Why do some people “get” process?

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Gary

Over the past two weeks, I’ve compared notes with two friends over process. In this context, “compared notes” equals commiserate over situations in organizations where getting the group to follow process is a challenge.

What struck me was how three different people could have such similar views, literally to the point of being able to finish each other’s sentences on the topic. How did that happen?

So I started to do a check off list….

  • Age – the three of us are all around the same age. Let’s just say I have the grey hairs to show for it.
  • Sex – two females, on male. Doubtful.
  • Similar upbringing – One from Oregon, one from New Hampshire, and one from Ohio. Hmm. West coast, east coast, and north coast. You couldn’t get much more diverse and stay in the United States.
  • Collegiate schooling – Oregon, Massachusetts, Ohio.
  • Worked for same company – nope.

I was lamenting a lack of insight when one offered, “It’s about values. We share a value for the customer.”

We share a value for the customer.

A value provides the basis for action. Over my career, I’ve found having a value for the customer is often a good starting point for a decision. It can’t be a “the customer is always right” blind faith decision…as sometimes the customer is trying to get something they are not paying for.

In a recent meeting an SVP for a large (IT) company said he looked for people with two characteristics:

  • team player
  • customer focus.

There’s that pesky customer again.

A large financial services firm espouses a simple value framework for decision making….in order

  • Client
  • Firm
  • Self

In this context, client is customer. This simple rubric provides clarity for the quality of the organization.

So how does process get wrapped into a value around the customer? It’s about having predictable results. Customers value predictable results. And in my experience, internal staff (not to be confused with an internal customers) prefer predictable results.

What often happens is someone in the heat of the moment thinks they know best, and shortcuts the process. Over time, this leads to anarchy and a loss of predictability.

And for all you saying you don’t like process, please note I abhor “bad” process, and bureaucratic process. Process, when designed and well executed, is a facilitating and not debilitating tool.

 

 

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Have you considered the Cloud?

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Gary

I’ve been in and around data centers my whole life. My first job “in the business” was as the “3 until the work is done” computer operator for a large amusement park. For years and years, the accepted norm was for companies to house their own data centers.

I’m a full convert now. Unless a company’s needs are for large (over twenty thousand square feet) or ultra-secure data centers, using a co-lo or managed services provider makes imminent sense. We’ve previously covered how to select a co-lo provider and we’ve helped many organizations with evaluation, selection and migration to co-lo.

Simply put, the facilities capital costs for smaller data center needs are often cost prohibitive. Frankly, the bottom line is organizations should better use those funds for providing increased value.

Often organizations move an existing data center into the co-location facility.

If an organization is doing a co-location play, and buying new equipment for the co-lo, we ask, “Have you considered the Cloud?” Often the answer is NO…and it’s time organizations open their minds to the “Cloud.”

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service where shared resources, software, and information are provided as a metered service over a network (often the Internet).

The “Cloud” is made up of industry standard components (although some high end cloud providers do their own hardware designs.) The “Secret Sauce” is in the provisioning software providing the ability to spin up an instance and billing.

As an example, take NaviSite, a Time Warner Cable provider of cloud services.

Source : http://www.navisite.com/technology-navicloud-platform-architecture.htm

 

As another example, Access Northeast provides a base level of cloud support:

Source http://www.accessnortheast.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/SecureCloudBack3.pdf

Again, industry standard components.

We see a cloud as an excellent vehicle for an organization to buy services as needed, quickly deploying, and without large technical staffs.

The same can be said of Managed Services. If your organization is going to do an Exchange 2010 migration, why not migrate to a professionally managed external service? Companies offering managed services think about service and support models much differently than individual organizations because of scope and mass.

The key to understanding the use of external providers is making sure your company understands the risk associated with providers and makes detailed evaluations. Two guys in a garage can, in theory, spin up a cloud offering without the kind of infrastructure behind them we would expect. Often, third party services can be used in evaluating alternatives, understanding the contractual implications, and assisting in the migration.

At Harvard Partners, we have no technical staff whatsoever, yet have fully supported phones, Exchange, web hosting and the like. We fully leverage external services.

The only thing I wish we had was occasional deskside support. I have a nice new laptop sitting in a box yet continue using my older underpowered laptop as I just simply don’t choose to take the time to migrate.

Take the time to challenge your organization’s technology paradigm! You may find you are able to do things better, faster AND cheaper.

 

 

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Every Problem has a Solution

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Gary

It’s Sunday as I write this. Years of early morning alarms had me wide awake at 5AM. The house was still quiet, and it seemed natural to catch up on some TV.

