, realizing the importance of IT etc compare to the bad IT shops? Since I'm a semi newbie, I only have one job to go on, my current job and I say its more negative than positive. My company sees the importance of IT in saying but doesn't do anything about it 'cause were just a cost burden to them and the uppers don't understand much about computers. Looking into my career future, I'm curious to know if the bad out numbers the good and if so what incentive is there to stay in this field?
"the lack of defined career paths and clear promotion 'triggers' makes techs feel 'stuck' in dead-end situations, and we tend to lose good people who find more transparent advancement opportunities elsewhere."
I've come to figure out thats just about every job everywhere.
Start your own business. Thats the only way anyone ever truly gets ahead.
I'm starting several right now. One is a software support company, just mostly fixing home internet connections and cleaning crapware. You may think big deal, but its 160$ for about 3 hours. Not too bad, and just word of mouth gives us as much business as we care to take on.
Also I've made some good friends in Europe and the middle east and we are starting some import/export companies. Niche markets to be sure, but who knows where that might lead...
Sure beats the cube farm.
Advancement doesn't really have to be attached in work -- it can be outside of work. I started my position as a systems administrator, and was promoted within a year to systems administrator II. The change in title was arbitrary, as I was doing the same work, however I had a few bonuses that were department specific. The biggest bonus for me, was a bigger and more flexible training budget for me. That means if I wanted to learn something and it was IT related (not job related), I had a budget I could use to do what I wanted. So we are a Windows only shop... I have chosen to learn Linux even though it has no bearing on my job.
:)
The rationale behind this is pretty simple -- a person gets complacent, and especially in IT, because they feel they are going to be outdated, or they aren't performing duties that will get them noticed in a future job. While your employer's job is to keep you working at THEIR company, they can't remove the possibility of you working somewhere else -- and the career 'path' at a company has to take this into consideration else there will be a lot of turnover in your IT department. Web programmers that are doing one thing, constantly and not being able to use and learn new technologies (because if it ain't broke, don't fix it) they won't feel the need to stay at that company, even though they are stellar at their jobs.
Bonuses are good too. Stock options, Christmas bonuses, paid holidays, and a big one that's often overlooked -- gym memberships -- are all very important. Little expenditures can reap huge rewards for an IT department because it keeps employees happy. As IT personnell, I have personally found working in environments that are laid back (let me wear a backwards hat, t shirt and shorts to work!) are the best. With hours being spent in front of the computer, they should be comfortable, and sitting in the best chairs, have the best keyboards and mice, nice monitors, etc. It's something that other departments SHOULD envy because let's face it -- if your company is relying on them to make the money, then your company is going to want to make them feel wanted. It works much the same for sales people in ANY field -- do your job well and you get more perks than you can imagine.
So if your company can offer title changes, personal training budgets, maybe some catered food once in a while, free tickets to see some ballteam playing, the best equipment, ergonomic chairs, etc... these small expenditures will go a long way to keeping the staff you have happy and working hard for YOU and not somebody else.
I should mention one piece of advice I learned from a friend that is a manager, and that is exceptional in his field and his employees love him. What he said is something like this:
"Your job as a manager for your employees is to assign them the work to do, see they do it satisfactorily, take the blame FOR them if they fuck up, and then tell them to stop fucking up in PRIVATE. And when time comes, you fight tooth and nail to get every penny you can out of the higher ups to make sure they get the best raises they can get."
There is no faster way to lose employees when if they make a single screwup, the world comes crashing down on them, believe me they are going to look to leave fast. It makes me regret leaving MY last job, because it's the situation I'm in right now. So on a side note... if anybody's looking for a Windows SysAdmin....
Good luck to you.
The price is always right if someone else is paying.
It's been my experience that this type of thing is simply a talking point. By organizing a committee/task force/other_buzzword, it gives the impression something is happening since all these wonderous ideas will get floated around a nice stack of papers in the form a report will end up on someone's desk and floating around by email. Unfortunately, 1/5 of the people who should read it won't because they have too many other things to be working on and of those 1/5 who do it will be very unlikely that someone in that bunch will do something or has the power to do something. All the while your CIO/high level manager can tell all other high level managers "We have a task force charged with reporting to us $XYZ analysis. Aren't I doing a good job".
If this were a high priority to your CIO, he/she would interview some key folks, including a few of you developer/admin types and then take action immediately instead of forming some bureaucratic committee who generates a report that gets debated on by management for months.
My 2cents at least. Sorry if I sound negative, but I just find committees to be an utter waste of everyone's time and really just a facade for the person who calls for it.
From a business perspective, if someone is doing a job very well, why on Earth would you want to promote them out of that position?
Promoting talent should be in the form of having first-dibs on projects and a healthy bonus package, unless the person's skills can be adequately used in another position and a suitable replacement has been found.
