Widgets Update
Last weekend I had a chance to talk with some of my favorite Widgeteers.
What's up with Widgets? Well there's been a major reorganization, the first in probably five or six years. Some of the changes, like consolidating programming under technology, has been talked about (quietly) for a long time. There's a new PMO that's staffed with a crew of people that in the past few years has had the thankless task of managing projects that don't have defined requirements or reasonable deadlines--will there be enough training and recognition of process within management to make it work? There's also the back to the future idea of having partner coordinators that manage the relationships with the customers (that's what Producers were originally supposed to do). There's also a building move for the tech folks which could be good, although I hear the new cubes are the short fabric kind, not the designer wooden deskticles left over from the internet boom.
There are some major initiatives from The Network Who Shall Not Be Named that sound like they've become little mini-organizations within the company. The Network, never the company to prioritize, is still demanding everything/anything they want NOW and Widget's management still tells everyone that doing what The Network wants is crucial to the company's future. I wonder if that's going to make my shares in the company more valuable (they're value-less right now).
When I talk to people I hear that familiar Widgets ambivalence--they usually like what they do and are proud of their accomplishments but dislike that fact that they feel unappreciated. A year ago management made appreciative noises and threw around some cash when they feared everyone would quit before The Games but the flow of money (and kind words?) has apparently dried up.
Hmmm, there must be another way to show appreciation. How about a picnic away from the building and an accompanying budget for small celebrations in other places? Small gifts and prizes? An awards program which gives out gift certificates? Peer awards? Web geek of the month awards? If someone over there needs ideas on employee appreciation I'll check out some books on the subject from my company library for them.
Well, I could write more but I won't. I'm close enough to Widgets to know a lot but far enough away to not have all the context I'd need for a good critique of what's going on. All I can say is good luck to all of you that are sticking it out there!
NEXT: My first project release.
What's up with Widgets? Well there's been a major reorganization, the first in probably five or six years. Some of the changes, like consolidating programming under technology, has been talked about (quietly) for a long time. There's a new PMO that's staffed with a crew of people that in the past few years has had the thankless task of managing projects that don't have defined requirements or reasonable deadlines--will there be enough training and recognition of process within management to make it work? There's also the back to the future idea of having partner coordinators that manage the relationships with the customers (that's what Producers were originally supposed to do). There's also a building move for the tech folks which could be good, although I hear the new cubes are the short fabric kind, not the designer wooden deskticles left over from the internet boom.
There are some major initiatives from The Network Who Shall Not Be Named that sound like they've become little mini-organizations within the company. The Network, never the company to prioritize, is still demanding everything/anything they want NOW and Widget's management still tells everyone that doing what The Network wants is crucial to the company's future. I wonder if that's going to make my shares in the company more valuable (they're value-less right now).
When I talk to people I hear that familiar Widgets ambivalence--they usually like what they do and are proud of their accomplishments but dislike that fact that they feel unappreciated. A year ago management made appreciative noises and threw around some cash when they feared everyone would quit before The Games but the flow of money (and kind words?) has apparently dried up.
Hmmm, there must be another way to show appreciation. How about a picnic away from the building and an accompanying budget for small celebrations in other places? Small gifts and prizes? An awards program which gives out gift certificates? Peer awards? Web geek of the month awards? If someone over there needs ideas on employee appreciation I'll check out some books on the subject from my company library for them.
Well, I could write more but I won't. I'm close enough to Widgets to know a lot but far enough away to not have all the context I'd need for a good critique of what's going on. All I can say is good luck to all of you that are sticking it out there!
NEXT: My first project release.
posted by changingagain at 7:45 PM
1 Comments:
Glad to see you using the term "deskticles" hehe. Nice to read the report - I have been wondering what is going on over there
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