Reply to: SME Culture

[Old Greg]

Businesses still use floppy disks and since when has MarillionFan sold printers

An MF printer is a 3D printer that manufactures cuntractors.

[amcdonald]

Sounds the same one I was at.

VISA transactions unencrypted and transferred by floppy disk.

Password book kept in unlocked draw.

Years of customers statements found behind the MF printer.

No backups had worked for months.

Advice to customers how to get around money laundering regulations.

IT manager buying second hand servers sold as new and getting kickbacks.

Businesses still use floppy disks and since when has MarillionFan sold printers

[xux42]

*** Old thread alert ***

Better to find somewhere that values what you do and your suggested approach - let the numpties fail without you.

Just wanted to post that with time the gig calmed down from impossible to just bearably stupid (bear in mind I was living 5mins walk from the beach in Guernsey).
Eventually I did move on though (not renewed) and guess what? I've been working for a UK Life Co. since April where they value my work and are very much open to my ideas. The rate is somewhat higher and the expenses much lower.

I shouldn't have let working in somewhere idyllic override a bad engagement.

That said am staying in touch with agents and contacts in the CI..

[suityou01]

Hi, I am working in a small-med offshore financial co. so 100s of staff, but Co. income in upper mid range 100s Millions GBP.
After 25years at Insurance Giants - 100,000+ staff - I am struggling to deal with the laid back, muddle through attitude here.
Example - daily batch run is manually scheduled on a Rota basis by 9-5 staff not evening shift. If the rota person is ill we depend on someone else noticing that the normal emails requesting patches and announcing the imminent online shutdown have not gone out.
This is a far cry from automated ops and auto texts by exception to people on standby that I am used to.
When I query the procedures I'm met by a mixture of incomprehension and acceptance of 'the way things are here'. This is compounded by the fact that I have only been here 8months and my immediate colleagues have been here at least 2 years.

So question is - anyone else found themselves the only person agitating for change to more formal procedures when everyone else is seemingly content to muddle through?
Is it futile to try to change things if you are the only one who seems to value rigour and precision and are trying to take everyone else out of their comfort zone?
In case you are wondering, yes about 1-2 times a year the ball is dropped in a major way and some poor saps have to work 36 hours straight to put things right.

In these situations you need to warn folks of the dangers politely, maybe a couple of times. Then sit back and watch it fail, then put it right with good grace.

Or go on a pilgrimage to the top, building support from influential people and making promises of cost cutting that will have the CFO crawling to you on all fours.

What you have here me ole son is a status quo. If the shareholders are happy with their meagre returns, and if no one is at the helm driving change, checking in on what your competitors are doing then yours is a lone voice.

In short, put up or shut up. Harsh, but true bud.

[Paddy]

Hi, I am working in a small-med offshore financial co. so 100s of staff, but Co. income in upper mid range 100s Millions GBP.
After 25years at Insurance Giants - 100,000+ staff - I am struggling to deal with the laid back, muddle through attitude here.
Example - daily batch run is manually scheduled on a Rota basis by 9-5 staff not evening shift. If the rota person is ill we depend on someone else noticing that the normal emails requesting patches and announcing the imminent online shutdown have not gone out.
This is a far cry from automated ops and auto texts by exception to people on standby that I am used to.
When I query the procedures I'm met by a mixture of incomprehension and acceptance of 'the way things are here'. This is compounded by the fact that I have only been here 8months and my immediate colleagues have been here at least 2 years.

So question is - anyone else found themselves the only person agitating for change to more formal procedures when everyone else is seemingly content to muddle through?
Is it futile to try to change things if you are the only one who seems to value rigour and precision and are trying to take everyone else out of their comfort zone?
In case you are wondering, yes about 1-2 times a year the ball is dropped in a major way and some poor saps have to work 36 hours straight to put things right.

Sounds the same one I was at.

VISA transactions unencrypted and transferred by floppy disk.

Password book kept in unlocked draw.

Years of customers statements found behind the MF printer.

No backups had worked for months.

Advice to customers how to get around money laundering regulations.

IT manager buying second hand servers sold as new and getting kickbacks.

[xux42]

..Better to find somewhere that values what you do and your suggested approach..

This is what I was expecting - surprised how many responses revolved around stopping to make it work TBH. There is money being spent here so I guess thats a big plus in the present climate.

So its fight or flight then. I am firmly pressing for, and implementing, some small process improvements that shouldn't alarm too much. Meanwhile the campaign to move on to Toronto in the summer begins in earnest right after New Year [rubs hands]

Bit of sparring, cv top up, then flight.

