Escalating bad news is always hazardous and difficult for a Business Coach. The problem is particularly acute for a business coach because they represent both IT and the Business. The issue often involves either IT or the Business suffering at the expense of the other. Normally it is the business that suffers through poorly met requirements in order for IT to meet artificially imposed deadlines.
Most issues often result in a delay to the delivery of the project at the expense of the business requirements.
There are a number of approaches to escalating bad news:
1. Directly.
2. Through another IT Manager.
3. Through the business.
The business coach should only consider escalating an issue if they are 110% certain that they are correct and that the issue is significant enough to take the necessary personal risks. (See a bit of Fun, ABC Rule 3. ;-) )
1. Directly.
This is the best but often the hardest route. When escalating, tell the person that you disagree with that you are escalating the issue. Ideally take them with you to a meeting with their manager so that they can present their perspective on the issue. The manager will normally side with their own person, especially if they do not understand the details of the issue. If the Manager decides to suppress the issue, the Business Coach faces the moral dillema of whether they escalate further. (See conveying bad news).
2. Through another IT Manager.
This is a very high risk option. It should only be adopted as a last resort.
If the Business Coach has a good relationship with another manager, they may consider expressing their concerns to the other manager. This is best done informally. Once again, it is best to inform the person that you disagree with that you are seeking advice from another trusted IT Manager.
3. Through the Business.
Tell the person that you disagree with that you will be expressing the issue in business terms to the business representative on the project.
As the business are normally the party that suffers from suppressing an issue, they should be given the opportunity to challenge the decision. It then allows the business representative to escalate the issue through their management structure.
The problem is that the business representative may not understand how a "subtle" IT issue affects their business requirements. This is particularly the case where IT are arguing over "which side up eggs should be opened". The business coach has the advantage in that they understand the issue from a business perspective and can express it accordingly.
Posted by chrismatts at May 25, 2003 7:02 AM