problem solving vs. blame assessment
There was a recent issue at PAS. This problem was caused by many factors. It was not one or two individuals fault, but rather a symptomatic result of doing too much with too little and a dash of Murphy’s Law. We have seen these shortcomings and have increased our staff by almost 50% in the last 6 months, with several more hires on the near horizon. New people means training, understanding how each other works, establishing goals, and holding people accountable. In short, MANAGEMENT.The jury is still out on my management abilities, but I am confident in my ability to problem solve, develop profitable business ideas, and inspire those around me. I have identified my management deficiencies and am fortunate enough to have the money to hire someone to take that task over for me. A key for my success is identifying my talents and exploiting them while identifying my weaknesses and finding people who can complement my skill set.That being said, I still want to improve on my management skills. And since I am now a cool blogger, what better place than here? Hopefully I can objectively relay what just happened and see if anyone (if we have readers yet?!?!) has any feedback.Our emails and helpdesk tickets are a good system check for us. If something is wrong with our software systems, our users generally find it instantly. We have a protocol we run through when a player states he is not tracked. Often the player signed up incorrectly and there is little or nothing we can do. But when several emails come in regarding the same issue, red flags go up. We look at the issue and solve it. Then get back to our forward looking projects until another fire comes up.When a recent flurry of emails came in, I knew something was wrong on our technical stats importing side. I contacted the people who know that aspect of our business and asked if they were aware of stats issues. We have been working on a new set of importers that may have caused the glitches. I, or so I thought, relayed this issue and took for granted that they could troubleshoot the problem by importing the stats that were missing.I don’t care who, how, or why it happened. There was a problem with our importers which caused a problem with out stats reporting. I just wanted it fixed so business could continue.I am analyzing how I dealt with this issue. I would like it, and we are big enough now, so that an issue like this doesn’t need to find its way to me. However, it did. I am unsure if I reacted to it aggressively or assertively.So my question is: When there is a problem that shouldn’t have found its way to the top, but did, and needs immediate fixing, is it inappropriate to say, “Fix this problem immediately. I’m not interested in excuses or explanations, nor am I assessing blame. I just need it fixed – now.â€The interesting thing is, as I read what I have written, I now know that I reacted to it appropriately. I like blogging.GO GIANTS
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