My $0.02...
This question brings up the issue of managing one's career in IT versus just "going with the flow". It is true that good, talented IT workers will feel demoralized and demotivated when they perceive no upward mobility within an organization. It is also true, from an organizational view, that hiring out of short-term, knee-jerk reactions without a good, hard view on long-term goals will eventually cripple a company to a point where noone wants to work there anymore.
But there must be some initiative on the part of the IT worker to manage and plan his/her own career. If you feel like that the company/organization has no vision on why they should retain and give value to your position and function, you need to speak up and let them know that you bring not only short-term bandaid solutions, but long-term values to the organization. If they are not willing to listen and go to bat for you, you can either (a) create value within the context of the position, or (b) move on to another employer.
I am currently working at a higher-ed institution where there are some very good people on my team to whom I am informally a mentor. As much as I speak up for them to get training or experience to enhance their career, they have also come up to me on their own to indicate a willingness to expand their training and knowledge. It does take two to tango.
I think what he was getting at is that the CIO's main job is to provide "vision" to the company. Any "C" level worth their salt should already know what the department should look like. Pulling together a "task force" to address the issue is in my experience:
1) a smokescreen to make you believe they care and make you feel "empowered" so you do more work or not quit
2) The CIO is an idiot and looking for "vision" from subordinates
3) a "shiney thing" to distract you from something unpleasant on the horizon.
"C" levels set the tone for the organization, and there is very little that the guys/gals in the trenches can do to fix poor management. Keep your parachute handy at all times, and realize there is no such thing as a 20yr job anymore.
Pessimists.net - as if life wasn't depressing enough.
Quit representing yourselves as part of an IT dept. Quit thinking of yourselves as part of an IT dept. Start representing and thinking of yourselves as part of a Regional Airline.
The management above you, who fear and distrust IT due to their technical ignorance, smell the us vs. them that you put out (duh, of course you smell it from them too, the difference is that their smell is caused through ignorance and fear, yours is caused by disdain and a sense of geekish superiority {okay, _maybe_ your IT dept. doesn't do that, but 95% do.) You can choose to become business aware and conversant easier than they can become technically savvy and conversant.
And surprise, surprise, surprise! Therein lies career pathing. Business and technical savvy married in one person. Move up because you're trusted, not feared. Sure, some, maybe many will want to never leave the warm fuzzies of the technical garden they have planted and nurtured. But those paths just go in circles and curly-Qs.
They've got the money. Either get your own, start a revolution, or get them to WANT to give you more of theirs (cause it'll make more for them.)
P.S. 75% of the revenue may come THROUGH the IT dept. But not FROM the IT dept. That's a clear example of not thinking like part of the Business. Sorry.
"You, as an employee, owe the company little other than doing the work expected of you."
And when addressing this issue IS the work expected of you, should you respond with "that's not my problem"?
--
Flamefest!
Adherence to the truth is a form of disloyalty.
... lots of things are helpful. Here's 12...
1) Fair pay and good raises.
2) Certification / Education re-imbursement/paid by company.
3) Bonuses based on company's profits (Quarterly or Half).
4) Work from home for jobs where it's appropriate as long as they are meeting goals.
5) Listen to them
6) A small gym and recreation area is nice... computer work is mental, sometimes helps to be physical to work off stress.
7) Free Food Friday (God, I miss this!) (Different restraunt each week...)
8) Tie any holidays possible to "long weekends" or "multiple days off" so employees can get good R&R and enjoy home life.
9) No NDA. NDAs just pisses people off and is largely unenforceable against MOST employees.
10) Good Severance Package.
11) Good Medical/Dental/Vision.
12) Talk to individual employees. Find out what is important to them.
Those are all things I've seen done to good effect that improve moral and make the employees more likely to stay.
Basically in our society today, techs are finding out the hard way that most companies don't value you, they don't care one bit... no matter what you put into your work they're gonna screw you first chance. If the company tries to show it DOES care and provides for the employees you would be surprised how far the employees will go for you. I got layoff notice at one company I worked for 3 months in advance of the layoff, I got 2 months worth of pay as severance, and I busted my ass the last 3 months I was there for them because they weren't just trying to do me from behind at the last minute trying to milk all they could. They gave me a fair shake so I gave them the same in return... even though I knew I wouldn't be there in a couple months.
Treat your employees as a valued asset and they'll do your company right. Sure you'll get some duds, but for the most part the good ones will return any ammount you invest into them in effort many times over if they feel the company is doing its best for them.
But hey what do I know, I've just been through 3 buyouts, 2 department closures, 3 company closings... since 1997. You do your best for the ones who do their best for you, you do the minimum possible and jump ship asap on the ones who treat you like a disposable commodity.
