Case 24 Achieving Coordination in the Data Center
Setting: A High-Tech Multinational Company; Your Position: Chief Information Officer
You are the Chief Information/Technology Officer in a multinational company, which develops software and conducts projects for clients based on this software. You are manager of a group of professionals who are responsible for the smooth operation of the company's data center. Before being appointed to this job, you were a member of this group and are very familiar with the details of its operations. This data center provides services for the entire company. Any malfunction can cause a big potential loss.
This group is comprised of very talented people with many years of experience. While they are frequently referred to as the "System Team," they have not always functioned in the manner that this term implies. The skills that the team members possess are in high demand in the market, and you invest a lot of effort in keeping them happy within your group and within the company. Each one is protective of the components for which he or she is responsible and has strong views regarding what needs to be done in the other parts of the group.
During the last few weeks, several incidents have happened in which updates in system configuration files made by an individual have caused problems in other systems "owned" by members of the group. Those problems caused many people throughout the entire organization to lose precious working hours. Since the organization faces major project deliverables with strict deadlines, relationships with key clients may have been jeopardized.
It is clear to you that these problems cannot continue. Changes in work processes must be identified to more effectively coordinate team members and to restore the team's credibility to the rest of the organization. You believe that you have enough respect within the team to step in and make the necessary changes but worry about whether this would be best for the team in the long run. Despite their strong egos, you know that each team member would want to do what is best for the entire organization.