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Training Schedule Unreasonable

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The company I work with has 13 clinic locations. One of the primary applications used by the MDs, Nurses, Lab and X-ray techs, is being completely re-written. Presently, it’s a home-grown application, and not Windows-based. The new application will be completely Windows-based, GUI is entirely different and navigating in the application to retrieve data and information has changed radically. The IT Dept. has been meeting and planning this roll-out for at least 1.5 years. My department has not been included; in any manner, until 6 weeks ago. The PM, my manager and I, had a meeting and the PM presented the proposed implementation schedule (PIS). No one in my department has this application installed and the IT Dept. says they should have it available March 15, 2005. First training class is April 25, 2005.

I have many, many concerns about this project. The PM is a control person and a micro-manager. Two trainers from my department will be assigned to the project.
* No course materials have EVER been developed for the ?old? application (not to mention the “new” application)
* Responsibility for developing a training program was assigned to me
* Training is to be given in one week increments beginning April 25, 2005 through November 1, 2005
* 4/25-4/29 ? train 97 people. One hour per session is the allotted time and maximum class size is 11 students. Trainees will travel to the training facility for hands-on training.
* 5/23-5/27 ? train 21 people One hour per session is the allotted time and maximum class size is 11 students. Trainees will travel to the training facility for hands-on training.

Clinic Locations ? Two sessions, one hour each from 11:30 AM ? 1:30 PM. Training will be done in the break room using one laptop and projector ? not hands-on. Notice will be posted on break room doors asking people not to disturb.
* 7/12-7/18 ? train clinic 1
* 7/19-7/26 ? implement clinic 1
* 7/26-8/01 ? train clinic 2
* 8/02-8/09 ? implement clinic 2 ~ and so on.
* There are 3 weeks between #5 and #6 allocated for work flow/data integrity testing and assessment; and another 5 weeks between 5/30-7/5

Any suggestions? I think this is an unreasonable time line and way too ambitious. I?ve expressed my concerns to my manager and her reply is ?not to rock-the-boat; just wait to see what happens. That the project probably won?t start as predicted anyway and we?re dealing with cultural issues here?. What do you think? I am very qualified and confident about designing training programs, course materials, etc. Should I ?stand-up and fight? for the right way, or just become a part of this impending disaster? My manager is the type who is so worried about ?feelings? that she won?t do anything to pluck anyone. I want to be supportive and part of a successful roll-out. How can I get buy-in from other members of this project?

Topic

Ce la vie

In reply to Training Schedule Unreasonable

Regretably it’s not illegal to be an a**hole. It’s also not a career stopper. Businesses are full of employees that are basically a liability to other employees and to the business. It’s seems that business managers and women find sociopaths appealing. I doubt that any strategy will be effective in improving your situation.

What does that mean??

In reply to Ce la vie

“It’s seems that business managers and women find sociopaths appealing.”

Where did that come from? In my experience it’s been upper management (company presidents, owners, etc) that protect their “golden boy/girl” and they’ve been mostly (but not entirely) of the male persuasion.

Absolutely right

In reply to What does that mean??

Your post mentions another part of the problem.

So what did I mean in that sentence? In regards to business I have found that work groups in every level of business have at least one sociopath. I’m talking about the people who are insulting and uncooperative with other people by default. They just seem to enjoy being mean to other people. I have also found that when you approach the managers of these people you get yourself into trouble while failing to persuade the manager to take corrective action.

Many years ago I developed a theory about why this happens. This theory only applies to some situations. I call my theory The Hired Gun Theory. In this theory the manager is actually a sociopath but doesn’t want to be perceived as such. So, the manager hires someone to do his dirty work for him. The hired gun makes everyone miserable. The manager gets to see this going on but is not held accountable.

In the years since I developed by theory I have seen many situations where it didn’t apply. In these situations the manager of the sociopath is also nobody’s friend. Nevertheless my Hired Gun Theory still seems to apply to some situations.

