June 5, 2012 at 9:23 am
First, my favorite President is Theodore Roosevelt. After reading this little bit about President Lincoln though, I realize that if I were elected President (never happen) that I would do the same thing. The key, however, is that this group would also have to accept and support the decision made by me in the end. I don't like the idea of being surrounded by 'Yes Men" as you don't get the input you need to really make the best decisions.
June 5, 2012 at 9:26 am
I would like to suggest a 3rd option to remember:
"that's how we always do it" != Reason to change
I couldn't agree more. But you have to challenge the status quo to make sure it is still viable or you can easily miss competitive opportunities.
In the situation I spoke of earlier, this was someone trying to tell me that if my bold idea of using object oriented development techniques on our current project had any hiccups, my days were numbered.
June 5, 2012 at 9:32 am
In the situation I spoke of earlier, this was someone trying to tell me that if my bold idea of using object oriented development techniques on our current project had any hiccups, my days were numbered.
That does not sound like a challenge to your idea, it sounds more like a veiled threat.. That's a whole different thing altogether, time to get HR involved.:-D
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
June 5, 2012 at 9:37 am
LOL...no, it wasn't a veiled threat, just some nice manager trying to explain why I was meeting with so much resistance.
As it turns out, the project never saw a line of object-oriented code and, in my frustration, I took another job where I got my chance to finally work with OO technology (the nice pay raise was also appreciated).
June 5, 2012 at 9:42 am
Glad it worked out for you. but even still managers have to be very careful saying or joking about things like that to someone who might take it very seriously. Particularly, in todays litiginous society. It can get their company in hot water real fast. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
June 5, 2012 at 9:45 am
richardm-1037631 (6/5/2012)
GSquaredCreativity != "that's how we always do it"
I would like to suggest a 3rd option to remember:
"that's how we always do it" != Reason to change
Just because something has been done for a long time, doesn't mean it is not the right solution to use. Often, an older solution is based on better knowledge of the problem. Investigate why it was implemented to determine whether it needs to be changed.
RMc
Very true. Overturning policy just "because", or, even worse, "because it's old", is just as bad as not replacing outmoded policies at all. There has to be a reason to change.
What I've found in my 25 years in the workforce is that, more often, the problem is entrenched policies, procedures, traditions, et al, that stultify creative solutions, new ideas, even discussion/dissent, than a compulsive elimination of established solutions to known problems. I find people are more inclined towards "it worked before" and auto-rejection of new ideas, than they are inclined towards "let's change everything just because". That's my experience, not any sort of scientificly investigated fact/pattern.
We could go on forever with "key things to remember", of course. I try to pick the ones that are most commonly missed, or most commonly assigned too low a priority.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
June 5, 2012 at 9:56 am
If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
June 5, 2012 at 10:23 am
richardm-1037631 (6/5/2012)
GSquaredCreativity != "that's how we always do it"
I would like to suggest a 3rd option to remember:
"that's how we always do it" != Reason to change
Just because something has been done for a long time, doesn't mean it is not the right solution to use. Often, an older solution is based on better knowledge of the problem. Investigate why it was implemented to determine whether it needs to be changed.
RMc
While I don't disagree with the premise, if the answer you get back is "That's the way we've always done it", that's the symptom of a major issue. As in - the group has lost track of WHY this was done, what value this has over other ways to do it, was there even a decision process to choose this way, what constraints were in place at the time demanding this course of action, etc....
To me - when I get that answer, I have to keep digging until I get ananswer other than the easy answer. Then and only then can you make an assessment whether it's time to change something or not.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
June 5, 2012 at 11:00 am
First of all, I agree with Steve that "Team of Rivals" is an excellent book. It was really Lincoln's humble and earnest management style that made his team effective. He took a group of political rivals and was able to persuade them through the power of his personality to give him close to 100% support even though they had been political competitors only months before.
But not everyone was actually on board, and there are some personalities (like Salmon P. Chase in the book) who will never buy into any system or plan that isn't of their own making. People like Chase are always scheming and trying to create trouble through covert actions. They take it personally if people disagree with their ideas, tend to be generally unhappy and usually don't stick around for very long. Identifying these people is critical to the success of a team because they are the proverbial rotten apple in the barrel. I've found that the biggest risk mitigator is removing them (and their disruptive influences) from the team. Please note that I do think healthy and vigorous debate is extremely important in our business, but some people just aren't wired to use debate in a positive fashion.
June 5, 2012 at 11:18 am
Being able to ruthlessly evaluate ideas (especially your own) can serve you well in any career, but unfortunately it seems that our higher education systems (generally speaking) see a multiple-choice world that is easily measured but doesn't actually exist. I don't believe you can rise above mediocrity as a team with too many parrots in the office. Dissent and civility aren't mutually exclusive either.
June 5, 2012 at 3:19 pm
cdonlan 18448 (6/5/2012)
Being able to ruthlessly evaluate ideas (especially your own) can serve you well in any career, but unfortunately it seems that our higher education systems (generally speaking) see a multiple-choice world that is easily measured but doesn't actually exist. I don't believe you can rise above mediocrity as a team with too many parrots in the office. Dissent and civility aren't mutually exclusive either.
The shortest answer many times is just doing it.:-D
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
June 5, 2012 at 3:31 pm
MdApache (6/5/2012)
People like Chase are always scheming and trying to create trouble through covert actions..
Agreed, but since he was a Freemason that should not surprise anyone. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
June 5, 2012 at 4:41 pm
TravisDBA (6/5/2012)
MdApache (6/5/2012)
People like Chase are always scheming and trying to create trouble through covert actions..Agreed, but since he was a Freemason that should not surprise anyone. 😀
As with any group, being a Freemason has nothing to do with some people being a dillweed. Lets keep such groups out of this conversation please.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
June 6, 2012 at 7:41 am
Jeff, I wasn't referring to anyone being a "dillweed". I was referring to the secret society which he belonged to which could possibly explain his secretive and "covert" behavior. Nothing more. There was nothing offensive intended at all. Unless you are a moderator on this forum (which I don't think you are) please sir, mind your own business, You have no right to dictate what other people say or don't say on this forum. The response wasn't even to directed to you anyway.:-D
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
June 6, 2012 at 9:35 am
TravisDBA (6/6/2012)
Jeff, I wasn't referring to anyone being a "dillweed". I was referring to the secret society which he belonged to which could possibly explain his secretive and "covert" behavior. Nothing more. There was nothing offensive intended at all. Unless you are a moderator on this forum (which I don't think you are) please sir, mind your own business, You have no right to dictate what other people say or don't say on this forum. The response wasn't even to directed to you anyway.:-D
I just love the irony and hypocrisy displayed in that post!
Wow!
"Unless you are a moderator on this forum (which I don't think you are) please sir, mind your own business, You have no right to dictate what other people say or don't say on this forum."
Are you, Travis, a moderator on this forum? If not, why not take your own advice here?
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
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