Business Story: A Story of Management Conflict Concerning the Use of Mainframe and Personal Computers Involved in the Monitoring and Protection of Environmental Resources.

Copyright 2013 Franco E. Scanloni.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-0577-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-0579-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-0578-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013911750

Trafford rev. 06/26/2013

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CONTENTS

PART ONE STARTING OVER

1

2

3

4

PART TWO GETTING TO KNOW YOU

5

6

7

8

PART THREE IS THIS REALLY NECESSARY

9

10

11

12

PART FOUR ASKING FOR HELP

13

14

15

16

PART FIVE MAKING A COMMITMENT

17

18

19

20

PART SIX FIGHTING DIRTY

21

22

23

24

PART ONE

STARTING OVER

1

The first day on a new job is always difficult, thought Dave Richards, standing in the middle of the square looking up at the tower of glass and steel in front of him. It’s like moving into a new home. You hate to say goodbye to all your old friends and you wonder what the new neighbors will be like.

He remembered the first time he ever moved. He was just a kid in low school and when his father told him they would be moving to the other side of town he vowed he would return every week to see his chums. But that didn’t last long. Within a couple of weeks he had a whole new set of chums.

And that’s the way it was with jobs too. He had moved around a lot and it had always worked out the same way. He would become familiar with the new surroundings, adapt and within a short period of time be feeling like an old hand.

He could remember his uncle, Fred, admonishing him for changing jobs so often. I don’t understand it. It seems like you’re quitting jobs every couple of years. Is there something wrong with you? Do you not want to have any stability in your life?

Uncle Fred was from the old school. He had lived through the depression of the thirties and when you had lived through the depression you thanked your lucky stars you had a job and you held onto it for dear life.

It was a way of thinking. It wasn’t the way Richards thought.

A long time ago he had heard someone famous say he had never worked a day at a job he didn’t like and likewise, he was determined not to either. After all, life was too precious to waste and didn’t you work a third of your life, so why not enjoy it.

Nevertheless, this time he felt things might just be different. Then he looked at the inscription above the entrance, The Department of the Environment, and felt queasy all over again. The thought of working for the government had never entered his mind until just recently and he was still feeling uneasy about making the move. If somebody had suggested it just a couple of months ago he would have laughed them off. Him, a public servant! Don’t be ridiculous. The private sector, that’s where the action was. Government is red tape. Government is missed deadlines and cost overruns. That’s where the second-rate people go, the people who need protection, the people who can’t make it in the majors. And of course he had always considered himself a major league player, a man with ideas and all kinds of energy to burn. He relished the thrust and cut of the real world. A little bit of pressure never failed to bring out the best in him. He couldn’t see himself working in the cocoon of government, isolated from the fires of competition.

But that’s being ridiculous, thought Richards, rationalizing again. There had to be some good people in government. Every year you would hear of someone well thought of in the private sector quitting to join the public service. Being the kind of people they were, they would never do that unless they figured there was some kind of challenge there. Besides, he had already thought it all out and made his decision so there was no point in going all over it again. The job was just too good to pass up, a real opportunity to accomplish a lot, just what he had been looking for. So never mind the qualms. He was just having the first-day jitters, that’s all.

* * *

Brad Houston, the Executive Director of the Finance and Administration Division, the man Richards would be reporting to, welcomed him at the door of his office. Good morning Dave. It’s good to have you on board. Come on in.

The office was on the twenty-first floor of the Environment headquarters building overlooking a heavily wooded ravine. In one corner of the spacious office was a large desk with a tall black leather swivel chair behind it and three smaller chairs spread out in front of it. Along the far wall was a chesterfield, a coffee table and three armchairs. In the middle of the coffee table was a large vase of mixed flowers, adding to the scene a touch of home.

Houston motioned him towards the chesterfield and said, Would you like a coffee Dave?

If you’re going to have one, sure.

Houston pressed the intercom on his desk and asked for two coffees, then took one of the chairs across from Richards. For the next several minutes they exchanged small talk about the weather, the baseball team and the current slump it was in. Then when an attractive young lady entered the office with the coffee Houston stood up and said, Sandy, I’d like you to meet Dave Richards, the new Director of the Information Systems Branch. Dave, this is Sandy Christie, my secretary.

