Since this is our first attempt at a collaborative post, Louis-Philippe Carignan and I decided to keep it small and simple by writing a top 10 list. As you’ll notice, the list got away from us! It has become a brain dump of the dysfunctions we’ve observed in various IT environments along our coaching careers. We also added a few tongue-in-cheek items 😉
Top signs you work in a dysfunctional IT environment:
- Individuals are identified the same way as a printer: as resources
- Face to face communication is considered redundant if a document is available
- A mistake is noted and regurgitated during the annual performance review.
- A certification is the first measure of competence, but actual competence is a close second.
- The manager keeps saying, “the team needs to change”.
- When the team moves into the Storming phase, disciplinary measures are taken.
- The Architect or Team Lead decides how long something will take.
- Doing more in less time is seen as a cool challenge and motivational tool by management.
- “Generate more revenue” or “destroy the competition” are part of the Mission Statement.
- Looks and business clothes are promoted over innovative ideas.
- The analytical introverts are crushed by the driving extroverts.
- Management laughs at developers who dream of working at Google someday.
- Status quo is the strategy.
- Overheard: He’s not complacent. He’s a good team player.
- Overheard: There is no place for emotions in business.
- The EQ test application crashed trying to generate a negative value.
- Your manager looks the other way when you pass him in the hallway.
- Technical debt is taken care of by maintenance because the project has to stay on budget.
- Cubicle farms here, there, everywhere.
- It’s called happy hour when really it’s denial, lay blame, justify, and shame hour.
- Management loves to quote passages from “The Principles of Scientific Management”
- Soft skills training for management???
- The project manager reassures the client that everything will be delivered on budget and on time.
- Big visible charts are taken down because it doesn’t look “professional”.
- The less you code, the better you are paid.
- To get your idea across to another silo, you need to go up the food chain until the VPs of each silo talk to each other.
- Coders are seen as the bottom of the food chain.
- In the hallway you often hear, “only 2 more days before the weekend”.
- “Fun” is what you do at the country club. You work at the office.
- Meetings extend their time boxes. Decisions are never made. No accountability.
- Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs) are seen as irresponsible.
- Transparency feels like rubbing alcohol on a open wound.
- The Director spreads Agile in every team like fairy dust.
What have you observed?