[Mikeoc1962]

Sounds familiar, I spent two years at my last place trying to positively change the culture to be more thorough. Even as a Director if the MD doesn't support then you're swimming against the tide and you won't get anywhere.

Better to find somewhere that values what you do and your suggested approach - let the numpties fail without you.

[Troll]

Hi, I am working in a small-med offshore financial co. so 100s of staff, but Co. income in upper mid range 100s Millions GBP.
After 25years at Insurance Giants - 100,000+ staff - I am struggling to deal with the laid back, muddle through attitude here.
Example - daily batch run is manually scheduled on a Rota basis by 9-5 staff not evening shift. If the rota person is ill we depend on someone else noticing that the normal emails requesting patches and announcing the imminent online shutdown have not gone out.
This is a far cry from automated ops and auto texts by exception to people on standby that I am used to.
When I query the procedures I'm met by a mixture of incomprehension and acceptance of 'the way things are here'. This is compounded by the fact that I have only been here 8months and my immediate colleagues have been here at least 2 years.

So question is - anyone else found themselves the only person agitating for change to more formal procedures when everyone else is seemingly content to muddle through?
Is it futile to try to change things if you are the only one who seems to value rigour and precision and are trying to take everyone else out of their comfort zone?
In case you are wondering, yes about 1-2 times a year the ball is dropped in a major way and some poor saps have to work 36 hours straight to put things right.

Surely an opportunity for you to step up and point out a better way of doing stuff, start off with producing a document and get it put before management somehow - in this scenario I would produce an analysis of the failure document & list lessons learned together with a recommendation in the Executive summary - that shouldn't threaten the long timers - take the time to demonstrate your "added value" ensuring longevity of contract and maybe enhancing your c.v. with a job well done sticker....all good stuff and interesting as well ..if you don't it then the consultancies will be arriving shortly and flood the place with dipsticks - then it can get really messy

[Mich the Tester]

They've only got one product(!!!)

Ah, dump that idea then.

[Mich the Tester]

I don't think it's more formal procedures you need, but some basic agreements on responsibilities and a leader who'll visibly encourage them and speak to people privately when they don't stick to the agreements. What would you be formalising in this situation? Processes that can change even quicker than you can document them? Given the situation i think that would be a loser; you need people to have discipline and to make clear to each other what they require. I.e, if nobody's checked that the batches run then the whole team should notice that, name someone to take that responsibility and ask him for the status regularly.

[MarillionFan]

Or the company should split into several independent businesses that are more manageable, perhaps splitting by product line.

They've only got one product(!!!)

I do love hyper growth companies. It's like flying without a parachute and only enough fuel to get you half way to the airport. Going to have to glide the rest of the way.

[original PM]

Huge income, commissions and bonuses. But profit? Hmm.. Not sure... maybe in the short term it can be made to look profitable.
Some more cautious staff are questioning the long term profitability based on downstream liabilities. But the salesmen and managers pulling down bonuses right now don't seem to be listening to them.

And why would they? they are targetted to delviery x and if they do that they will recieve y bonus - they will be able to see the downstream liabilities but...

it requires strong leadership from the top down and unfortunately there will need to be more beurocracy and documentation in place as soon when the profits start dropping scape goats will be sought and those that cannot prove they are running a profitable controlled team/process will be first through the door.

[Mich the Tester]

Same.

At a company that's just exploded. Took six years to get to 200 staff. Last 18 months to get to 1000!

Everything is bursting at the seams. New people bought in to deal with the tulip and get it ready to handle the growth. The old hands just work longer or longer hours on crap processes while others are so laid back they cannot see what's wrong or why they need to pull their finger out.

Process has to go in. Documentation has to be put in place. Fact of life as a company grows.

Or the company should split into several independent businesses that are more manageable, perhaps splitting by product line.

[MarillionFan]

Same.

At a company that's just exploded. Took six years to get to 200 staff. Last 18 months to get to 1000!

Everything is bursting at the seams. New people bought in to deal with the tulip and get it ready to handle the growth. The old hands just work longer or longer hours on crap processes while others are so laid back they cannot see what's wrong or why they need to pull their finger out.

Process has to go in. Documentation has to be put in place. Fact of life as a company grows.

[xux42]

Are they making money? Because if they are then you won't get change.

Huge income, commissions and bonuses. But profit? Hmm.. Not sure... maybe in the short term it can be made to look profitable.
Some more cautious staff are questioning the long term profitability based on downstream liabilities. But the salesmen and managers pulling down bonuses right now don't seem to be listening to them.