For a brief second Richards thought he saw a hint of animosity. Then the lady smiled and said, Nice to meet you Mr. Richards.

Same here.

The lady put the tray of coffee down and left.

Sandy’s a real asset. I don’t know what I’d do without her. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to give her a call. She knows her way around here and I’m sure she’ll be able to help you.

Thank you. I’m sure I’m going to need some help.

Houston took a sip of his coffee and smiled. I guess Dave you must have been wondering if we were ever going to make you an offer, what with all the interviews we put you through.

I have to admit, after the fourth interview I was beginning to wonder. Then when I didn’t hear anything for a couple of weeks I was almost ready to write the job off.

I know. It was a long process but we can’t be too careful. Any position from manager up gets a close scrutiny. We can’t afford to hire any misfits. Once you hire them it’s hard to get rid of them.

I can appreciate that, said Richards.

Yours is a key position Dave. You’re going to be responsible for assessing information needs across the Department, outlining various alternatives for meeting those needs and proposing appropriate solutions. You’re going to be responsible for developing systems and selecting the best equipment to do the job. And on top of that you’re going to have to see that the data gets processed on time and within budget. That’s a big job. You’re going to be looking after close to fifty people. I think during one of the interviews you said you were looking for a challenge. I think you’ll find one here.

If it’s not a challenge what’s the point? said Richards.

Exactly, said Houston. That’s one of the reasons why I settled on you. You came across like you welcomed a challenge and believe me, you’ll find a challenge here.

Houston paused to take some coffee, then continued on.

"This is a very technical, a very scientific type of organization. We’ve got all kinds of engineers, we’ve got civil engineers, we’ve got mining engineers, we’ve got industrial engineers, we’ve got chemical engineers. We’ve got all kinds of scientists, we’ve got hydrologists and biologists, we’ve got meteorologists and geologists, we’ve got scientists coming out of our ears, you name it, we’ve got all kinds of expertise galore. If you want to know about air and water quality, about sewage plants and waste treatment, about bugs and plants and fish, give Environment a call. We’re good in all those areas.

"However, when it comes to managing programs, defining goals and objectives, drawing up plans and objectives, measuring results, we’ve still got a lot to learn. We fight fires. We run from emergency to emergency, helter skelter. I sometimes wonder how we’ve performed as well as we have. Pure instinct and sometimes sheer luck.

"Well I intend to change that. I want to see this organization just as proficient in the use of management technology as we are in all the other technologies. I want to see us into long range planning and management by results and performance appraisals with all the necessary feedback systems in place. Needless to say, that’s going to put a heavy demand on the kind of information support services we provide.

"That’s where you come in Dave. You’re going to be the catalyst for change in this organization. Together, we’re going to do some great things here.

Not only do I want to build a great systems development function in this department, I want to set an example for every department in the government. Hell, I want to set an example for every organization out there be it government or private industry. Are you up for that Dave?

Richards wasn’t sure whether he was kidding or not but what the hell, he was game.

Absolutely! Why not. Why settle for anything less.

They talked for awhile, Houston doing most of the talking until the coffee ran out. Then Houston looked at his watch and said, Dave, there’s somebody I’d like you to meet, Bill Keen, our Deputy Minister. I talked to him earlier and he said he’d be free for a couple of minutes so we might as well take advantage of it.

* * *

Houston headed down the hall to an office situated in the corner of the building overlooking the downtown section of the city, Richards following him. At the entrance he hesitated, poking his head in the door and saying, Bill, have you a minute? There’s somebody here I’d like you to meet.

Sure. Come on in.

Bill, this is Dave Richards, the new director of the Information Systems Branch. Dave, this is Bill Keen, our Deputy Minister.

Hello Dave. Good to have you on board.

Nice to be here.

The two men shook hands.

