With a Rebel Yell

The last few articles I have written have been based around an album I owned in the eighties called 'Life in the fast lane - 16 Classic Rock Tracks' I loved that album, I had it on tape, and I played it that often that the tape stretched - no more album I was gutted. I digress, the last 2 articles were based on 2 songs from said album, Your'e The Voice and The Way It Is. Obviously I talk about learning and development, so they really did not talk about the songs themselves.

So I thought for this next article I would continue the tradition, and base it around the wonderful song 'Rebel Yell' by Billy Idol.

I had a very interesting conversation with one of my customers this week, I've known him for many years, He was new to the company, and has had a lot of experience with software over the years, he knew after a very short space of time that the majority of the workflows that the customer was using were simply put, categorically wrong. Not just workflows that could be done more productively if done in a different way, but wrong on all levels. These particular workflows cost the company time and money. If you have read my article entitled "You're The Voice" you will know that I am firm believer of, if something is wrong then you have to say something. Oh yes, they are using the wrong software as well.

In his situation this could not happen, he didn't feel it was the right thing to do to walk into a new job, and break the news to them that everything they have done for the last 5 years was wrong. He had not been taken on with a job description of "process improvement" or anything along those lines. So what was he to do ? He didn't know, and rang me for my advice, and guess what ? I didn't really know what to do either.

If you know me I am normally a very shy, quiet person who always thinks before he speaks ;-) So not knowing what to say was a new thing to me. What would you do ??

My advice was as follows, you cannot just sit back and let it happen, if you do then 2 or 3 years down the line, the company is doing things in the same way, and still using the same software, and its all because "that's just the way we have always done it" then you probably don't like your job, and you may have lost the skills you gained in your previous employment. This prompts me to urge you read another article entitled The way it is.

In my experience, and I visit a lot of different companies, Managers who are running design/engineering offices normally fit into 3 different categories.

1. They are not aware of any problems. Because no-one sticks their head above the parapet, and voices their concerns, then naturally there is no problem, everything is fantastic, what are great company we are.
2. They know that there are problems, but don't know how to fix them, I think this is probably the most common category, hopefully their teams will shout when they have a problem, or think something can be done in a better way, again in my experience many team members know that there is a problem, and many of them will discuss them with their managers / team leads. If however none of you have any ideas on how to actually fix the problem, what do you do ?
3. They know that there are problems, but don't want to or can't fix the problem, this again is unfortunately very common. They might be using a particular software, because that is what head office states. The manager might know that there is a problem with a particular workflow, but doesn't want to change it, and many other reasons.

The problem with number 3, is quite often the same problem that the team member is having. Think of it this way, a company with 4 subsidiaries, head office has stated that they all most use Software XYZ. They may well have made this decision because that is just the way it always has been. They might not know that software ABC would be a lot better for the business. If no one says anything then guess what, its never going to change.

We all need to pick the battles that we can win (thanks @johnbartle) but if we never even step a foot on the battlefield, we will most definitely not win any battles, let alone the war.

So, you may ask, Craig what is the point of your ramblings today ? If you think something is wrong, then find a way to say something to the powers that be, but come with a solution, not just a problem. How do you find the solution ? Talk to the experts is the simplest way of doing it. There are loads of groups on linkedin full to the brim with like minded people who may have went through the same thing, if your problem is software related, then talk to your vendors of the software, it may be simply that with some education you could change that problem workflow, and realise that the software you have is more than capable of doing what you want to do.

Dont suffer in silence, with a Rebel Yell, Cry More, More More

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An interesting tidbit, did you know that Billy Idol actually won the role to play 'The Terminator' in Terminator 2 (the liquid metal one) he unfortunately had a bike crash and couldn't fulfill the role.