In a medium-size organization there is a small Data Management Unit. A Data Manager(DM) is responsible for reporting everythig to the Director (at the top of organograph).
After some time the DM assumes so much responsibility for Data Management that he becomes THE data person and everything related to data becomes dependent on him. In addition to that the working of the organization is a bit complex so that any new comer takes alot of time to understand the working of the system.
The DM, realizing this fact starts demanding double his current salary. Director becomes blackmailed. If DM's salary is increased this time, he may put a similar demand again in future.
Director decides to increase the salary but at the same time hires an Assistant Data Manager(ADM). The DM counters by completely sidelining the new ADM to the degree that the ADM has to leave.
What is the solution to the Director's dilemma? Saving Changes...
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Anonymous
Well, the main problem here is that this DM manager knows that the Director is in a difficult position based on the amount of knowledge the DM have. The main tarhet is to reduce the amount of power the DM has. The first thing to do is to understand the number of critical processes the company has that the abscense of the DM could impact in a considerable way. Having this number then the director could decide if this guy is really a key player or if he is just bluffing. If he is not then the director should ask to an external with good amount of knowledge on DM to see if they can mitigate the risk somehow in those critical proceses. Reducing the number of critical processes the DM have in his domain will decrease the power he uses to his own benefit. One thing is for sure, keeping this guy in the company will become a bigger problem that what he is today. Saving Changes...
Dear Anonymous, thanks for such an important suggestion! Examining the critical processes adds a new perspective. Could you specify any method of reducing the number of critical processes under the DM's control? (and thus effectively limiting his power?) Saving Changes...
One suggestion that I got from another forum was that the DM should be allowed to leave the organization (thus incurring some loss for the time being)and then hiring two DM's(one being Assistant DM). The DM and ADM work in such a way that
1) they complement eachother's tasks
2) they regularly rotate eachother's responsibilities
3) they report individually to the director.
The idea is to always have a backup DM. Assistant DM is not necessarily subordinate to the DM. Also, whenever, a new DM quits the company, the older DM (or ADM) takes over for the interim perion till a new DM arrives. The new DM is guided on-the-job by the older DM and the mechanism of individual reporting will ensure that the older DM guides the new comer properly.
Are there any problems with this ploy?? Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I don not have any specific method to reduce the critical processes since this will depend on the process by itself and the creativity of the director to handle this without being too explicit. However, I could agree on your suggestion to let the DM take some time off (Vacations, trainning, etc), so you guys can understand the real impact of not having him. The second option is to give him a new role in the organization, a bigger one, and therefore giving him someone who could help him on the current activities. In this way, the director may use the extra salary that the DM is demanding with higher responsibilities and introduce someone in the organization that will do the current DM activities and secondly, and more important, identify and release the critical activities. Saving Changes...
I would ask the DM to assume a new role, somewhere else in the organization that commands the type of salary that he is asking for or find another company that will provide it. While waiting on that choice I would begin to work on a standard process that is documented so that it did not matter who was the DM it was documented. You can replace people if you have a standard process. The process does not know the managers name. Saving Changes...
