Do you ever get stuck in those dreadful meetings; you know the ones where you bring in ideas to discuss and act on, only to be shot down? Ever feel like the only things people bring to meetings are objections and throwing tomatoes?
I’ve been there – a lot, and doubtless you have as well. The scenario goes something like this:
- Send IAM meeting agenda, with specific topics and suggestions
- Bring everyone to the meeting
- Start discussing the suggestions
- Get bogged down in bickering, in-fighting, political squabbles, back biting, blame-storming
- Each idea is summarily dismissed by filibustering
- End the meeting (possibly with a list of things to argue about in the next meeting)
- Rinse and repeat the following week…
Admittedly a grim scenario, but one all too common in the conduct of IAM, and other enterprise-scale programs. When it comes right down to it, it’s far easier to rip down ideas and use filibustering techniques to stop work or slow progress, than it is to actually….well… DO SOMETHING!
Here are seven tips I use to engage the blame-stormers and return focus back to the project:
- Make the agenda a columnar list. I like three columns (keeping it simple!), with the agenda printed at the top, a column for discussion item, and two columns to the right – “Results?” and “Completed?”. In “Results,” I like to put “Not Resolved” or “Still Pending Discussion.” Senior management does not like to see this, and if they read status reports at all, may wish to dig deeper.
- Redirection. Deflect, deflect, deflect. This is a master technique of the do-nothing blame-stormer. Use it back on them, by redirecting specific objections to specific actions. “I see <objector’s name> your point. So, <objector’s name> what exactly would you suggest, and what type of timeline and budget is necessary to implement your suggestion?” Of course, tune your language to the environment, but it is important with such large numbers and data integrity issues at stake, to keep things focused toward ACTION ACTION ACTION
- Very carefully, seek to replace objectors with contributors and doers. To be perfectly frank, the best contributors may often be those outside of your employ, such as contractors. Contractors and internal Project Managers are often highly engaged, and very task oriented. IAM Programs are all about accomplishing large (very large…) quantities of tasks toward a central set of goals (as defined in your IAM Program Charter.) Also: hint to large-company bureaucrats: having 10 people in the room to direct the actual work of two people is not an effective paradigm for IAM Program Success.
- When possible, try to send your agenda out at least 3 days ahead of time. One day before the meeting, follow up with each individual recipient, via phone (if possible,) or via email, and ask if he or she has any questions. Ask them if they see any potential issues with what you have sent. Sometimes, this can help you separate the legitimate objections before they turn into ugly blame and deflect sessions.
- Rotate meeting facilitators. Different people, and different groups, react differently around different people. (Did I really just use “different” four times in a sentence?) Some organizations are just highly disposed toward fear and change avoidance to the point where they would rather collapse as an organization, than embrace that which will be their salvation. It’s vital to get out ahead of that situation before it gets worse. Try inviting a very senior departmental manager, or even a directory-level manager facilitate, or at least sit in the meeting from time to time.
- Invite only those people absolutely necessary to achieve agreement. In many large organizations, there is an ingrained, almost malignant need to “be in the loop” and attend every possible meeting just to appear busy. Unfortunately, the more people in a meeting room, the less likely the meeting is to achieve tangible results. There are meetings appropriate for general information dissemination, and those for agreeing and achieving actionable results. For the latter, no more than 7 people should be in the room.
- Last, but not least, do a round-robin around the room and give each individual the opportunity to receive the group’s full attention. Sometimes, this can have the desired effect of either silencing the objections, or turning same into concrete ideas that may be of benefit to the program.
How do you like to handle these situations?
Need to pierce the veil of secrets that surround Identity and Access Management and get straight to the heart of implementation and delivery? Then you need the IAM Success Tips (and secrets!) book series . Drop by the book store and have a look at Volumes 1 and 2, or consider making a strong commitment to the success and budgetary management of your project, but picking up a copy of our “Identity Planning Bonus Pack!”
Until Next Time, All the Best, of Identity Management Success
Corbin H. Links, Author
“IAM Success Tips” Book Series.
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