Paperclip counter

Dear Bob –

I’ve worked at the same insurance company for over 16 years, the last 11 as an application software manager. Our IT department has almost no turnover and the people that work here have many years of technical and business background. Their skill and talent is remarkable. 

Last year, the head of IT retired after 20 years in the job. Our CEO put his pet in the new role, a person who claims to have technical savvy but continually asks for explanation of what servers do, and wants justification for why we even have a mainframe.  In this new era, we’re finding ourselves pushed into roles of submission and obedience with no technical growth or project initiatives.  We can’t even talk about how important a portal is to the company because the new boss is sick of hearing the word portal. 

I’ve given presentations, layed out detailed charts, pictures, powerpoints and even sometimes cartoons to explain the implications of stagnating technical growth and the benefits to be gained through use of technology as a strategic weapon. This week we received a memo instructing us to save paper clips for reuse when we clean our offices. Obviously there is no interest in real cost savings.  Is there anything I can do short of leaving to try and turn things back around?

– Rotting on the Vine

Dear … uh, Rotting?

There are three things you can do that I know about.

The first is to wait it out. Even the boss’s pet can wear out a welcome, and it’s possible this one will make a mess on the carpet that can’t be blamed on the cat.

The kind of messes I’m talking about, by the way, are such matters as tax, regulatory and compliance issues where the problem is unambiguous and the clear cause is bad IT leadership. What doesn’t count is the gradual deterioration of revenue and slow loss of competitiveness that comes from failing to invest in the business. The connection between cause and effect is too difficult to establish for a CEO who’s inclined to not accept it in the first place.

I wouldn’t count on this strategy. While it can certainly work, you’re putting your faith in semi-random chance instead of staying in control of your situation, and also because the boss’s pet will be very practiced at blame-shifting.

The second strategy is to leave, as you’ve already figured out. It isn’t a bad one either. Your decision as to pursue the first or second strategy depends entirely on your assessment of the CEO’s ability to spot the problem and do something about it.

Then there’s the third strategy. Some people might find it unsavory. You have to decide for yourself how the ethics of it balance out. The strategy? Find a business executive whose judgment and discretion you trust and lay out clearly, completely, and concisely … especially concisely … the damage to the company you think the new head of IT is inflicting.

Make sure you say something like this: “I know this comes across as backstabbing. If I could see a different course of action, I’d have taken it instead. The reason I didn’t confront the CIO directly is that it wouldn’t have done any good, but would almost certainly have cost me my job. It would have been pointless. If I’d gone directly to the CEO then it would have been backstabbing. I trust you, and I’m looking for advice. I think the way things are going it’s going to hurt the company – what do you think we should do about it?”

If the executive doesn’t offer to intercede, thank him or her for the time, and go back to polishing your resume. If he or she does offer to help, just make sure you cover your own risks as best you can: Even with executive cover this can blow up in your face if you aren’t careful.

Depending on your personal values, you still might onsider this backstabbing, despite the disclaimer. On the other hand, it might just be considered saving the company. I’m not going to judge either way. I figure each individual has to make this kind of judgment for him or herself.

Whatever you decide, good luck in having it come out right.

– Bob

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