Shadus
Just offer them Free Sodas and Pizza and they are yours for life.
RTFM? FTFM!!
The NHL lost an entire season due to a LOCKOUT. Most of the owners (presumably) are millionaires. And you are right, the players were pushed into it - by the owners who locked them out.
I'm the decider.
For 4 years I worked for a public school system. It was the first job out of college. I was in charge of the support, maintenance and planning of the IT infrastructure. It was certainly a fun job for the first couple years. The pay check was nice. But after the first 2 years or so I realized that for one, Unions suck, specially those made up of a total of 8 people in an environment of 1600 employees. And 2, no one gave a damn what time I came in or what time I left or how long it took me to fix something. Not too mention you hardly ever got a thankyou from anyone for busting your butt and working long hours to bring up the school labs and network for the first day of school. Monetary compensation?? What the hell was that? So anyway after about 3 years I started looking for new opportunities. Finally 4.5 years later I get an offer from a local consulting group. I liked what they had to say. I liked the idea of getting trained on new technologies. I liked the bonus idea. I like the fact that everytime I visit my clients they are so happy to see me and always thank me for taking care of them. The travel sucks, but hey the company compensates me nicely for that. The benefits are exactly what I was getting in the public school job, but that was part of the reason their budgets sucked so badly.
In any case why you see the huge increase in outsourcing is because the big companies do not know how to treat their employees. IT especially, with the way the world works now, IT is the life blood of most major and minor companies. You commmunication, marketing, finances, all work through the equipment and infrastructure installed, configured and maintained by IT professionals. Treat them bad and they will find new work. Those consulting companies are on the hunt for talented indviduals. Maybe someday the big businesses will realize this. Until then, I will keep handing my cards out to get more business for my company.
As for the topic at hand, if you really want to change things then you need to show the higher ups numbers! They need to see the cost savings and reorganizing a department. Good luck!!
Dewser - all around techy "In the immortal words of Socrates - 'I drank what?'"
The last job I left emailed me to schedule my exit interview. It never happened. HR hounded me for every other single thing they wanted, but never once for the exit interview. Good thing too - I was going to make them beg for it. "Not my policy to provide exit interviews without a referral first".. or something of that ilk.
As to the base question - some points because I don't have time to elaborate.
- Your VP won't like every thing he hears. Tell him in advance he's not going to like it all, possibly none of it. Negative feedback will be the norm. Good indicator of what the VP thinks and maybe how you should "tailor" your research. CY own A first.
- Want above average people? Pay above average. Or provide benefits WAY above average. 1% don't cut it.
- you can't please everyone. that does not mean you shouldn't try to please anyone. trying is 80% of the battle.
- remove policy and process. introduce flexibilty. People will take advantage of the company - most just a little, some a lot. Warn the "a lot" crowd they are being inappropriate, then if they keep it up can them. Let people know they can take their pen home, just not the box of pens.
- either get management really involved (and I mean really), or minimalize their interference. Most people jsut want to get their work done. Everythign that impedes that reduces 1) efficiency and 2) reduces employee satisfaction. We want to work - really!
- when thanking / rewarding, if it happens, do it right. Like they said, everyone getting mugs is a useless reward. If everyone was truly involved, reward everyone well. At the very least keep the rewards special. Hire a bus and take everyone down to DQ for a sundae. Cheaper than most options and probably a lot mroe fun.
- reward is a personal thing. one person wants career advancement, the next would like more free time, the next would like more money, the next would like flexible hours, the next would like daycare, the next wants dental insurance, the next wants a thank you, the other wants a window cubicle.
- come out of their offices and meet the people they work for. In 9 months, I have yet to meet my VP here. Bad sign. Bad sign.
UNTIL companies can treat people as ASSETS (hello accountants out there), people will be treated as LIABILITIES and this process will purpetuate. Change the accounting system and you'll change the (corporate) world.
The NHL was on strike?
Thats an absurdly narrow minded view, and ignores the onerous demands the players were putting on the owners. It even further ignores the fact that the league, and most of the individual teams, were losing money due to these demands.
The real reason it was termed a lockout and not a strike is that the owners moved first in order to set the terms of the debate. The players union was set to strike, the owners just scheduled their press conference first.
ALL industries that are primarily concerned with burning tons of fuel are being effected negatively recently. Truckers, airlines, power plants, agricultural, etc. I know on the big farm where I work this winters projected cost of propane, because of the massive price increases lately, will put us into the red, actually cost money, zilch net profits. You can't double the cost of doing business in a relatively short time span and not expect it to ripple down. ALL domestic industries are vulnerable, you'll just see the drastic effects at shops like that first, so don't worry, your turn will come, too. You are GOING to see the cost of most everything just climb though the roof soon. Did you check this last months stats on consumer prices? HA! Double ha!
