Listen attentively
first
It has been a
wonderful work year with much to celebrate even if the challenges and the
frustrations that seemed to greet one at many turns. The job of being a subject
matter expert in a big team of long-staying members who are steeped in the
traditions and culture of an organisation whilst being hardened by their
experiences along with the histories that have defined their presence or absence
of amenity to change can be interesting.
Someone like me is supposed
to visit first with a good pair of listening ears and a fresh pair of eyes long
before I have a compelling speech to review the long-held perspectives,
persuading colleagues, partners and hierarchies of alternative methods and best
practice. It is more a battle of wits than anything else, the encounters can be
bruising, yet necessary.
Make your footing
sure
My view is, I am
engaged to challenge the orthodoxy, expose the dogmatic and align towards the
pragmatic, shepherding change, not as a hard choice but a progressive march
which is rarely at speed but at snail’s pace with the purpose of incremental
and beneficial improvements that the managers can highlight as big successes.
Sometimes, I cannot
get in edgeways, all arguments deployed, most debates exhausted, glaring
evidence presented that it is literally incontrovertible, but the political
climate will not budge a nanometre.
It is usually
political
You begin to learn to
choose your battles carefully, find where you can build agreement, move that
towards a consensus, manage the compromises well, so the main thrust of your
ideas are not lost, then bring forth the benefits and the gains whilst
assertively debunking woolly thinking, needless experimentation and pointless
solutions crafted from the poor use or knowledge of the tools available to
fulfil the requirements.
This, I aver is the
bane of being in a technical role at a high level, it is usually more political
than technical, and it is where you have to master the art of communication.
How to point out bad practice that it becomes a learning opportunity rather
than it being taken negatively as criticism. Accord praise liberally and
acknowledge fully ideas proposed and activities beautifully performed by others
even if you wish you had that idea first.
Be dependable more
than indispensable
Win confidence and
trust, not so much to make yourself indispensable but valuable and dependable,
this is what 33 years in the field of computer information technology has
taught me, 26 of those years, I have mainly been a freelance consultant. I don’t
get moved along like I am part of a glacier, I have to earn my place and prove
my worth constantly through continuous learning and practice, education,
excitement, enthusiasm, curiosity, and grit.
My work year 2021 is
now over for me to go and deal with the essential matters of the heart. A stand-in
has been invited to provide support to my standard of expertise and know-how,
whilst I am away. I did not achieve everything I hoped I will in the
organisation in the year past, but I think there is enough understanding that I
can be helpful in matters of architecture, policy, implementation, and
administration.
To the coalface of the work front, I wish you all a wonderful yuletide season and a more rewardingly, prosperous and fulfilling New Year, maybe, just maybe, we would also see the back of this global pandemic and launch into a new life of cherished experiences and exciting adventure.