When It All Comes Tumbling Down

So...since September things have really been shaking, and the economy has moved from the focus of a select few...to gathering the full attention of most of us.

This is a time that many people are going to find themselves thrown into the position of needing to find work. This includes many who would never have predicted they would find themselves in this situation a year ago.

So, if you are one of those who is suddenly unemployed...what do you do when it all comes tumbling down?

1. Take a deep breath - It is going to be okay. No matter how bad it feels at first, and it does feel really bad, it will get better. Remind yourself of this, get other people who can help remind you when you forget. And taking a deep breath, literally, can help.
   
2. Join a fitness program - This is high on the list, and it may be one of the best moves you can make. Make going to the gym and getting regular exercise a priority. Does that sound ridiculous? It is not. Right now you can do something you were putting off before because you did not have time. Get fit. This will do two very important things. First, you are going to look and feel better, and that will help you in your job search. Second, if you are successful here, it will give you something that is going well in your life...even when work may not be.
3. Put together a budget - Figure out what you have, what you owe, and when it is due. Wherever possible, save money and cut your expenses. Try very hard not to dive into your retirement money. Right now the market is really rough, so you would be selling low and it would be hard to recover from the loss in the near term.
   
4. Make some space in your life - Again, take advantage of the time that you have to make some improvements you could not do before. Clean it up, sort it out, consider selling things that you don't really need to have cluttering your life, throw away the junk. When your space is sorted out, your life will feel a little better. No, it won't necessarily fix everything, but you'll be surprised what a difference it can make.
5. Get your resume together - Shouldn't this be at the top of the list? It didn't need to be, 'cause you already knew it was important.
6. Volunteer - Find something you care about and donate some of your time. Again, if you are doing something that goes well, it will make a difference in your life. If you are volunteering for a worthy cause it will make a difference in other's lives. This can give you two important benefits. First, you can feel better about your life when you help others. Second, if you volunteer doing something you enjoy and are good at...you might find job opportunities that you had not known about before.
7. Network - You have heard this before...but you can't underestimate the value of connecting to other people. Most jobs are never advertised, and many positions that are advertised end up being filled through networking. Think about it...would you rather hire someone from a response to an ad, or from a recommendation from someone you trust, who knows what you need?
   
8. Consider your options - Loosing your job is rotten, terribly stressful, and often incredibly unfair. But here you are. So what if you take some time, even if it is only an hour a day, and look at what you might have as options that you could not consider when you were doing your old job? What about taking a class? Trying something different? Starting your own business? These are not idle considerations...sometimes when it is all tumbling down, you have to build something new yourself.
   

No Time to Plan

I am going to begin to count two things I hear on a regular basis. First, I want to map the number of times I hear from IT leaders, beginning a new project, who say something akin to the following: "I have so much to do, this project is so HUGE, I really don't have time to spend doing any more planning. We have to get something actually DONE." Next, I want to capture the number of times I hear from their counterparts, typically 6-12 months into just such a project, who are saying something not unlike, "Why didn't anyone TELL me that? If we had know that at the start of the project we would have been so much better off. Now we have lost weeks (sometimes months) of time."

I can tell you I hear both statements on a regular basis. And both are accompanied by a large amount of energy, and all too often, negative emotion. The leader who is at the start of a project of significant size is often challenged by stakeholders and team members who have spent a lot of time going through a complex decision process to find the "right solution/vendor/product". In my area of work, this can represent many months, and sometimes even years, of effort. Often, stakeholders who are not familiar with the nitty gritty of technology (read end-users and executive sponsors here), expect that once the decision has been made, the vendor identified, and the various software systems selected...there is nothing else to do but open up those boxes, put the software on machines and take off. You're done!

WOW! Holy not quite, Batman.

Unfortunately, I also frequently run into IT and project leaders who can easily fall into this kind of thinking, or something similar. "We can take it from here, we don't want to bother the executive/end-user/non-techies at this point. After all, they were getting pretty testy by the end of the selection process. Besides, we did a great job, we made the right choice, nothing left to talk about at this point...let's just get the stuff implemented." This is when I hear the first comment. Our planning is done, now we just need to get going. And they jump right in. Most often, everything runs just fine...to start. And on occasion, particularly when there is only a simple system being implemented, this approach might work. But not most of the time.

