We're merging companies, and the system admins had a meeting between West (them) and East (us) and while their lead guy and myself (sudo lead guy) get along really well, their lead guy and another guy on my team don't get along very well.

The rub is that a guy on my team wants to just mash all of our stuff into their systems, and their guy wants to make sure the structure is in place because their organizational structure isn't the greatest currently, and he wants it fixed before we dump stuff on their systems. I get it. I agree. Let's do it step by step.

HOWEVER.

This is how my meeting went yesterday afternoon. All of us between Irvine and Grand Rapids, Michigan stuck listening to this blather for over 40 minutes:

We need to do something about Sharepoint
No we don't
Yes we do
No we don't
But we do
No we don't
Yes we do, the Marketing team can't stay on the old tenant because they have multiple logins
They're fine for now
No we need to get them migrated
Okay we do but not now because it'll be worse if we screw it up
No it won't
Yes it will
No it won't
Yes it will
No it won't we can just fix it right away
No you can't
Yes we can
No, we can't
Yes, we can, especially if we just drag and drop things
No we can't
Yes we can
No, because it needs permissions that aren't easy to apply
No it doesn't
Yes it does
No it doesn't
Yes it does.
No, you can just import the data raw and it'll dump all the permissions.
No you can't
Yes we can
No you can't
Yes we can
No, you can't because if you dump all the permissions, then the teams will have access to the directories across all of the data and half of them aren't supposed to be in the entire site because they're 1099
It doesn't matter if they're down
Yes it does
No it doesn't
Yes it does
No it doesn't
Yes it does, because they can still access via the old site.
No they can't
Yes they can
No they can't
Yes they can, they can just use the onmicrosoft login
They can but it's confusing. We need to do something about Sharepoint
No we don't
Yes we do
No we don't

And on and on and on and on.... Today, when I join the integration meeting, I'm just going to say, "Hello, I'm here for an argument."

<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/25921512">Monty Python - The Argument Sketch</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user5872145">Scotty Altizer</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Where's Auntie?

I can't tell if you meant "pseudo lead guy" or if you just made yourself the lead guy with sudo lead guy...

Sudo was intentional, but pseudo is literally closer to the mark.

Ahhh....reminds me of my days before retirement. I was tasked with being the devils advocate in meetings like that. I never came out and said things like "shut the fuck up. That's a stupid idea or are you on drugs?" but I sure wanted to many times. I miss the job at times but never the endless and mindless meetings.

Jim

Thats when, as a higher up in the company, you sit in on these meetings then make the hard call.

"We are doing it X's way. Are you onboard? No? You're fired. X, take care of it."

Or better yet, it's why they cut the head off one of the merging companies and let the other run everything.

quote:

Originally posted by Veeper:
Sudo was intentional, but pseudo is literally closer to the mark.

I dig it.

quote:

Originally posted by Veeper:
and while their lead guy and myself (sudo lead guy) get along really well, their lead guy and another guy on my team don't get along very well.

The rub is that a guy on my team wants to just mash all of our stuff into their systems, and their guy wants to make sure the structure is in place because their organizational structure isn't the greatest currently, and he wants it fixed before we dump stuff on their systems. I get it. I agree. Let's do it step by step.

Sounds like you need to pull your guy aside before the next meeting to diplomatically tell him that the decision has been made that you're doing it West's way, and he needs to hush.

Or since you're only the "pseudo lead", if you don't have the actual authority to do that, get with whoever does to explain your position and request that they intervene before any more time is wasted.

There’s never a merger of equals so find out who is the responsible executive and get them involved. From what ERP changes I’ve observed during mergers or even when one is implementing a new system, it’s always best to get your physical/organizational processes mapped out first, then adopt and/or modify the new or combined IT platforms to support the former.

It's entertaining how little regard is given to IT when it comes to M&A.

Ha ha been there done that.

You pretty much have to drive down a path. Of course you'd like to choose the one with least resistance, but sometimes you can't tell which one it is.


Just start making the executive decisions and if you meet resistance ask them to quickly summarize why they oppose.

Best of luck

Cheers~

The customer (BellSouth) when AT&T (SBC) bought them years ago, after attending merger meetings:

AT&T rep: Hello folks, good to see you again after so many years. We bought you, everything will be done our way. No questions asked.

BellSouth SME: Since the break-up, we've advanced & improved our processes markedly, you're still following the old inefficient strategies!!

AT&T: Meeting adjourned, thanks for attending.

Ah, corporate horse shit. I too experienced the joy of stupid interference. I ran a 2 million a year contract that produced a 35 percent profit. I ran every aspect of it, all corporate had to do was write payroll checks. They screwed with me for 12 years. I retired in Jan 18. On July 1, the corporation lost the contract. By September they had managed to lose 7 more.

If you can win, fight. If you can't, move along. Life is too short.

Good for you Fredward.. Enjoy a nice iced tea on the deck/patio & giggle a little, you earned it.

Let's just say I empathize, but my impact is not as grand. Does make ya smile though, doesn't it?

Have you guys had these meetings yet as part of the merger?



Link to original video: https://youtu.be/fcIMIyQnOso

I work for a large defense contractor. About three years ago our business unit was swallowed up by another business unit, and our awesome, easy to use time recording system went away and they forced some SAP-based bullshit from 1981 on to us that literally I had to look up the instructions to use each time I used it.

They JUST got around to replacing it with something like we had before.

“People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.”
― Thomas Sowell, Ever Wonder Why? and Other Controversial Essays

Thank you all for reminding me of the joys of self employment. Even after several decades of no meetings, I remember how much I hated them.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Ahhh....reminds me of my days before retirement. I was tasked with being the devils advocate in meetings like that. I never came out and said things like "shut the fuck up. That's a stupid idea or are you on drugs?" but I sure wanted to many times. I miss the job at times but never the endless and mindless meetings.

Jim

^^^^^ This!

$sudo su - vpofcommonsense
password:********
Sorry, user is not allowed to execute '/usr/bin/su - vpofcommonsense'
$shell will timeout in 60 seconds due to arugment with no objective or outcome
$ -ksh: timed out waiting for vpofcommonsense