It doesn't have as much to do with unions as you think, although that is certainly part of it, unions exist because management has ALWAYS been "unionized" in a sense since the first two companies did the same work, they just call it something else, industrial working groups, etc. You think those fatcats don't get together and collude,a litle sub rosa understandngs worked out at the golf courses, etc??
The extreme discount airlines are only showing meager profits because they buy old used airplanes so they have slightly lower costs, all the first tier airlines are hurting and the second tier will be right behind them shortly, unless people suck up to a doubling of ticket prices soon.
The bottom line is you, as an individual, fend for yourself first and foremost. If IT is messed up, management doesn't seem to care, or know how to do their job(s) that's not something you can fix. Decide what you want and need, weigh those criteria against what you experience in your job and management. If it's bad, it's unlikely to improve (much).
/. for similar articles before posting this, and didn't find any.
Thanks for responding, I submitted this article, and I see I may need to clarify things a bit. First, I'm not complaining, I'm happy to be here, it's a great opportunity. This airline has the potential to become a regional JetBlue or Southwest in some respects, though not as big, and there's a lot of energy here. Five years ago, the marketing director and his IT counterpart made a brilliant move in the midst of bankruptcy, and moved all sales primarily to the company's website. It was a huge gamble that people would buy cheaper tickets from the airline's website than from the GDS's (Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity), but it paid off in spades and the company is insanely profitable for the first time its 75 year history, even with the crazy oil prices.
Now everyone in the company recognizes the value of essentially turning the airline into an internet and electronic direct sales company, and the tiny little IT department that started it all has been ramped up quickly to support these endeavors. But during this process it was being led until recently by IT people who knew technology but not really the business organization side that we all take for granted in larger, more established companies.
I don't blame the management for any shortcomings, they did a phenomenal job with what they had, and now they've hired a rockstar CIO (prior CIO of two major global banks) and HR director, a few months ago to solve the organizational issues. That's what I"m helping with right now, and I'm happy to do it.
Most companies aren't interested in grooming, triggers, etc., they're interested in their bottom line.
The CIO of this one is, it's his initiative.
That you've been "tasked"
I haven't been "tasked", I said "I recently joined the new CIO's task force". Voluntarily.
But a company that doesn't "get it" isn't going to "get it" by organizing some CIO appointed task force.
The company 'gets it', they're just seeking advice on how to implement it.
Aside: Heads up, since you've joined an airline... make sure you keep the jackscrews lubed!)
lol, thanks for the advice, will do.
PS - is this really a dupe? I searched
Flying is easy, just throw yourself at the ground and miss. -Douglas Adams
Truth is, the desire for personal advancement is a sickness.
Just think logically for a second. Imagine if everyone on the planet was justified in desiring advancement and actually got their wish? Well gee, then all the old people would be CEOs and Presidents and Popes, and all the young people would be supporting this immensely top-heavy upside down pyramid. Would this be a healthy society? Personally, I don't think so.
Just look around and pay attention: what kind of person is advancing? Are they moral or immoral? Are they compassionate and selfless, always immediately giving away the fruits of their labor, or the one who is always looking out for the NUMERO UNO, who, at best, make a gesture of giving, while their core practice from 9 to 5 is to cheat, steal, and to spread misinformation about the real situation to all the people around them?
Frankly, I don't see a single person, NO, HONEST, who is "deserves" advancement.
Now, don't get me wrong! I am not against advancement in and of itself. Just try to see that advancement is not a right. There is no way to deserve it. Advancement is something that egoistic people do, by fighting for it, either openly or covertly behind the scenes, but still fighting, still forming hostile intent toward others.
The very meaning of the word "advancement" discloses the truth. How do we recognize someone who has "advanced"? We recognize them as being advanced in relation to others, less advanced. Without this distinction, the word "advancement" has no meaning. So desire for advancement is really a hostile desire, because essentially you desire to be above others. Saying that "a person desires others to be seen as being below oneself" is just a different way to describe the very same dynamic. This is not the same as desiring to benefit the community and oneself and being spontaneously promoted by the community without actively seeking it out. A person who has been promoted by the community does not attach much sentimental weight to it, and sees it as a service to perform, rather then spoils of "hard work" to enjoy. And should the community want another person to supercede such community-promoted individual, such individual gladly gives up their top spot, because all along they had no hostile motivation to make others seem as below themselves.
"Hard work" doesn't mean good work or moral work. Many people work hard at self-promotion and getting others to buy into their ponzy schemes. Some of them work 70 hour weeks and make big risks, and extract big rewards. That doesn't mean it's good. That doesn't mean it's right. That doesn't mean it leads to a good life.