InformationWeek

July 15, 1997

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<IMG SRC= Your letters to my print column and this E-mail forum ask some serious questions about managing information technology in today's world. Since today's world is essentially absurd, my serious responses may sometimes sound a little whimsical, and my occasional whimsical ones, serious. In any case, if you want to participate, write to me at secret@cmp.com . I'll respond to those letters that I can. I reserve the right to edit for size and content. Just sign your E-mail the way you want it to appear online.

Dear Secret CIO,

Our public shame! I scanned several issues of your column, and quite frankly, was disappointed. Being a skeptic, I expected and quite frankly hoped that in reading your column I would be rewarded with humorous commentary on the silliness that plagues our industry. Hopefully, this letter will stimulate your defense mechanisms enough to generate some humor. After all, we are a humorous bunch, we IS "professionals."

So what is my question? Simply this: For years, even decades, we convinced our benefactors that ours was the realm of high technology, understood only by the most advanced of technicians. How then are we to explain the year 2000 situatio n? "Experts" project that this problem will consume all available IS capital over the next three years. Trillions of dollars. All to fix major design flaws in applications and operating systems that were designed, for the most part, in the last 20 years. I suppose it's the users' fault because they did not identify that the application was required to correctly handle dates.

We complain that IS is the "whipping person" (to be politically correct) of most organizations. Maybe that is because we have overinflated our worth. Until we start using our high-priced toys to deliver high-quality, well-designed business applications, we deserve to be whipped.

CrazyRIC

Dear CrazyRIC:

Ah, where to begin? Unless you are seriously into masochism, "our public shame" and "we deserve to be whipped" seems to be a stronger reaction to the year 2000 problem than I might have expected. In any case, I'll be glad to answer your question , since it sounds like you are not totally familiar with the genesis of the year 2000 situation.

At the time the affected systems were first designed (a great many of them some 25 to 30 years ago) people were working with machines in which a 32K memory was a really powerful computer. (That's kilo, not mega: one-thousandth of the memory of even a personal computer today.) As a result, every bit of space had to be used to the fullest to cram all the logic that was needed into a program. Using extra bytes for the first two digits of a year was a very inefficient expenditure of available core (that's what it was called back then). Further, disk space was tens of thousands of times more expensive than it is now. Thus, storing a superfluous "19" in front of every date was a serious waste of precious storage -- and dollars.

People were no less competent than they are now. They realized that the date routines would not work after 1999. Their assumption was that the systems being built would be replaced long before the millennium. It turned out that management upgraded, rather than replaced, these systems, leaving much of the old logic in place. As regularly as clockwork, the budget for the new order entry or financial system would be deferred to next year or the year after, so the ticking time bomb remained. And thus we are where we are now, with the year 2000 looming.

However, don't be surprised if some of the huge estimates that you are reading about are wildly high. Some of the numbers appear to be pulled out of thin air and, in other cases, people seem to be using the year 2000 problem as an excuse to rewrite or replace as much of their code as they can get away with in their budgets.

By the way, have you started to get concerned about the year 10,000 problem? Has anyone tested to see if their Cobol code fixes that are being implemented now will handle five digits for the date?

Hello, Mr. Lovelace:

I just wanted to comment on your article in the March 24 InformationWeek (" Microsoft Is Here To Help," p. 130 ) about Microsoft's road-show breakfasts. It's really refreshing to read the insights and experience you have being a CIO in this industry.

I am a major account representative, also for a multibillion dollar company, handling technical education for major accounts within my region. I always come across a major challenge getting to your level within organizations to discuss the benefits of technical education of their IS staffs.

What would you suggest, or more specifically what approach would you take, to get a CIO in a face-to-face meeting discussing needs, assessment, and return on investment as it relates to technical education?

Thanks for your time! I look forward to your response.

Greg W.

Dear Greg:

Even if it is not a clear path to a sale, being able to meet wi th the CIO is probably very important to you. From what I have been able to ascertain, most bosses of account representatives expect them to show that they have had "face time" with the top decision maker. I guess there is a manual somewhere, akin to a sacred book, that states this is the path to managing an account.

