Mastering an IT Department
I've been managing IT projects and departments for a couple of years, and there is a number of patterns that pop up quite clearly. When the new engagement starts, it likely falls into one of two categories: greenfield or legacy. Greenfield is simple on its own - you will get a business idea, or vision, more or less refined. Maybe you will also inherit a team that is over the forming crisis and is ready to perform. The rest is simple - you follow the book, pick a process, plan and roll the ball. Legacy is a different story. You get some documents. You get some processes. You get some deliverables. And it all was managed if you're lucky. I never was. In a perfect world I can imagine a picture, when there was a manager, and they were managing a project successfully, but personal reasons kicked in and the y had to hand over. Possible? Of course. Probable? Nah. Most likely somebody decided to put a manager into a department because it became a mess. If you get a half...