Thursday, February 15, 2007

CEO! You think you have an agenda?

Agendas - Part I

This is a story about a very serious company, with a serious CEO. The CEO understands (?!) the significant impact of the information systems on the organization he runs.

The CEO recruited the best CIO and COO money can buy.

They recruited an extremely talented project manager to make a dramatic improvement in the way the operational systems are working.

Lets talk about the agenda of this talented project manager.
What does this guy want? Obvious - money, compensations, bonus, status.

Whats important for this discussion is that basically he wants to advance (like everyone, like you!) and indeed, ambition is not a bad character at all.

So where can a project manager can be promoted to?
A bigger project manager, a manager of managers, a manager of a strategic project,
a manager of a larger group of people, a CIO, etc.

And how does a project manager get to be promoted?
Ahhhhhh... Some bells are ringing? ...

Like everyone, a project manager needs successes to get the promotion (and we already mentioned how talented he is). Organizational politics are important but we will discuss it
in later posts. So whats hidden in his agenda?

Like everyone, like your CV, his CV is a key factor in the career next step. Lets say his CV says:
"3 successful projects" and "very talented" with details about how good he is about the recent technologies/buzz - are you impressed? (...are you?)

How about the next CV:
"SAP ERP project, with so-many people, with so-much budget, 20K man-years, adjustments and modifications, working with the developers and product managers (wow), strategic for the company with the guidance of the CEO ..., and very talented ..."

Sounds better isn't it?
Imagine the same CV with 3 projects like that, he can be a great CIO can't he?
Lets talk with the guy!

So, don't be surprised if all you want was about improving the operational systems (like maybe releasing a product without waiting for the IT to do six months of preparations...)
and you end up with:
A project that cost millions of dollars more than you ever expected,
A few nervous employees,
A year too late,
A completely changed company since this is how the system works,
You are stuck with a system that every pips costs a fortune,
The project is not finished (will it ever?),
and who knows how much you lost, how much you are loosing every minute, and what did you gain exactly?

Remarks:

When IT systems work - it can be an enormous driver to your company, a good project may take your company to amazing places.

Are you familiar with this situation, that you invested loads of dollars in a project, it is not finished, he won't be a success but "come on - lets Finnish it! we can live with it for a while...", it is stuck in the middle of your throat, "what will happen if we stop it?", "and what about my CV? and the board of directors? and the share holders?!
I need it to succeed!!!
Everyone need it to succeed!!! and I don't care if they are chocking when they are talking about how successful is the project!", and every management meeting decide about spending more money on the project otherwise ...

You're not familiar with this situation? Lucky you.

P.S.
The talented project manager? - he is a VP at your competitor.
He got it since he is extremely talented. He also had a CV that mentioned a very large and successful project at your place.

How is that for an agenda?