IT Strategy Blows Like the Wind but Core Values Persist

By: Rob Hubert

Imagine this, you are in a meeting with your boss and another team discussing the goals of a project that is about to start. You already have a full work load and you don't agree with the decisions that management has made about the project. You are feeling resistance towards the work and resentment for the impact that management decisions will have on you. You sit there with your arms crossed and ton of knowledge in your head that is relevant to the success of the project.

You are stuck in victim mode, where some else's decision has impacted your workload. The worst thing about victim mode is that you don't even know that you are stuck in a negative mindset. The questions you ask yourself are "Why would they make this type of decision"? "This doesn't make any sense, what other options did they consider and turn down"?, "Why didn't they ask me my opinion"?

What can you do now? What should you do now? Quit your job? Cry foul? Raise your concerns to the executives that they are making a huge mistake? Fight to the death against what you see as a poor decision?

What you decide to do is for you to decide. It's been my experience that management often sees trends that I'm not seeing. It has everything to do with the world that they live in, which is different than where we typically sit in our IT domains. It's also been my experience that decisions like the one you are living in rarely get over turned. Remember the book, "Who Moved my Cheese" by Spencer Johnson. Simply put that's what happened with this project. Your cheese was moved and you are struggling to find it.

Many complaints that I've heard from IT Professionals are related to IT Strategy. "I don't agree with the company's strategy" they tell me and that's why I want to leave. Here's a nugget that I learned from one of my mentors in IT. Strategy is something that blows like the wind, expect it to change. Remove yourself from the emotional attachment to Strategy and align yourself with your personal values. Values are your core belief system that guide you in everything that you do. If your company's core values are in alignment with your own, then you are in the right place. When the company's values change and they are no longer values that have congruence, consider making a change.

Back to the project choice. Successful IT Professionals use Emotional Intelligence to guide them in tough situations and they do the right thing. The right thing to do in this situation is to support the company to successfully implement the goals of the project and quickly overcome any resistance or resentment that you are feeling. The questions to ask yourself are: "What can I do to help make this project succeed"? "How can I be a team player and make contributions to the project"? "What knowledge do I need to share to ensure that the planning phase of the project is thorough"? The questions that you ask yourself frame you state of mind. Make it a state that will support you in career growth - not career decay.

Give me some feedback? What would you do?

Comments

[Gary]

I agree with your advice. I feel that one thing that I could do to help make the project succeed is being sure to professionally raise and explain my objections. This approach gives them the opportunity to take into consideration aspects that may not have been thought of. After the stakeholders have taken the concerns into consideration (whether or not it changed any of their decisions/plans), I will move to do what I can to implement the decision that management has made and contribute to its success.

I think the most important aspect of what you said is to watch for the values of the company and to make sure they are compatible with your own personal values. That will tell you when it is time to think about finding another organization to which you can contribute.

Thanks for the post.

Gary