There's an incredibly interesting paragraph in this article published last week in Harvard BUsiness Review. I'll post it exactly as it was published by the author:
...... "Big picture only" leaders often make decisions without considering the constraints that affect the cost and time required to implement them, and even when evidence begins mounting that it is impossible or unwise to implement their grand ideas, they often choose to push forward anyway.....
Working as an IT political consultant I learned how this attitude towards people's work affect, not only the development of the public practice but the relation with constituents as well.
Because in the IT world, working for public officers has the double challenge not only to succeed in producing a solution that works for the employees and works for the people, and the voters, but is also reliable, and flexible enough for people with no technical skills to use it while working on strick budgets and sharing knowledge throughout the organization.
Plus, whenever the administration changes, maybe the solution you developed is replaced by another one.
So what I usually try to pass on to the people I work with is taking into account: “who the beneficiary” is….why’s that, because it’s more leadership and management than the solution per se.
If you cannot start a plan without taking into account who’s going to benefit with it and how you’re going to communicate every aspect of the project to all the stakeholders you are not taking into account crucial facts for your endeavor.
And here’s where the manager – leader counts the mos.
I am reaching for new ideas regarding the communication’s plan underlying the most successful e-government projects in Latin America to find the axis, the angles, the concepts and actions taken into account when planning and executing and IT public program.
If you have ideas regarding this topic please drop a line.