People skills

[suityou01]

Never had any before. Now I am in this BA role I need some. Luckily I have found that speaking clearly and being sensitive to people's moods and picking your moment to go diving in with a new idea have worked well.

Until today. So I need a crash course please.

Scenario.

Off shore development team have finished a delivery. They perform system testing at their location. They then alert my customer that the code is ready for deployment. They provide deployment destructions and everything.

Customer picks up code. Customer fecks about with deployment destructions. Customer now follows new fecked about with destructions. Deployment goes tits up. Senior project sponsor goes in to UAT test without any previous testing from lower grunts. tulipe hits the fan big time.

So far the delivery manager is stressed. The development team are stressed. I get dragged in as I have the vaguest clue about release management. I try and make a few pragmatic and quick suggestions (as I have been asked to) and the development team cannot see the value.

They fixed the glitch so it's all good. I tried to patiently point out that this did not mean the release had been a success and they needed to re do the release to prove it before going anywhere near live.

Nada. Folded arms. This is how the last supplier got canned. Client Co don't know what's goodferum, well my PM does and I have garnered support from him to go to programme level with this.

I stand on the brink of a people skills abyss

Loving the challenge though. People are far less predictable than code.

So

Q1 - How much of an arse am I?
Q2 - How do I get my point across
Q3- How much of an arse am I going to be while I get to grips with this people skills malarky?
Q4 - How much more uncomfortable is it going to be sitting on the other side of the desk and how do I not become the total knobend of other BAs/Junior management ar*sewipes I have encountered over the years?
Q5 Is this normal or am I a complete menatalist?

[Spacecadet]

edit - read the post wrong

[suityou01]

edit - read the post wrong

dammit, thought I had a customer.

[Spacecadet]

dammit, thought I had a customer.

soz

The general point I was trying to make before I snipped the lot is that the situation you're in is past the "people skills" area and into bull by the horns, I'm in charge.

I'd read your post as the supplier being tulip... something I'm more familar with!

[suityou01]

soz

The general point I was trying to make before I snipped the lot is that the situation you're in is past the "people skills" area and into bull by the horns, I'm in charge.

I'd read your post as the supplier being tulip... something I'm more familar with!

If I was in charge ....

Rather there's a PM who's a nice enough guy but....
The suppliers are nice enough but ....
I have been called in to comment and have lots of good ideas but .....

Praps BBTH is the approach, but I was hoping for some cunning people management snake oil slimy smarmy b*stard approach. Failed failed failed. I'm such a knob.

[Zippy]

I did find your original post a bit hard to decipher.

Let me see if I've got this:
1. Your development team are offshore
2. ClientCo are developing software for customer
3. Customer is also part of ClientCo?

Sometimes being nice and reasonable isn't enough (although it does sound like the PM needs to pull his/her finger out).
Can you explain where in the communication chain you think you might be falling short?

[Board Game Geek]

With modern day reduced budgets, stressed staff, and clients wanting everything yesterday and on the cheap, explain that this sort of thing is par for the course, and that the team will be ready after deployment to patch up the bugs.

If the client balks, then tell 'em to stump up more cash for a proper roll-out.

Take it or leave it.

[OrangeHopper]

Sounds like you are saying they intend to use the same destructions, plus the fix. If it isn't your decision, it isn't your decision! You have given your advice and I presume it has been noted by those in charge. Let those in charge do what they are paid for. This has nothing to do with people skills from where I sit.

I would tend to agree with you that it should be redone, however, if my technical people are absolutely convinced that the new destructions are correct then I might be convinced. Whatever, the decision is then mine and any failure is my responsibility.

[suityou01]

I did find your original post a bit hard to decipher.

Let me see if I've got this:
1. Your development team are offshore
2. ClientCo are developing software for customer
3. Customer is also part of ClientCo?

Sometimes being nice and reasonable isn't enough (although it does sound like the PM needs to pull his/her finger out).
Can you explain where in the communication chain you think you might be falling short?

<rustle>

1. Yes. Ukraine.
2. No, development team in Ukraine are developing software for customer.
3. No, customer is ClientCo.

I'd put the kettle on.

HTH

[suityou01]

Sounds like you are saying they intend to use the same destructions, plus the fix. If it isn't your decision, it isn't your decision! You have given your advice and I presume it has been noted by those in charge. Let those in charge do what they are paid for. This has nothing to do with people skills from where I sit.

I would tend to agree with you that it should be redone, however, if my technical people are absolutely convinced that the new destructions are correct then I might be convinced. Whatever, the decision is then mine and any failure is my responsibility.

Nail - head. Sorry people skills has been my focus. Golden hammer anti-pattern in full effect. I think you're right. No amount of smarm can fix this. Opinion given, responsible people must be held to account.

The fact is I quite like the accountable people and see them obstinately making big mistakes.