Over 20 years in IT. I've seen them come, I've seen them go. They often as not lacked passion. I'm passionate about technology. I've built up quite a creditable reputation for follow through, integrity and principles. However, I'm at a bit of an impasse in my current situation. I've been in this position for seven years and enjoyed the first four. These last three years have been quite difficult and quite the challenge even for a saint. After the "palace coupe" against my hiring director by one of the other line managers and his wife (both work in the same department here in IT), he has become my "boss". We got off to a rocky start because he felt threatened by me. I've managed to build trust and assurance in our relationship but I guess not in time. He had created a difficult environment for me with our stakeholders/clients which are now bearing fruit. In my various projects I must deal with all levels of the corporation. The boss had implemented some very strict guidelines in my dealing with anyone outside of IT, i.e. he must be present in any discussions with other directors or above. The actual result of attempting to work under these conditions has been that every analysis, advise, direction, proposal, etc. is under extreme scrutiny and suffering from credibility loss. I feel this loss has not only compromised my own sensibility but also the ability to deliver productively to the organization.
I've turned down many senior opportunities with various other companies because I enjoy participating in the challenges of half hands-on technical along side of my management responsibilities. At this point of my career my objectives are more inclined towards mentoring my staff and learning along side them. Unfortunately, the times being what they are "jumping" into a lateral position elsewhere is quite difficult. My instincts tell me to not seek the senior roles. Sometimes I wonder if this instinct is a product of the last three years.
So I guess what I would like to know from others who may have faced this same dilemma is "what would you do?" How do I rebuild my credibility with this organization. Do I even bother and just leave? I've had my own quite successful company in the past but don't feel the burning desire to do this again. Any thoughts? They would be appreciated. Saving Changes...
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Anonymous
I've been there. You're done. Someone who sees you as a threat today isn't going to wake up one morning and think, "Sure, he's on my team after all." You may be the greatest guy in the world, have a lot to offer your team and feel responsible for them. I know how you feel. But get ready to get out. Find your local professional organization, (PMI, or your local systems management group) and start networking. Go to breakfast, lunch and dinner with vendors and your peers at other companies. Find out who has jobs like yours at other companies (below you and above you), and get some contacts. Find out about other companies that are worse than yours, and better than yours. Then if you do get bounced out, you'll have a place to start and some people to help you. It sounds like you are working in a toxic environment. You'll run out of air sooner or later. But remember most of all that your job is not who you are. Go find that next opportunity and stop pouring energy into a bottomless pit. Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Anonymous, the problem isn’t your credibility, it’s the process maturity, or lack there of, of your organization. And now you feel that your manager’s new strict guidelines for dealing with people outside of IT compromise your sensibility and ability to deliver productively to the organization. Why not invite your manager to meet with you to discuss how best to meet his objectives, how best to document and follow his process (the new guidelines), and how best to enable process improvement suggestions in his process so his objectives can be not only met, but surpassed. Be prepared to listen more than talk. Don’t use your meeting to challenge your manager or try to debate any changes in his guidelines (even if they are merited), rather seek to establish a process that can be followed, reviewed via lessons learned feedback, and improved upon via management approval and adoption of merited process improvement suggestions. First define the process, and then fix the process. Results will follow. Try to view your current situation as an opportunity to develop and execute a new skill (Process Improvement) for yourself. Good luck. – Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
