About a year and a half ago, I was put in charge of 'change control' (in addition to my admin duties on the '400). All changes being made to systems (programs, data mods, etc) were to be approved and monitored by me. In order to a) accomodate sufficient QA, and b) allow time for one person to move changes through our various environments (QA, UAT, and Production) we determined that changes would be made to Live on one day only. There was an exception to this rule: If the change was due to an 'emergency' (if it stopped people from doing their jobs, as a 'rule of thumb'), the change could bypass QA and movement through the various environments - the environments would be updated later. To do this, the 'emergency change' had to be approved by the IT Director - it was recognized that this was a serious exception to the rule. Pretty standard stuff. This routine even had our SOx compliance reviewers' stamp of approval. Everything was running smoothly (a few bumps, due to overbearing managers intimidating developers into going around the procedure).

Fast forward to about January. My old boss (the 'IT Director') was demoted, and his boss (der 'fuhrer') stepped into his shoes (the 'fuhrer' sensed a big 'win', and wanted credit - along with some other political crap). Before he is demoted, he hires someone he described to me as a friend, with great PM skills, and good development skills.

The guy he hired is insulting to everyone, and can't manage a project any better than he can develop - which is to say, not at all. The guy has literally every one of our developers, one BA, and a tester ready to quit. With or without a waiting job. Unemployment is looking better than working for him. I myself was offered a more active role in development (something I've wanted for a while), and I pushed it away, rather than be subject to his abuse. He has damaged our department's reputation, and in two months has not managed to hit ONE target date. His priorities shift quite literally with every meeting he attends. Needless to say, unresolved requests are up 500% since this micromanager took control of development. And the micromanger has been blaming US! Last week, the group was on the point of mutiny; we went to the 'fuhrer' as a group and let him know our concerns. Even the outsourced consultants were complaining, and they are making money off of his shananigans! The 'fuhrer' said he will do something about it, and I believe him - if we leave, his pet project dies. He has a lot of political capital invested in it.

That night, our old IT Director started distancing himself from the guy, saying he 'knew OF him' at an old job, had 'met in passing',etc.

Today, in a meeting, to support his friend, he tried to insist that users decided whether a change was an emergency. Not priority, mind you, but whether a project bypasses QA or not. Such a definition undermines QA, and makes a mockery of my role (a role I HATE, btw - which may be why it annoys me when he tries to make the efforts I've made to do a good job at it meaningless).

I admired this guy (the original IT Director) - when he took the position, he took the time to learn what his employees could do, then directed our efforts as opposed to micromanaging us. The results he got were frankly terrific. The trust he gave us was returned, and rewarded with greater efforts. He made the place I work a place so nice to work in that I had actually started to daydream about it being a place I could finally settle and be happy. Now, I'm looking at games supporting friends over what is right, politcs taking precedence over ethics, and lies being held more valuable than ability. He's badmouthed every one of us (according to reports from other employees, and NOT from our department) and said things that pissed off people outside our department - they know they aren't true, but also know that what he's been saying will 'color' our interaction with the management/users we serve. And through it all, everyone in the department is talking to me about the crap that is now happening to THEM. That just makes it worse. And when I look at the old director, I keep hearing a voice that whispers "this is his revenge. We are all just incidental targets".

In other words, this place is rapidly becoming 'just another job'. The fact that everything is decaying so rapidly tells me that I was living in a fool's paradise; it was all an illusion (that I wanted badly to believe in). Now I quite literally have nightmares that the new PM/ADM will get promoted, not fired. Right now, I'm safe - I don't work for the little Napoleon directly - since I stepped away from the development role - but if he takes over, my life will quickly become hell. After all, I wouldn't let him make changes when and where and how he wanted to; this guy is a petty, vengeful cuss, in addition to his other flaws.

I can't tell you how disappointed I am.

...Question is, when?

We now go out on Wednesdays - Be really cool to have you come out!

Of course, it'd be cool to come out and wisit you there, too.

One way or another, gimme a call, drop me a line, whatever!

On the amusing side, my buddies that have followed my career want to know if I decide to revive 'Dynamic Solutions'. Every time I work for myself, it is about 3 months before the economy collapses...

My old boss was using my connection with the rest of my team, I now believe. I've been in the game too long; I hate it, but I know it.

between documents - by comparing documents produced on paper over a bright light. That was at contractor rates, too! Some of these guys have no sense.

Not management, or the company.

A New Jersey sentiment if I ever heard one!

Makes me kinda homesick...

My fear of what this department might become has been mitigated somewhat.

Some background: We had a meeting, two weeks ago, with the 'uberboss' regarding problems in the department. This came about because my close friend, C. found a job for higher pay, because things were getting bad. She tendered her resignation to him, and he panicked. he knew that his pet project would fail without her (she is the best business analyst it's been my privelege to work with in my career). He counter-offered with a raise and a promotion, and she turned him down - saying that it was what was happening to the team that concerned her. She decided to stay, but only if he could fix the problems (not a big risk on her part, she had amazing offers in a week after she put herself on the market, and she has a lot of money available on the side).

During the meeting, EVERY ONE of us spoke up about how the new development manager was screwing things up. He said he'd try and fix them. After meeting with the 'guilty parties', the development manager actually asked whether he should resign. The uberboss said 'no' and he'd try to resolve problems. He thought the issue was social.

During the next week, the guy stopped insulting everyone to their faces, and things were somewhat better - though he was still trying to micromanage and bypass QA procedures. Things were largely the same. Also, my old boss was neglecting the 'uberboss's pet project.

The team's reponse? Indignant. We had a follow-up meeting where everybody reiterated the problems. The 'uberboss' was shocked. He had been told everything was now OK by the 'guilty parties'. The uberboss was actually shocked by the unanimity - I think HE may 'get' that the team is real, and that it makes a difference. I'm pretty sure the credibility of the 'guilty parties' is now in the toilet. I'm pretty sure that changes WILL be made.

The team ALSO went around the the PM's (deliberate, IMO) sabotage of the uberboss's pet project - because they see value in it. We are going live this weekend after massive 'extracurricular' effort to get it done.

Further, both the development manager and the old boss took vacation rather than help get this into place. They now have NO credibility. I'm not sure that one of them will even be employed after this week.

The reason I'm being braver than usual and commiting? I'm important to this team. The team was the deciding factor to me moving here; it's a rare thing to have a team worth the name 'team' and I can't leave them now - they need me. They've proved to me that the team here is stronger than any individual. I'm proud to be a member. Most of all, I'm proud of C. - had she left, everything would have fallen apart - and she had incentive to leave.

It's all very 'touchy-feely'; I'm not used to that. For the first time in years, though, I feel it's worth the risk. Environment is important.