High profile resposibility, but without the resources 2

[TurbineGen]

It appears I have just found myself in an all too familiar situation which I can never seem to get out of correctly and this time it's high profile, so I need a little advice. The problem is that I have much responsibility and not enough power to change it.

Here's the situation: I'm heading up a new department at work in which I am responsible for the manufacture of a new product line (mobile power stations) as well as with much of the engineerning. It is a new and challenging product that most everybody in the plant acknowledges extreme difficulties I will be facing and jokes about it occasionally.

While I love the challenge, I do not have adequate resources. The problem is that the department hasn't fully been set up yet, but my superiors are asking for very aggressive delivery times. I will eventually have my own employees and my own building, but for now I must borrow workers from other departments that are already swamped with work and their boss's have their own agendas which may not include my product line. Unfortunately, I'm not very good with people which further compounds the issue. I know I need to be more assertive without sounding arrogant, an issue which I've been getting better. The positive attitude and perpetual smile on my face only goes so far...

My superiors are well aware that my timeline has been further compressed due to vendors not delivering on time. They are also well aware of the potential lack of resources, people and tooling. I'm scheduling a meeting with my boss tomorrow about buying the proper tooling and equipment, which will help significantly.

However, I don't want to make excuses, I want to make results.

How should I approach the other supervisors with my departments needs? How can I make it pertinent to them?

If I do fall short of my deadlines, how can I explain this to my superiors without it sounding like I'm making excuses for my failures?

I should also add that I'm a fairly new employee and have worked here ony a few months.

Thanks for any advice.

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If it is broken, fix it. If it isn't broken, I'll soon fix that.

 

[ctopher]

Scheduling a meeting with your boss tomorrow is a good start. Make a suggestion to your boss that you want to have another meeting ASAP with him and the other managers from other departments and discuss your plans. Make them all aware so all of you are on the same page.
Doing this early will make the remainder of the project easier.

Chris
SolidWorks 09 SP4.1
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[EEJaime]

You need to take concrete steps to document and quantify the areas in which you are lacking resources. When you meet with your boss, have specific issues on the agenda. Have hard numbers and a time line working back from when you are expected to deliver your project. Identify critical path issues that must occur prior to being able to begin the next step.

Show him that in order for him to deliver on his obligations, you need to have X number of staff of Y caliber by dd/mm/yyyy to for you to deliver on yours. Then suggest that the followup meeting identified by ctopher be arranged with the staff and managers that will be committed to allow you to successfully deliver on time.

You MUST be proactive and not procrastinate and wring your hands. If this goes in the shi**er later, you better put yourself in the position of attacking the company's response to your requests instead of making excuses.

If it fails and you are the only one that new the problems ahead of time, IT IS YOUR FAULT.

 

[patprimmer]

I like Chris's reply.

You need to get your data and a printed agenda then meet with the line managers AND your boss. Explain how you need the resources they control for a specified time. Link each to a date depending on when the previous one delivers. Have them commit to meeting your required timeline in front of your boss, then hold them to it. If they say then and there it can't be done put it back on your boss to decide how he might acquire or redeploy more resources or what modified timeline he can accept.

Regards
Pat
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[moltenmetal]

Responsibility without authority is the definition of stress. Destructive stress, not the pleasant, life-affirming and motivating kind that makes your day go by faster.

You have only two choices: either get the authority, or get rid of the responsibility.

You can get the authority by either assuming it or by having it granted to you by those with the actual institutional authority to do so. In my weird little company only the former works, whereas in most other companies, only the latter has a hope in hell of getting you anything but fired.

Somebody senior to you decided this new product was worth investing in. Find out who that was, and make sure they realize what you need to make their vision into a reality. If it's your boss, and your boss doesn't really have the institutional authority to give you the resources you need, then you've really got yourself into a pickle.

Meeting with all the managers whose staff you need, together with your boss, is a very practical idea. But it may not change anything unless you can obtain the authority to make sure it happens. What you might get is smiles and nods and agreement, and then no follow-through.

 

[TheTick]

My failures are documented much more thoroughly than my successes. If I'm in over my head and don't have enough resources, I keep asking. I document all the issues and keep all the correspondence.

 

[MechEng2005]

More of a general note, but I find it helps to think of it as "What am I going to want if this doesn't go well..." For example, I am probably too concerned with appearing to be a nag, constantly harassing people. However, if my boss has asked me when xyz part is coming in a few times, I will keep calling so that if it doesn't show up on time, I can at least say, "It was supposed to be here last week, and I've called 14 times and just left a message with the vendor's president half an hour ago."

More of a way of thinking than any specific advice, but the specific action items I could think of were already covered in previous posts...

