In my eight years in IT I have watched at least nine out of ten projects either fail altogether or fall far short of expectations. At first I tried to find the fault in myself or my coworkers. I soon realised that every project had been derailed by a management decision or oversight, even when management had been warned of the danger at a very early stage. I cannot put the blame squarely on management, though. At times management behaved as though failure was predestined and it could not be fought. At other times management seemed to believe their was no alternative to their preconceived plan of action, even when alternatives were staring them in the face. These points of view may have been more or less true at different times, and management was being swept along helplessly. I think my observations bear out this way of looking at the manager’s role: That of a helpless onlooker spouting edicts that only hasten and ensure tragedy.
About
In my eight years in IT I have watched at least nine out of ten projects either fail altogether or fall far short of expectations. At first I tried to find the fault in myself or my coworkers. I soon realised that every project had been derailed by a management decision or oversight, even when management had been warned of the danger at a very early stage. I cannot put the blame squarely on management, though. At times management behaved as though failure was predestined and it could not be fought. At other times management seemed to believe their was no alternative to their preconceived plan of action, even when alternatives were staring them in the face. These points of view may have been more or less true at different times, and management was being swept along helplessly. I think my observations bear out this way of looking at the manager’s role: That of a helpless onlooker spouting edicts that only hasten and ensure tragedy.
Barry McKenzie
Melbourne