Years ago, my daughter and I would watch Grey’s Anatomy together. She’s since moved off the show, and I still enjoy. My DVR had the most recent episode…what better thing to catch at 5AM?

Grey’s Anatomy, Courtesy ABC.GO.COM

So, yes world, I watch Grey’s. And I found myself in full tears during this episode (if you watch online, I was in tears at the 28:50 mark, as an eighteen year old makes life and death decisions for her father.)

In IT, we generally don’t have life and death situations. In healthcare IT, at an extreme our systems may impact healthcare…and yet as IT staff we are not faced with it.

Certainly many IT types have uttered the words, “I’m going to get killed if…. <fill in the blank>”

  • This system doesn’t come back up
  • This project is late
  • This runs over budget

The truth is, worst case is someone losing their job…and that only happens in extreme cases.

Recently I was having a conversation with the VP of Operations for a major hosting company and commenting on how calm he (always) is. He laughed…and shared there are nights he doesn’t get sleep. And that in IT, every problem has a solution.

At first I wanted to challenge the point, and as I thought about it more…..agreed with him. By the time something is through the development cycle and into production, the “unsolvable problems” have been addressed.

Sure, hardware may break and can be repaired, software may fail and need to be patched…but IT always rises to the challenge.

Management might suggest issues sometimes take too long to address…and that’s where management’s commitment to real, tested, and usable disaster recovery (DR) often comes into play. With “real” DR, business impacts are often minimized.

Has your business ever died due to IT?

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Do Epic Shit

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Gary

I really wasn’t going to write New Year’s blog post, and then saw this picture on the Facebook page of Secret Boston, who is http://www.lovethecool.net/, who is really @Michellemmm, who is really Michelle McCormack, Vice President Marketing at SCHEDit / Producer @FNOBoston / Founder Secret Boston.


I really like the sentiment, and believe it applies to IT as well.

“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood…Make big plans, aim high in hope and work.” Daniel H. Burnham, US architect & city planner (1846 – 1912)

Far too often, IT groups get sucked into the maintenance mode, doing small incremental improvements. It’s my view IT organizations need to minimize the maintenance items, and focus on major process improving initiatives.

IT groups should focus on programs/projects providing business value, where the business process is fundamentally changed. A CIO once told me, “If a project doesn’t change the business process, I don’t want to do the project.” Using that as litmus, how do your projects stack up?

However, when organizations take on multi-year projects, without substantive interim deliverables, IT is placed in a different light. A light characterized by non-delivery, high cost, and with ever changing requirements. The very people sponsoring the efforts change, as do the IT people, leading to more change.

So, I advocate 90 day deliverables, where value is provided on a continuous basis.

So I encourage your IT group to “do epic shit”, characterized by regular deliverables improving the business process.

What do you think?

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Audio Bridge Etiquette

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Gary

As IT Consultants specializing in Program/Project management and data centers, we spend a lot of time on audio bridges with clients, partners and suppliers.

One particularly lengthy call gave the opportunity to reflect on what works, and what doesn’t work in audio bridges.


Here are some pointers:

  • General Meeting Ideas
    • Use an agenda – audio conferences are great for status meetings, updates, and troubleshooting, and not terribly good for brainstorming. An agenda allows attendees to prepare, focus, and helps keep the meeting on track.
    • Start the meeting on time – Few things infuriate more than punishing everyone attending on time than the words, “Let’s give everyone a few more minutes to join.” Encourage prompt attendance by starting on time
    • Do a roll call at the beginning of the audio conference. Levelset all attendees.
    • If you use a handout, distributed in advance, make sure the pages are numbered
    • Take good minutes. “Good minutes” are action item oriented, along with key decisions and risks.

     

  • Audio Bridge Specifics
    • As you join the call, announce yourself. If you have to drop from the call, announce your leaving and your intentions to rejoin.
    • As you speak on the call, get into the habit of announcing yourself. “This is Gary, and……” Once everyone knows everyone’s voice, you can eliminate this step
    • When not speaking, mute your microphone. Nobody wants to hear your order at Starbucks or “home sounds (kids crying, dogs barking.)
    • I often put long calls on the speaker of a speakerphone rather than use a headset. I find it less tiring.
    • Assume out of band discussions will take place, either via email, text, or instant message. This means people will not always be paying attention. That said, sometimes goodness comes from those discussions.
    • Assume there will be other people “lurking” on the bridge, especially if there is a production issue. Executives will often join bridge calls to get “the feel” from the participants. Keep the conversation professional.
    • If needed, spawn a second bridge if a subset of the team needs to meet. Ask someone to rejoin the main bridge with occasional updates.

     

  • Technical


     

By following these pointers, you’ll have some great & productive audio conferences!

 

 

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