Going "fine" is not how it goes with complexity. And that is where architects get involved. Often, the first bumps in the road occur as soon as the project involves trying to integrate multiple systems, passing data from application to application, cross silo's of work or functionality, or create a common process to replace previous (differing) approaches that exist in more than one division or stakeholder group...and that is when everything starts running amok. At first, the challenges may not even be readily apparent. But at some point, it almost invariably turns out that a decision made for the best of reasons, and with the best of intentions, early in the project by one team impacts another team farther down the line. Or a change in direction by a particular area of business results in major project impacts that require significant rework. This is when I hear the second line, and it is not typically a "good news phone call".

In the best case scenario, we can make adjustments that help get the project on track relatively quickly, but I have NEVER seen this take less time than it would have taken to have done the work of planning at the start. Invariably, the team that "saved time" by eliminating the initial "extra planning" early in the project spends at least 3 times more time, effort and energy getting back on the right track, doing rework, and revising errors than they would have spent getting a Roadmap and foundation in place. And this is typically under stress with unhappy project team members, frustrated end-users, and very irritated executive sponsors.

So how can you avoid this entire issue? I recommend the following:

1. For complex projects, start with an Enterprise Architecture (EA) approach. Start right away and make it formal. This means documentation. If your IT department has not completely exploded, you already have pieces of your EA in place. Gather that information together and review what you have. If you are like too many IT teams, your documentation is somewhere between non-existent (inside someone's head is not documentation by the way) or dated. Take advantage of the project at hand to update as you go along.
   
2. Document your Enterprise Application Portfolio. This is absolutely critical. And as basic as it is, many organizations skip over this step. If your environment has even a moderate level of complexity...don't make this mistake. Without this information in focus, you are flying blind. In contrast, once you have your portfolio clearly and simply documented, you will find it much easier to plan when, where, what needs to be done, and make a coherent case to others with evidence in hand.
   
3. Partner with your vendors. I am serious here. If you went through all the effort of choosing a specific vendor, and you did a good job, use their expertise early on to plan the implementation. If you don't trust them enough to work with you as a collaborative partner, you may have selected the wrong vendor. Any good vendor should be ready and willing to work with you to outline a plan that takes into account not only your team's goals and expertise, but the vendor's knowledge and experience gathered from multiple implementations, knowledge of common integrations, implications of various decisions early in the project on long-term agility, etc. This will cost you some additional dollars in services early on...and invariably it will save you money and time, and provide you with more options as your project moves forward.
4. Develop a Roadmap and USE IT. The Roadmap concept was outlined in a previous entry. This is a basic tool for any good EA approach, and essential to your efforts. Make it clear where you are starting, where you are going, and metrics you will use to measure success. Define tactical steps to go from current state to future state. And don't do this just at the start of the project. Update your Roadmap as you move forward. And use it. Bring it to discussions with end-users and sponsors. This means it has to be simple enough to explain to non-techies quickly. Being able to keep this high level view available for everyone from end-users to IT will help to establish priorities, explain direction to multiple teams, and keep focus across complex and many faceted efforts.

In the end, if your IT environment is complex, you will either spend time planning, or spend time fixing the problems that come up from not having a solid plan.The first option may not be very exciting, but the second alternative can be overwhelmingly stressful, and costly.

In the end, you want to succeed, and to do this, you have to just accept the reality...if you are going to run complex projects, your major responsibility as an IT leader is going to end up being planning and managing plans and projects. And, once you have a plan in place and your tactical efforts and activities mapped to that plan, you will spend most of your time supporting your team and making sure you are keeping the strategic goals of your organization clearly in focus and adjusting your plan and tactics when needed. This typically means that just about the time you have a solid plan in place and your team focused on tactical activities...you are going to be going right back to review your plan and update it while your team is executing tactical activities. Planning is not a one shot deal, it is an iterative process, to do it well, you do it early, and review it often. It's all about architecting work.

