Communication
Communication is a powerful thing. Changing how we communicate has frequently redefined the world we live in. A lack of communication on the other hand can really be a pain in the donkey.
I found out today that half of the new program that was supposed to revolutionize (and integrate I might add) my department had been shelved and as a result recent work I had done not only was invalidated but annoyed the project manager, soured a relationship with a business contact, and cost the company nearly $3,000. All because someone made a decision that would make a huge negative impact on me and my staff and neglected to tell anyone!
The old question “if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” is open to interpretation. But if you make a decision and don’t tell anyone IT DOESN’T COUNT!
You can hardly get annoyed at someone for following your instructions that you countermanded IN YOUR HEAD.
Oh and the answer to that tree question? Only if there’s a sound engineer on the project.
It amazes me that a bunch of wheeling and dealing on my part to save the company 3 grand can be undone because someone couldn’t be bothered to send an e-mail or make a phone call!
I’m thinking I could be a Project Manager.
If nothing else the bar for communication and follow-up seems quite low. We’re talking Suliban limbo bar low.
In my defense I wasn’t the one who sent the e-mail in question, it was my boss but the entire content of the message was work I had done.
Was my work wrong? No. So how does an e-mail cost $3,000? Apparently it triggered 20 man-hours of unauthorized work at $145 per man-hour.
Now how does that become waste? The Project Manager decided to switch companies and do that work later. Neither me, my boss, our department liaison, or the business contact was aware of this. As far as I can determine no one knew and prior to the e-mail nothing had occurred as a result of this decision. A decision made in a vacuum shared with No one that changes nothing…does IT make a sound?
Oh, and the goal of this ninja-invisible decision?
Save the company money.