I think that you misunderstood my reference to women in my assertion. I didn’t mean that women managers find sociopaths appealing. I meant that as far as romance is concerned many women “like the bad boys”. Everybody knows that the most romantically successful men are those that are sociopaths. These men enjoy treating other people badly and women dream of dating them.

So apparently men who are sociopaths are likely to be more successful both in business and in romance than a man who respects others and is a team player. I’ve seen the truth of this verified many times in over three decades of work and dating.

Ce la vie.

I see…..

In reply to Absolutely right

…your point.

I’ve worked mostly with SMB’s, so the potential pool of sociopaths is much smaller than a large corporation. I have noticed that there is usually at least one in the entire organization.

Another theory besides the Hired Gun is the Ostrich. This is the manager that hired the sociopath, inflicting him/her on the rest of us. For one reason or another, they don’t want to take responsibility for this individual. Especially if their antics do not directly affect said manager. The manager has political capital invested in their hires and many will not admit to a mistake. In other cases, it could be more personal. My most recent experience with this being that the a***ole in question was the owner’s son-in-law and thus “untouchable”.

As far as bad boys go….dated my share. Luckily for me, I have enough self-respect to only tolerate so much. You’re right about their romantic success though. I’ve watched some of the smartest women I know put themselves through hell. 🙁 However, I think men as well as women are attracted to sociopaths. They do well in high school as the “populars” (both sexes). Girls want to date them and other guys want to be like them. These attitudes continue into adulthood as evidenced by many successful businessmen, politicians, etc. These sharks rose through the ranks somehow and the universal adoration of women attracted to the “bad boy” in them is not the reason. I think a lot of people are blinded by charisma and mistakenly equate a strong personality with strong character.

Ostrich

In reply to I see…..

Another theory of the Ostrich manager is the Seagull. They fly into a meeting making a lot of noise, crap over everything and then leave! 🙂

Love it!

In reply to Ostrich

In this vein, how about the Blackbird? They crow incessantly about every little “success”. 😉

Don’t even get me started on the Dodo….

email is your friend!

In reply to Training Schedule Unreasonable

Email the project manager outlining your concerns with any supporting details that you have, copy your manager with it, and than drop it. This is a standard CYA in that when it blows up, you have evidence that you tried to say something.

However, as long as you stick to facts, and don’t make any personal attacks (you PMs are all idiots is a no-no), the PM may decide to take a step back while discussing the “new” issues with the project sponsor.

Whatever happens, do the best job you can so that people cannot point their fingers at you.

BTW!!!! talk to your manager before you send the email, and tell her that you aren’t trying to rock the boat, and that you want to send a SINGLE email out (bcc to her of course), that is just between you and the project manager.

Methodology

In reply to email is your friend!

Thanks for your thoughts and advice. Have been composing my own thoughts and gathering other materials to forward the PM. Always keep my manager in the loop, but agree I should give her a heads-up before sending to the PM. Present the facts, as I see?em and remain professional.

A methodology is like the rules of a hockey game, and then you drop the puck.

Take Care

Methodology

In reply to email is your friend!

Thanks for your thoughts and advice. Have been composing my own thoughts and gathering other materials to forward the PM. Always keep my manager in the loop, but agree I should give her a heads-up before sending to the PM. Present the facts, as I see?em and remain professional.

A methodology is like the rules of a hockey game, and then you drop the puck.

Take Care

Agreed

In reply to email is your friend!

State that you are simply trying to point out any problems before they can become problems.

That you are fully suppoortive of the project and will do what you can to make sure that the project is a success.

Make sure you have a direct avenue to follow that isn’t setting yourself up to fail.

Read between the lines

In reply to Training Schedule Unreasonable

I obviously don’t know your manager, but based on what you’ve said…

“…just wait to see what happens. That the project won’t start as predicted anyway and we’re dealing with cultural issues here.”

