How not to plan a project

My coworker and I are in the latter part of implementing a huge software implementation project (A) for our department. Note: We are an HR department, not IT. We received very little management guidance with this project, and the only reason it got done is because we figured everything out and got it set up.

Yesterday our department director asked how soon we could have software project B implemented. We had to explain the following realities to her:

1. We have no idea what goes into the project. What we didn't add was that we have no idea what's it's really supposed to do in the end. We have been given nothing on this.
2. We have no idea how long the vendor estimates it will takes.
3. We may not even have software B after June 30th due to our procurement rules.

One of the things that really irritates me about my current organization is that we have no real acquaintance with process and planning. This is just one of many examples. The proper way to plan for a project is to first all understand the scope- what is the end goal, and what does it take to get there. Only once you have that information can you effectively create a realistic schedule. I can't tell you how long it will take to implement something when I know nothing about it.

Little things that remind us how blessed we are

Sometimes it is the little things that truly grab our attention. Yesterday I looked by my front door and realized I had not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, but 5 pairs of shoes near the entry of my house. I was struck by how blessed I am to have some many options of shoes, and these are far from the only shoes I own. It was rather humbling.

When a simile is both amazing accurate and completely frightening- Final Update

A couple weeks ago we got the last update on the status of some of our employees transitioning to another organization. It was so full of bureaucrat-ese that I had check with some coworkers to make sure I understood the gist of it correctly. I did. These transition is off, period. The two organizations are going to continue to work together in other ways, blah, blah, blah, but no employees will change employers. It's a good thing we didn't track what this cost in terms of staff hours spent on a project that went nowhere. Our rate-paying public would have rightly been up in arms.

Dear Hiring Managers: Stop hating on millenials

I have had more than 1 hiring manager who's recently put down millennials as employees. This highly irritates me, and they need to knock it off. I am not a millennial, so I personally have no dog directly in this fight. However, here are least two reasons why it needs to cease.

1. It's stereotyping

What if I said all people who are (insert race, gender, or ethic label here) have some alleged bad quality? First, it's very unlikely that this would be true. Second, we perceive such an over-generalization as unfair, as well we should.

2. They are the workforce of the future

Whether you love that or hate it, you need to suck it up and find ways to adapt. Yes, you have to adapt. Every generation leaves its stamp on the workforce. You can either bemoan what impact you think the millennials will have, or you can embrace it and use their skills to further grow and develop your workplace. The choice is up to you.

I have started call out our staff when they say derogatory things about millennials. You are either the problem or the solution. In this instance, which are you?

When a simile is both amazing accurate and completely frightening- Update

Last week our Executive Director called a same day meeting for all departments transitioning to the other company 1/1/17. HR was also invited. None one knew (or at least would admit) what the meeting was about. At the meeting the Executive Director announced that the transition is on hold until further notice due to some legal issues that must be resolved. Yes, two weeks before it was to take place, and after countless hours of work throughout both organizations, issues that should have been long ago foreseen and addressed have come to light. There is no timeline on when, or if, the transition will ever take place. Customers of our company, this was not our best use of your funds.

My feelings aren't hurt at all

All of the positions at my company have minimum qualifications. As the name implies, these are things that you must have to be considered. If you don't have them, we can't interview you, let alone hire you. Part of my job is to make sure candidates selected to interview do meet these requirements.

While I was off last week, a hiring manager gave her list of candidates to be interviewed to my coworker. When I got back, my coworker told me she thought one of them didn't possess the minimum qualifications, and thus she had held off on scheduling that person's interview. I reviewed the applicant's submission, and I concurred. To make sure I wasn't missing anything, I asked my boss for her thoughts. She agreed too. I e-mailed the hiring manager and told her that unfortunately we couldn't interview this person due to his lack of qualifications and I referenced the minimum requirements from the job description.

She responded and said she thought the person could be a good fit and that she really wanted to interview him. Right before I left work yesterday, my boss and I met with the HR director, aka my boss's boss. She affirmed our decision and asked me to e-mail the hiring manager again, and to restate why the person can't be interviewed.This morning I sent that e-mail. The hiring manager wrote back and said "(blogger) I disagree. All future discussions will be with (HR director)." Obviously this was rude, and it's also not proper to exclude me from the conversation since I am the recruiter working this job. But were my feelings hurt? Not a bit. In fact, I did a happy dance at my desk. I don't have to beat a dead horse anymore, and my HR director is handling it. Now, if I could only figure out how to reproduce this success with more people, my job would be all the more pleasant.

When a simile is both amazing accurate and completely frightening

My employer is undergoing some rather large structural changes. One of these is that our Customer Service & IT departments will become part of another company at the beginning of 2017. This is unprecedented for us, and obviously there has been a lot of concern among the impacted employees as to how this will look in the end. You'd hope that there had been lots of time put into planning for this transition before it was announced. You would, of course, be wrong. The head of HR for the other organization made the following comment Friday "It's like we're flying the plane while we're still building it." He is exactly correct. It was both amazing accurate and completely frightening. To further his comparison, I'd say we're in for a bumpy ride. My department will be undergoing the same transition some time next year. Perhaps by then it will be smoother, but I'm not placing any bets on it.