Thursday, January 31, 2013

SAM or ITAM Practitioner? Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way!



IT Asset Management & Business Process Improvement: Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way!


Every time I teach a course, be it software life cycle management, asset management, project management, negotiations, or some related business process improvement content, I run into the same problem. Way too many of the people attending the course make the same comment:

Commitment: "Our company wants to improve the way we do (this or that) but, when it comes down to actually making the move, there isn't sufficient executive support--no serious follow through."

I'm sure you've seen this, too. The enterprise--as a whole--is aware that there are more effective ways to accomplish certain tasks or projects, but it has no formal process for approaching, planning, and implementing a change initiative. Unfortunately, & realistically, a majority of SAM or ITAM initiatives ARE change initiatives. What's more, executive management--leadership?--does not, or will not, take a visible role in enacting the business process improvement or change. THIS is where my title content comes into play.

My politically incorrect message to management is this:
"Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way!"

Result? How many times have you heard the lament:

Employee Quote: "I spent the time and effort attending this training, or that seminar, (or the company spent the money) and identified a specific way (or two, or ten) that we could improve business processes in our company. Then, when I came back to work, I wasn't encouraged (permitted?) to make anything happen."

In this tough economy--in ANY economy--a company lives and/or dies by its abilities--its willingness—to evolve. So, we need to start asking & answering some tough questions if we expect to become & remain a true profession.


In what ways do you encounter the corporate roadblocks mentioned throughout this blog--even in this single entry? Make a list. 

Now, take a little time and prioritize that list. Put the really important potential improvements at the top--the possible maybes toward the bottom. Next, look at the top couple changes you'd like to see established and consider the following questions:
  • In what ways is this proposed change important to the enterprise?
  • In what ways is it important to my department?
  • In what ways is it important to my boss?
  • In what was is it important to me?
  • It would also be wise to create another list, this one documents the potential roadblocks.  More importantly, it enables you to prepare options for countering that opposition:
  • In what ways might the enterprise oppose this change? Why? How could I counter that opposition?
  • In what ways might my department oppose this change? Why? How could I counter that opposition?
  • In what ways might my boss oppose this change? Why? How could I counter that opposition?
  • In what ways might others oppose this change? Why? How could I counter that opposition?


Based on your answers, put together a list of steps for phasing the new idea (ideas) into the enterprise.  Take the entire process slowly. Locate the easy wins--successes--and grab onto them first.  Document--and COMMUNICATE--the value you have added, then push for more.

It's been my experience that--with very few exceptions--few people have ever lost their jobs because they have directly contributed to the growth and improvement of the enterprise. On the other hand, I HAVE seen a bucket load of people who lost their jobs because they tried to become &/or remain invisible.

So? What's my bottom line? It's this simple:

Either you honestly want to change, grow, improve, enhance, expand (pick a word) the enterprise, or you don't. Whichever way it works--GET OFF THE FENCE & DO IT!

As the economy continues to "flubber" around, I predict that the wise enterprises will be the ones that get back to encouraging their personnel to open up and actually contribute their innovative ideas for building the business. I'll even go so far as to fantasize that many of these companies will actually reward their people for contributing above and beyond expectations. (But, maybe I've gone too far with that last idea...)
 
What are your thoughts? You DO have thoughts, don't you?