-- MechEng2005

 

[jmw]

I like the idea of calling a meeting with our boss and the other supervisors.
Now when you outline a task and define the resources needed it isn't you they'll be refusing but the boss.
One of three outcomes:
1) you'll get the resources you need (unlikely).
2) the others will make their position clear first hand and the boss may adjust/reduce his expectations (unlikely, he probably has told the higher ups its a "can do situation")
3) there will be promises made but not kept (time cards for anyone lent to you is helpful so you can show the hours and resources you actually do get) but the boss will blame you, not the other supervisors. (Likely. Highly likely in fact just make sure it is survivable i.e. hopefully if there may be some face saving and blaming going on it will not be life threatening).
Or some combination of factors.

You can't let them make this all your own problem. You have to get the others to take a share of ownership, including the boss.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[TurbineGen]

Chris and EEJamie, I took your advice. I made a complete work breakdown structure with a time frame and the resources I would need each day to complete the job. I then Emailed it out to my boss and the other department heads. I also met with all of the other guys from the departments and discussed the schedule with them individually. They were in disbelief that I would even attempt to run 2 crews simultaneously, but my plan had that all lined out as well.

In addidtion, I made sure I gave myself a week of buffer, just in case I figure I'm only going to have to run two crews at the same time 50% of the time, since my resources will be pulled from the job from time to time, which will stretch that week of buffer.

Now I'll have to see how this all plays out. Right now everyone is onboard and on the same page. I'm certain nothing will go as planned, because it never does, but at least I have a chance of making this happen.

I still don't have the authority, however. My crews can be pulled at anytime. At least now I have apparent authority like molten metal suggested. Anyone have any advice on how to keep that image?

Tick, I will be keeping records just in case. Does it usually help to estimate how much each event puts you behind, or just have a list with correspondence?

Thanks for your help!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
If it is broken, fix it. If it isn't broken, I'll soon fix that.

 

[TheTick]

Ever read (or watch) The Caine Mutiny?

 

[TDAA]

When your crews get pulled, send out another e-mail that acknowledges they had to do it, but it has hurt production, and you now need to have XXX to maintain the project goals.

This will show the bosses upfront how much support you get, how you have asked for something additional to get the project done, and what you get in the end.

Sounds like you have a good start. I would probably follow the meeting up with some notes so there is record. That with your new follow up e-mails will show you are managing the project with whatever resources you are provided. If it slips after this meeting, and there is no further follow up, it will still be all on you.

 

[ctopher]

Great news.
Good luck. Positive communication with others will only help you.

Chris
SolidWorks 09 SP4.1
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[PhilBW]

Take the daily resource requirements from your work breakdown structure and put them into a spreadsheet. Then in the next column enter the actual resources you had available to you each of those days. Have two more columns that show scheduled percent complete and actual percent complete.

Each week send the spreadsheet to your boss and all the department heads. That way everyone can see whether the departments heads are following through on their committments. They can also see the impact a shortage of resources has on the percent complete.

If the project starts to get behind, you could add another column with projected resource requirements to finish on time. That will help everyone to see the consequences of not providing enough people.

Phil

 

[GregLocock]

Ah, Management By Spreadsheet. It might work.

Cheers

Greg Locock

I rarely exceed 1.79 x 10^12 furlongs per fortnight

 

[TurbineGen]

PhilBW, I like that idea. I think I'm going to do just that. Thanks!

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If it is broken, fix it. If it isn't broken, I'll soon fix that.

 

[patprimmer]

A lot will depend on the relative power of yourself, your boss, the line managers whose resources you need and anyone over them who has a specific interest in this project.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

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[jmw]

Gant charts.
Looks irrefutable that way.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[KENAT]

Yep,

I'd definitely go for multiple MS Project Gant charts with all kinds of interdependancies and minutia breakdown for each task. You might have a plan showing the resource you'd need to hit the desired date. You could have a plan showing the date you expect to hit with the guaranteed resources you have. You could then have a plan with the resource you expect to have. You could finally have a plan you update as resource comes and goes.

I'd then summarize this into a Powerpoint presentation with lots of color coding.

Obviously the one you have to keep up to date will require a weekly summary of activity on each task from each contributer, which would also be summarized into the powerpoint.

You'd then have a team meeting each week to show & discuss this with contributers.

You'd also want a summary Management meeting once a week where you summarize things for more senior folks.

You'd then also want meetings about each aspect such as mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing...

For every meeting you'd want some kind of minutes and/or action list....

With the remaining 47 minutes of your week you can schedule bathroom breaks, etc and try to get some work done.

Or, you could keep it KISS and remember project management is a means to an end and not an end itself, unless of course you are only concerned with covering your a$$ when it does go wrong rather than at least trying to make it go right.

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[KENAT]

Oh, and if anyone actually has a really good answer (no offense to any already offered) then I'd love to hear it, because the situation isn't completely unfamiliar and trying to convince management with logic/facts isn't always enough.

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[jeebusmn]

I congratulate you on taking an assignment that isn't easy. Nothing makes me sicker than people who gloat or criticize based on the fact that they are batting 1.000 with cookie cutter projects.