Architecting vs. Building: Introduction to Roadmapping

In the course of my "real job" I work with colleges and universities to get the most out of their significant technology investments.

This is a challenge in any market enterprise, but it presents a greater challenge to those in higher education than many others because of one factor, complexity. The average college or university runs a wide array of technologies that support everything from student information and academic functions to financial records, human resources, financial aid, facilities, security, and more. The reality is that even a relatively small college can easily have more technology complexity than some relatively large corporations.

Unfortunately, the information technology (IT) team that supports most smaller colleges or universities tends to be much thinner than that supporting a corporation. This creates several challenges. First, there is a tendency to be completely focused on tactical efforts. A thin team in a complex environment is frequently taxed to merely keep everything running smoothly. At the same time, there is often little time available to plan beyond the immediate demands at hand. When you add the consideration that education and research (the core "business" of higher education) are dynamic processes, and that the typical higher education environment is full of smart people (stakeholders) with great ideas for new, nifty technology uses, the list of demands for IT tends to expand constantly, often at a rate that exceeds the team's ability to execute...resulting in an ever expanding list of tactical activities, and stakeholders who are demanding that their needs be met.

The result of this set of realities is that it is not uncommon for IT departments to spend everyday, all day, building...with no time for architecting. And this can work...at least for a while. In fact, as long as there are unconstrainted resources (capital and human) this approach is sustainable. Unfortunately, the minute there are limits on resources (and for most higher education systems this is occurs quickly) problems arise. All too frequently, individual projects become silo'd efforts, and energy expended to support one activity are not considered from a broader perspective. Priorities tend to be established based on either the crisis d'jour or "whoever is screaming the loudest". This creates an environment that is less than optimal for those people who work in IT, who end up working, more often than not, under stress.

What can be done to alter this kind of challenge? How can an enterprise move from the tyranny of the urgent to an architecting approach? The first step is to develop a Roadmap.

A Roadmap should outline the major objectives for IT in alignment with the key goals and objectives of the enterprise. To be successful, your Roadmap will need to include: current state (where are you today); clear targets for future state (where you want to go); metrics and benchmarks that map to both current and future state (how you will know when you have reached your goal); and a phased approach to move from current to future state (the "road" you are going to take). Once the phased approach is mapped, the IT team can map tactical efforts and projects across more than one area, and efforts will increasingly support an architected aspproach, as opposed to merely building to meet immediate demands. Without a Roadmap, efforts tend to be driven by demands that are less than logical. With a Roadmap in place, IT can begin to take a more planned approach to responding to multiple demands.

When Good Work Goes Nowhere

Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged.

- Thomas A. Edison

Edison is one of my favorite "quote authors", and this one is worth taking to heart, posting on your wall, and emailing to yourself once in a while as a reminder, particularly if your work strays into the realm of innovation. Even when you do the right things, and you do things right...there are times when it seems like nothing that you are doing is going anywhere. When this happens, it is easy to think that the best option facing you is to just give up, but as Edison says...you may be getting discouraged at exactly the wrong point.

So, how do you know whether you are completely on the wrong track as opposed to merely running into one of the inevitable and healthy bumps that occur as you develop new ideas into reality?

Take a little break. Get away from the work at hand. When you find yourself discouraged, it may not be time to quit, but it is probably time for a break. This doesn't have to take a long time, but it does require stepping away from "the machine" and getting away from your desk. Do something you enjoy, that doesn't take all your cognitive resources. Ideally, find something that gets you into your "zone", one of those activities that you loose yourself in. For me, that could be going skiing, hiking, or working on the garden. You want something you genuinely enjoy and pretty much loose yourself in. An activity that is in your "zone" is something that leaves you not thinking deeply about anything else while you are engaged. This gives your busy brain a little vacation, which is essential to staying on track when the path is not perfectly clear. Believe me, even a full day off will probably be a better use of your time than grinding through a day of discouragement.