With that discourse as background, I have two immediate reactions to your question:

The first, sadly, is to let you know that while most CIOs think education is important, they are usually too consumed with the politics of dealing with dweebs like my own Kratmeyer and Gornish to spend time paying attention to what is actually important.

The second reaction is to relate to you that these same CIOs mostly just do what their training coordinators tell them makes sense, provided that those coordinators can back up what they say with facts.

But, you have your own boss to deal with, so here is my suggestion. Get close to the client's training manager. Work jointly to get a good stor y together with solid details, and then suggest a 20-minute meeting or a lunch with the CIO. Chances are the training manager would be just as thrilled as you to get the time with the CIO. And, if you have your facts and a tight presentation, the CIO would really rather talk to you than deal with Kratmeyer and Gornish.

Dear Secret CIO:

I have a problem that I thought you could help me with.

The old manager of our department left us with an organization that mirrored his disdain toward people who could not keep up technically. The current manager is very passive and has become accustomed to the standard "security policy violation" and "security is very important" defenses.

The department now uses a blanket "security policy violation" defense to ward off any potential progress in other departments. This well-rounded defense is used vigorously. The problem is that the policy doesn't provide details.

What advi ce can you give me to better work with these people and what can I do to circumvent the "security" defense?

Sincerely,

Security Risk

Dear Security Risk:

Isn't bureaucracy wonderful? Wow! Our policy is so secure that we can't even let you see it.

Most people recognize and accept that security is very important and cannot be minimized. What is really irritating, however, is when it is used as a excuse for avoiding progress or protecting turf. The best solution, I think, is for you to keep working with your clients and help them identify meaningful responses to the security issues. You will be a hero to your users if you assist them in developing their own security policies that would satisfy even the most rigorous of company auditors.

In addition, you will be a probable survivor if your department manager continues to use security as a means to stop users from getting work done. At some point, the user com munity is going to rebel, and there will be a new ex-head of your department.

Dear Mr. Herbert Lovelace:

I have always considered myself to be a good communicator, (my girlfriends concur) and have taken numerous classes in communication, speech and psychology over the years. Currently however, I seem to be doing poorly, primarily due to confidence issues.

Can you recommend books or courses to steer me back on track?

I would greatly appreciate any advice you could offer.

Rob S.

Dear Rob:

You may want to discuss the confidence issue with someone that you really trust and see if they have any insights. Given that you have taken numerous classes in the proper subjects over the years, I'm not sure that books are going to help you, but I can suggest a few.

An extremely good one that is also fun to read is "So, What's Your Po int?" by Jim and Bond Wetherbe. The Wetherbe brothers have put together a practical manual to effective communication. Going back in time, take a look at an older book, "Leader Effectiveness Training" by Dr. Thomas Gordon. It is excellent. Finally, many people have endorsed Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

I am intrigued by your comment that your girlfriends concur that you are a good communicator. If you meant girlfriends over the years, there may be a long-term communication issue here that is also manifesting itself at work. If you meant girlfriends now, as in simultaneously, then I suspect you should be writing the books, not reading them.

Hi, Herb:

I am new to your columns but was amazed at the helpful advice you dole out to people like us. Thanks for your effort. I am doing my masters' in computers now. I have started applying for jobs. My future plans are to go back to India aft er a few years of work in the United States and start a computer-related business in the long run.

I am torn between whether to stay in the IT industry in technical jobs or to take up MBA studies and join as a management person after few years of working in the IT industry.

If I go into management I might lose the technical edge that I have now, but I find technical work beyond a point is boring. On the other hand, I love technical work, but how long will I love it, given my business interests?

In this context I would also like to know what kind of company is suited for my career: a small company or a big company?

John

Dear John:

A major consideration is what short-term experience helps you toward your goal of starting a computer-related firm when you return to India. You will need some working knowledge of finance and management, as well as -� most important -� an idea that is marketable. Whether you have to take all of the courses necessary to obtain an MBA to achieve this knowledge is questionable. In other words, an MBA is nice, but not necessarily mandatory.

Since you love the technical stuff (up to a point), you may find that going out and getting a job can give you a lot of practical experience to determine if your goal is realistic. At the same time, enrolling in an MBA program part-time cannot hurt, if you desire. So far as the question of the small company versus the large company goes, a would-be entrepreneur probably would be more comfortable in the small company. Good luck!

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