"Well Dave, it looks like you’re going to be the guy on the hot seat for awhile. Brad tells me we’ve got all kinds of problems in the way we handle data, that we’re still living in the dark ages, that we’ve got to revamp our thinking or we’re going to be left behind.

Now I have to admit, I don’t know very much about computers. That’s your field of expertise. But there is one thing I know and that’s this, that information is the bloodline of this organization and without it we’re just guessing, and that won’t do in this day and age.

Keen hesitated, as though trying to make up his mind what he was going to say next. He was much younger than Richards had expected, younger than Houston, probably closer to his own age. It had to be a big job, running an organization as complex and high profile as Environment. Richards was wondering how he was holding up under the pressure, how much longer he’d remain looking so young and fresh.

Then Keen nodded to himself, smiling as though just deciding how he would proceed.

Dave, it’s a war out there and if we’re going to win we’re going to need every weapon we can get our hands on. Twenty, thirty years ago nobody knew about the environment. Now everybody knows and a goodly number of them are fighting us tooth and nail on it. Not only are the polluters lining up against us, people in our own government are questioning our programs. No longer has the government got unlimited resources. The dollars are getting scarce and every department is fighting for their share of those dollars. If we’re going to build our case we’re going to need the information and if we don’t get the information we’re not going to get our fair share and we just can’t let that happen. This is one war we just can’t afford to lose.

Keen gestured towards the view outside the window.

"This earth of ours is a lot more fragile than people realize. All you have to do is look at the resources each one of us uses up, the garbage each of us spews out and you don’t have to be a genius to know we’re in trouble.

"And it’s not going to get any better. In the year six thousand, BC, the population here on Earth was five million people. It took us nearly eight thousand years to reach the first billion mark. It only took us eighty years to reach the two billion mark, thirty years to reach the three billion mark and another fifteen years to reach four billion. At that rate, by the turn of the century we’ll be closing in on a population of six to seven billion people. Can you imagine, six to seven billion people? If we’re having problems now what are we going to have twenty years from now? In some places there won’t be enough room to move, we’ll be standing on each other’s shoulders looking for space.

"It’s unbelievable what we’re doing to this world of ours. We’re spewing out all kinds of chemicals that could come back to kill us. And it’s the only world we’ve got. Somehow we’ve got to turn it around.

And that’s what this organization is all about. We’ve assembled some of the best expertise available to provide us with the answers and we’ve got some of the hardest working people you’ll find anywhere trying to put those answers into place.

Then Keen paused and smiled. You’ll have to excuse me Dave. Sometimes I get carried away. But I think you’ll find a lot of that going on around here. The people in this organization are dedicated. They know how important our mission is. It’s a matter of life and death.

Yes, I know, said Richards. I could sense that during the interviews. Not only did everybody come across highly competent, it was the commitment that stood out. You could feel the fervor there.

Keen glanced at his watch, then stood up and said, Dave, I’m sorry, I have to leave for a meeting. Always, there are meetings. It’s good to meet you. I’d like to wish you all the success in the world in your new position.

Thank you, said Richards, standing.

The two men shook hands again.

Thanks Bill, said Houston, as the three men started towards the door.

Remember Dave, your job is vital to this organization, said Keen. If there is anything I can do to help you just let me know. If you have any problems, remember, my door is always open.

Thank you. That’s nice to know.

Outside in the hall Houston said, Dave, you’ve got a golden opportunity here to make a real impression. It’s not like you were taking over an operation that’s essentially in place. There’s so much to be done here, all kinds of new ground to be charted. Here you can be innovative, really creative. There’s a system to be built here, a total management information system that’ll be the pride and joy of the entire government. It’s a challenge Dave. Believe me, you can really make a mark for yourself here.

Well, that’s what I wanted, a challenge, said Richards.

And the first challenge would be to find out what Houston meant when he tossed out the term, a total management information system. Nowadays, the term was being thrown around so much it had become meaningless. Some meant a payroll system that provided personnel information, others meant a system that provided information on how well the organization was meeting its goals and objectives and still others meant all kinds of various versions in between and inside out. The question now was, what did Houston mean.