Refocus. Once you have given yourself a break, you will be in a much better place to tackle the challenges you are facing realistically, and from a new angle. If you are feeling discouraged, you may well benefit from a little time back at the drawing board with your newly refreshed brain. Take a little time to refocus, and remind yourself of where you are going. I recommend writing down your key goals, again. You should have them in your strategic plan already, but take a good look at them, and consider if you want to rephrase any aspects. A good strategic plan sometimes requires adjustment along the way, so use this opportunity to keep yours on track. Review your tactical plans, are they still mapping you where you want to go? If not, make adjustments. Again, plans have to be dynamic to be effective, you can't expect to build a plan and put it on the shelf if you really want to have your idea go anywhere. You are in a different place than when you started your plan, your goals and objectives may have adjusted since you started. Do you need to make changes to your roadmap to accomodate those changes?

Brainstorm. Once you have taken some time to review where you are and where you are going, and you have a little more focus in your tactical plans, consider using a brainstorming approach to shake some ideas loose. If you have team members, pull them into the mix. Brainstorming benefits from other brains. It also helps to move around, sitting still doesn't help you think differently. Post some paper on the wall, write some questions on the top, grab some sticky notes and start running through ideas. Consider using a timer and giving folks 2-5 minutes to write their ideas and put them up on the wall. Depending on the size of your group, you can do this together, in pairs, or as individuals, and the rules are pretty simple.

• Don't spend any time evaluating your thoughts.
• Don't discuss anyone's posting.
• Don't be critical.

The point is just to get as many thoughts out as possible. The point is not to get the "solution" immediately, but to get your brain going in new directions. Remember that our brains work by connecting one idea to another. If we keep going down the same track, we keep having the same ideas. If we get thinking creatively, we may find some really good solutions much more quickly. It is essential that you not be critical of ideas here. It is often the completely unrealistic or off-the-wall idea is the one that completely shifts your thinking to a new direction.

Try some of these questions for starters:

• What is good about the idea you are working on?
• What is working well in moving your idea forward?
• What do you like about this idea?
• What confuses you about this idea?
• What confuses others about this idea?

Evaluate. Take the ideas that are posted and review them in light of your goals and tactical plans. What can you bring into your existing plan to make it more effective? What will improve your approach? What can you take out of your plan to streamline it? Where are you hitting opposition? Did your brainstorming provide any insights you can use to overcome opposition? Are there points that are confusing that suggest a need for redesign of your plans?

Integrate. Don't just think great thoughts. Integrate them into your work. Use the insight from your brainstorming and evaluation process to CHANGE your tactical plans. You hit a wall, you got discouraged, you need to try something different, and you need to make that tangible, not theoretical. All too often this is the point where even the most enthusiastic architects and innovators stop. The idea may be great and the goals clear when the effort began, but when it comes to making things real, in the face of challenges, many don't go back to update the tactical plans that are in place. As a result, discouragement grows and the effort slows. Give things a jolt. Built a new aspect to your plan. Focus efforts on an area that has not gotten enough attention yet. Revise your approach and you are likely to see things go differently.

Communicate. The worst thing you can do when you feel discouraged is to keep it to yourself. Get together with other people who bring you up. Bounce around ideas. Talk about their challenges and successes. Okay, you can whine a little, too, but don't spend too much time there. Use your time to add new ideas to your thinking, connect with other people, and remember why you liked going out on the limb in the first place. Even when your good work may be going nowhere...it is still good work!

Architecting Work

Work...we all spend a major portion of our time engaged in work. For some of us, that time is time well spent. We enjoy what we do most of the time, and when things are difficult, we can actively endeavor to make positive changes, and have a solid hope that we will see that change come into reality. Unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone at every point in their career. If you work for any length of time it is likely that you have found yourself feeling less like your work is building something worthwhile than that it is like pouring water out on sand.

If you think about it, in an average week, most of us will spend at least 8 hours every day engaged in work activities, and probably close to two hours getting there and back home. For the majority, that represents an investment of at least 50 hours of our most vibrant, energy intense waking hours. And you likely spend additional time outside of your "job" that can also be counted as work. How is that investment of time and energy paying off for you?

