Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot
issue of the day.Remember Leon? He was the IT director I wrote
about who was so distressed when he realised his bosses really
didn't have a clue (see link below). From your e-mails, it's clear
a lot of you feel the same as Leon.
However, Ekaterina, a more entrepreneurial friend of mine,
explained that my comments were whingeing rubbish (well, she was a
bit more succinct than that!).
Her view is that whatever the society, the "best" get to the top,
where "best" is the result of whatever is happening at that time.
She believes the real visionaries get there first, then the
bandwagon cowboys, then professionals who systemise things until
the next cycle - a bit like the "S" curve.
So what we are seeing in business and IT today is a natural cycle
of change. There is nothing we can do about it as "best" is decided
by whatever collective makes things work. Leon's clueless bosses
can only exist if there are clueless investors willing to appoint
them and those investors only get where they are because of the
environment we are in now.
Ekaterina questions why your boss should know any more than you do.
The important point is that your boss is there and you are not. She
says that if she didn't like it she would move jobs.
I just wonder if it's all a bit simpler than that. Leon is
interested in information technology and what he can achieve by it
and thus lead a structured existence. Ekaterina sees things from
the top down - the organisational issues, market opportunities and
so on - and doesn't care about the underlying technology or
structure.
Is this a recipe for success? And, if so, is this a choice you can
make? Are you a Leon or an Ekaterina?
Maybe it's all random.
Is it fate, or is there something wrong with British business?
>>CW360.com reserves the right to edit and publish answers on
the Web site. Please state if your answer is not for
publication.Martyn Hart is chairman of the National Outsourcing Association
and practice director at Mantix, a consultancy that delivers value
from complex programmes.