* * *

When they arrived back at Houston’s office, Tom Porter, the director of the Personnel Services Branch, was waiting for them.

I know you two have met, said Houston.

For sure, said Porter, smiling. Good to have you on board Dave.

For awhile I didn’t know if I was going to make it, said Richards.

I know how you feel. It’s a grueling process but we have no choice. Now everybody thinks they’re a computer expert. When we put the ad in the paper we received over a hundred responses. However, we were looking for a lot more than a computer expert. We were looking for a manager. So we had a lot of chaff to weed out.

I can appreciate that, said Richards. Hiring people can be difficult.

But not as difficult as getting rid of them, said Houston. Which brings me to the subject of Kaz Kuziski.

Have you met Kaz yet Dave? said Porter.

No, I don’t think so. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the man.

Oh oh.

Kaz is the man who used to have your job Dave, said Houston. We had to take it away from him. He just wasn’t up to it.

It wasn’t pretty, said Porter. The man’s been here a long time.

Too long. He’s a way out of date. He’s over the hill, behind the times.

We offered him an early retirement package but he wouldn’t go for it, said Porter.

Where’s he now? said Richards.

Working for you, said Houston, scowling.

He’s still a director, in charge of Special Projects, said Porter. The Deputy didn’t want to demote him so close to retirement.

I wanted him fired but Keen wouldn’t go along with it, said Houston. This way we’re just prolonging the agony and I tell you, it’s going to come back to haunt us.

I don’t know. Kaz is a pretty level-headed man, said Porter. It might work out all right.

Nonsense! The man is a fool. He’s an obstacle, an impediment. If we hadn’t moved him out of the job we’d never move ahead. It wasn’t fair to the Department, it wasn’t fair to the staff. It had to be done.

How does the staff feel about it? said Richards.

They’ll get over it, said Houston. "People forget awfully fast. That’s why we took such pains when we hired you. We wanted to be sure we were making the right choice. When the staff get to know you they’ll know we made the right decision.

You’ve got some very good people in your branch Dave. It’s not their fault the systems function is in such poor shape here. Without Kaz running the show they should do a hell of a lot better. They need leadership, vision, and that’s where you come into the picture.

Houston looked at his watch. You’ll have a chance to meet them shortly. I’ve set up a meeting for ten o’clock down in the lecture hall.

* * *

Richards, sitting at a table with Houston at the front of the hall, could sense the wariness of the people as they filed into the room. There were no smiles to be found, no small talk going on. The people looked grim. At ten o’clock sharp, after approximately forty people had taken their seats, Houston rose to his feet and said, "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to thank you all for showing up here today.

"Today’s a special day, a day for new beginnings, a day I think we all have been waiting for a long time.

"As you all know, we’ve been recruiting for a new director now for some time. It’s been a difficult process. We’ve had a lot of candidates. It’s a key position so we took our time. We wanted to be sure.

And now it’s my great pleasure to introduce the new director of the Information Systems Branch, Dave Richards.

Houston nodded to Richards, then turned back to the people and said, Dave brings to us a wide breadth of experience. Over the last seven years with IBM, he has been involved in the development of a variety of application systems ranging from accounting and inventory to market modeling and analysis to production scheduling and control. Houston paused to check his notes.

While working for IBM, Dave participated in various feasibility studies and proposals concerning the installation of large on-line, real time computer systems to small, process control minicomputer systems. He tells me he’s even done a little programming.

Houston paused but no one laughed. "So I think you can see we’re very fortunate to have Dave on board.

And now I would like to turn it over to Dave to say a few words. Dave, it’s all yours.

Richards got to his feet slowly, the silence oppressive. First of all, I’d like to say I’m glad to be here. He hesitated. Sorry, I guess I should have said like everybody else around here seems to say, I’m glad to be aboard.

He paused to look around the room. Nobody was smiling. All he could see were scowls.

"I know you must be as curious about me as I am about you, so I thought to start off with, I’d tell you a little bit about how I arrived here and some of my thoughts.