That doesn’t sound too good. Consider the possibility that there may be something afoot here that you may not be aware of. Sounds like the project itself may have other problems, and that training may even be a moot point. I’d advise you to quietly cover your bases in writing with your manager, prepare as best as possible to do the training, then sit tight and see what happens. There may be other unhappy parties that are at work here.

PM-101

In reply to Read between the lines

Your observations and comments are appreciated. This project will no doubt encounter detours and delays. Maybe I should offer a course in PM-101? smile. In my opinion, the management style where I work places too much emphasis on feelings. Read: We need to be careful about saying such-and-such, to so-and-so, because they?ve really been under pressure lately, etc. ?Feelings? are way over rated.

Change of subject but here?s something else I find absolutely unbelievable. Imagine participating in a meeting with C-level individuals, at least 15 people attending, and one of them brings her infant child who is fussing and making unidentifiable sounds, and then breast feeds right there! I am not joking, this actually happened. Didn?t know whether to laugh or gasp in surprise. Decided to act like the rest of the group who diverted their eyes and turned sideways in the chair? what a hoot!

Take Care and thanks again.

Sounds like

In reply to PM-101

…you need a change in environment. That sounds like an entirely broken situation.

I had the misfortune of working for a touchy-feely place like that, and it was a nightmare. You have my sympathies. I also had the experience of being in day-care-style meetings with howling infants, and thought that was the height of unprofessional behavior.

No place for babies

In reply to Sounds like

in a professional meeting.

Sure, breast feeding is all fine and dandy but not during work. That kid has no place being there in the first place. Now if she is going to check if anyone else is hungry…….

I’m probably gonna regret saying this, but…

In reply to No place for babies

…I’ve always thought that the way to solve the issue of breastfeeding in a meeting is for a guy to stand up, deliberately walk over to a potted plant in the conference room, and take a whiz.

What? That’s inappropriate? But it’s a perfectly natural biological function, nothing sexual about it…

What Have I Started…

In reply to I’m probably gonna regret saying this, but…

Shared this with a couple of folks and got a good laugh. Unfortunately, the only “person” I can think of who could get away with it is Homer… doooh!

The other thing you could do

In reply to What Have I Started…

Hmmm…if children are permitted at work…why can’t people take their dogs to work? If you’re working in that fuzzy of an environment, I’d insist on that privilege.

And…

In reply to No place for babies

Different office…picture this scene in a kitchenette:

“What are you doing?”
“Makin’ coffee. Want some?”
“Uh…no, I’m good. I meant, what’s that you’re putting *in* your coffee?”
“Creamer.”
“Um. That’s Anna’s.”
“She won’t mind. She wouldn’t have left it in the fridge if she minded.”
“Yeaaahh…I mean that’s for Anna’s baby.”
“Hrm?”
“She’s using a breast pump and, uh, saving it for the baby.”
[Sound of mug shattering as it hits the floor]
“Gack. Thanks for not letting me drink that.”
“I’ve got your back, don’t worry.”
“I think I ruined my shoes.”

It isn’t about the breasts

In reply to And…

It is about the kid being there in the first place.

Then there is the old sharing policy you learned in school. “Did you bring enough for everyone?”

And yes, all our plants are dead again.

How about if you NEED to reapply your “roid” cream in the middle of a meeting? Nothing sexual about that unless you live in California.

Sorry to hear ’bout your plants

In reply to It isn’t about the breasts

Yeah, I agree with your first statement…the kid shouldn’t be there in the first place.

Will buy more

In reply to It isn’t about the breasts

on the way back from the nudie club from looking at all the non-baby suckling breasts. All this breast feeding talk has me hungry so it is of to dinner for me.

The Last Place

In reply to No place for babies

i ever expected to see an infant.

May decide to launch a job-hunting campaign. Also, going to check with HR to see what company policy (if any), is in place, cause I know this is going to happen again.

Thanks for the grin after your last sentence.

ttfn

And in Texas

In reply to The Last Place

EVERYTHING is bigger, right? Should have been enough for all.

Got milk?

[Author]

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