If it is going well, congrats! If, however, you find yourself struggling to hold on to what seems like an investment that is not paying off, it may be time to consider taking an architecting approach to what you do, and begin building the work you want, rather than merely engaging in a job that pays for your time.

I know, I know...you have bills, you have responsibilities, you have a cat who only likes fresh salmon. All true (although even the most finicky cat will eventually eat what you put in front of them, so you can cut back on the salmon), but no reason you can't make a change and begin to take steps toward a major work redesign.

So what can you do? It is not all about changing your job...in reality, it is about changing some aspects of your life...and then building the right kind of work. Interested? Consider the following:

1. Get your debt under control. If you really want to be in a position to architect your work and career, you have to start by gaining control of your life, and don't kid yourself, when you owe someone else money, they control your life. Think about it. Are there expenses you have that are related to debt that keep you feeling trapped in work that you don't like? For many people this includes things like a car payment, credit card debt, and outstanding loans. Start with the smallest debt and pay it off. Take the money you used to pay toward that debt, and tackle the next smallest debt. Repeat this process and you will be surprised how quickly the red turns to black. Cut back your expenses and focus that money toward paying off debt and you will quickly see major changes. Your goal is simple, but all too often ignored. Live on less than you earn. Once you have that reality working for you, you are well positioned to architect new work options.
2. Build a network. This is key to successfully growing your options, and your ideas. Get formal about it. Start a system that will allow you to keep track of contact information, and make contacts with people that are in your network. Make it a point to expand your network actively. There are great networking options available online, but don't limit yourself to virtual connections. Get out into your community. Meet people. Get involved in things you feel strongly about. Do things you enjoy. Be genuine. As you do this, you will get to know people share a passion with you, and your network will expand. Don't make the common mistake of thinking about network connections as "people who can help you find a new job". That approach doesn't work, and you miss some wonderful connections. Remember, every person is connected to other people. Typically it is the people that you have a sincere connection to that are the most helpful to you in networking, regardless of their jobs or positions.
3. Explore areas of interest. You don't have to just jump right in. You can test the waters a bit and that starts with a little exploration. Think you want to open a bed and breakfast? Start by exploring the reality, and a vacation at a B&B doesn't really count, although it is a start. How do you learn more? Begin on your vacation and add to your network, talk to the owners, ask for introductions to other people who are living your dream. Get their insight and add it to your thinking. Consider volunteering in an area you think you might like to grow your options. Volunteering may give you experience while letting you try something new without the committment of starting a new job. Think you might want to work in technology but don't have a lot of experience? Many schools and churches can use help in this area, and you can learn along the way. Have some flexibility in your time due to retirement or job loss? Internships can be a great opportunity to learn and grow. The hiring manager may be surprised to get someone over 20 in the door, but if they are smart, they may well jump at the chance to bring in more experience at a low price. In short, take some of the time you are not investing in work...and start to explore what is of interest to you.
4. Begin a written plan. This is important. If you don't write it down, you don't have a plan. So get started. The first plan does not have to be great, it just has to be written down somewhere. Begin with a goal. Where do you want to be? Once you have that, think about where you are today. Write that down. Now you have a starting point and a destination. Now plan out the steps from A to B. Easy? Not exactly, but you can do this. A good way to think about what the steps to your goal will look like is to consider what MUST happen in order to reach your goal, in a way that works for you. These are your imperatives and they will help you to clarify the boundaries for your steps. For example, for a person who has dependent children, an imperative might be, "I must have health and life insurance to protect my children". If you really love living in a rural area, an imperative for you might be, "I must be able to work remotely". As you work through your imperatives, the path toward your goal will become more defined and you will be able to chart your steps more accurately. Don't worry that the path won't appear to be very direct (it usually will not be), some of the most interesting things you are going to experience will be off the beaten path.

That should give you plenty to get started! And don't wait. Just start. You will be amazed at where you end up going.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step— Lao-tsu c. 604-c.531 BC