"Like a lot of people in the information services field, I got into it by accident. I was in between jobs, looking around for work, when I saw a computer in the window of a building humming away and went in to ask questions about it. The man behind the counter asked me if I’d be willing to fill out a test and I said sure, why not? And the next day I had a job in computers and I’ve never regretted it. It’s been a lot of fun.

"I guess if I had to select the most important thing I’ve learned it would be this, that the computer part of the system is only a portion of the overall system, that in most cases the most important part of the system is not the computer part but the people part, and if you don’t address the people part you’re courting disaster.

"I learned that the hard way. Often you learn more from one flop than you do from a whole host of successes.

It’s like a car accident. Hopefully you survive your first one. Then maybe you’ll never have another one.

Richards paused to shift gears. Lastly, I’d like to say I’m new here in several ways. Not only am I new to this job, I’m new to the government with all its various rules and regulations. I’m also new to the environment field with all its issues and concerns. So I’m going to make mistakes. What I need from you people is your advice to help me minimize those mistakes and your support to correct them. With your help and guidance I’m sure we’ll be able to set some new goals and before long achieve some real results.

Richards sat down. Nobody reacted. They all just sat there staring back at him glumly.

Thank you Dave, said Houston, and now are there any questions, any concerns anyone would like to express?

For a minute there was silence. Then just when it looked like there weren’t going to be any questions, a young lady at the back of the auditorium stood up and said in a nervous voice, I would like to ask Mr. Richards a question. She was looking towards Houston.

Sure, by all means, said Houston. But first, could you give your name and your position please? It’ll help Dave get to know you all.

The lady nodded and said, My name is Ruth Gardiner and I’m a programmer. I was in Data Entry to start off with but transferred over to Systems Development last year. My question is this. Why was Mr. Kuziski removed from his job? I asked Mr. Kuziski but he said he’d rather not comment and nobody else seems willing to clear the air. All we’ve heard is rumors. I thought Mr. Richards you might tell us.

No, I’m sorry Miss Gardiner, said Richards, I don’t know. Perhaps Mr. Kuziski might like to answer that question now to clear the air.

Mr. Kuziski’s not here, said a voice from the crowd. He’s at a meeting downtown.

That elicited a few laughs, the first signs of life.

Miss Gardiner wasn’t satisfied. I’d just like to say Mr. Kuziski couldn’t have been demoted because he didn’t know his job. He did a lot for this Department and I know he was very good to us in his Branch.

She sat down to cheers.

When the noise abated another hand shot up.

Yes, my name is Jack Oberg and I’m a systems analyst. Ruth is right about the rumors and some of them have been away out there. I’d just like to know if Mr. Kuziski was demoted because of some kind of scandal or disaster we’re not aware of?

Richards looked over at Houston but it was obvious the man wasn’t going to respond, his face expressionless, just staring ahead. So he turned back to the people and said, Like I said before, I’m not sure what happened to Mr. Kuziski or why. I’m new here. No doubt you people know better than me.

He paused for a couple of seconds, then said, I only know, organizations change like people. They evolve, take on new goals, set new directions. Just because a person’s job changes, people shouldn’t necessarily assume it’s a demotion. No matter what you do there’s always challenges.

Now a few boos could be heard.

Enough of that, said Houston, standing, his countenance turning grim.

He stared out over the crowd until silence was restored.

Times change and if you don’t change with them you get left behind, said Houston, the anger audible in his voice. "You people happen to be in the fastest changing profession there is. In ten years, from the mid-seventies to the mid-eighties, we’ve gone from mainframes to minis to micros. And now there’s personal computers, PCs, and god knows where that’s going to lead. Some people even have PCs in their homes and who would have guessed that a couple of years ago.

"And on top of that there’s telecommunications and all the changes taking place there. People tell me it won’t be long before everybody’s wired up, can talk to anyone around the world, live, instantly, no matter where they are.

People, it’s not an evolution out there, it’s a revolution, and we’re being left behind. That’s why changes were made. We’ve got to get ahead of the ball or we’re going to be squashed. That’s why Mr. Kuziski was replaced, he was behind the times. We needed a new vision to build for the future.

Bullshit!

"Who