Uggh. Work issue.

[anonymouse1]

So I'm the coordinator for a new project--replacing an important 20-year-old manual process with a brand new up-to-date software-based process. This is one of the biggest things I was hired into this job to do. This is the first in an infinite series of similar projects: get input data, provide to specialists, support specialists in working with data, get data to third parties we are obliged to give it to. If this goes right, we'll reduce time and effort needed by maybe 33% to 50%. So it's not the biggest deal in my shop, but it's one of the biggest deals in my portfolio

As part of this, I'm relying on data from our IT team about the status of certain tasks.

IT told me "processing complete" on certain tasks. So I updated the people I'm supporting--tasks are complete! We can inform the external third parties we out deliverables to that tasks are complete! The people I support start sending out emails! Other dependent schedules are finalized!

Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Except...I start double checking some of the metrics, and they don't match up. Turns out, when they told me "processing complete," they didn't include about 75% of the work--because although "technically" it was complete, and in theory the specialists could use it, they hadn't released the work because they were still working on double-secret processing and other steps they hadn't told me they needed to do, even though they told me "processing complete"....

Now I have to send emails to the people I support (who work with my managers) to explain the situation. Best case: all the processing gets done this weekend, I scramble, and we have to explain to the third parties, "Whoops, ignore prior email, but the good news is that you're getting more of the data you want!" Worst case, well, I'll just say I'm keeping an eye on deadlines....

[sekker]

In my experience, many of these kind of actions are a form of sabotage. People fear such automation is going to take jobs (even if it's not their job), so they will do literally what they are told - and nothing more. Or less.

Good luck!

[anonymouse1]

Thanks, sekker!

Fortunately (I hope), the folks who miscommunicated are part of the new initiative. So hopefully it's in their interest that this doesn't happen again.

sekker wrote:
In my experience, many of these kind of actions are a form of sabotage. People fear such automation is going to take jobs (even if it's not their job), so they will do literally what they are told - and nothing more. Or less.

Good luck!

[cbelt3]

Also a common problem is that IT is disconnected from the business. You need to get all the players in the process into the room to map it out. And then watch them do it.

[Sarcany]

Also a common problem: The people tasked with reporting (managers) are not the people tasked with doing the job, they don't get the difference between completing a target and completing the project, and they are anxious to take credit for completing the job so they can use that for shameless self-promotion.

They'll also blame anyone but themselves when they miss their targets.

[NewtonMP2100]

.....work it......girl.......