1. Educause Mid-Atlantic Conference
The Challenge of Managing and Leading through Others Discussion Session Tom Dugas, Associate Director J. Alex Lang, Sr. Manager, Desktop Support Program
Educause Mid-Atlantic Conference
January 12, 2012
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Tom - Introduction
6/2/2018

2. About Carnegie Mellon University
Established in 1900
Private Research Institution
6,000 ~ Undergraduate students
5,500 ~ Graduate and Doctorate students
4,500 ~ Faculty and Staff
Tom – Introduction and Carnegie Mellon Background
Carnegie Mellon is a relatively young university compared to our peers. CMU established in 1900 and MIT in 1861 and Princeton 1746
We are a R1 Research Institution with approximately 40% of our revenue coming from sponsored projects
6/2/2018

3. IT @ Carnegie Mellon Centralized and Decentralized IT Units
Computing Services: Approximately 220 Central IT Staff
10 Directorates
Worldwide Operations
Hundreds of Decentralized IT Staff in units such as the School of Computer Science, Electrical Computer Engineering, & Software Engineering Institute.
Business Units have their own IT staff to support ERP/Business Apps with Infrastructure Support from Computing Services (i.e. Financial System – Oracle EBS; HRIT – Work Day)
Tom
6/2/2018

4. Roles and Organization
Computing Services - Global IT Services - January 2012
Vice Provost & CIO
Associate Vice Provost
Director, Global IT Services
Executive Assistant
Thomas Dugas
Associate Director,
Global IT Services
Manager,
Telecommunications
Manager,
Help Center
Manager, Communication
& Documentation
Alex Lang
Sr. Manager,
Desktop Support Program
Manager,
Strategic Relations
Sr. Manager,
DR/BC
Assistant Manager,
IT & Telecommunications
Services
Help Center Consultant
& Problem Analyst
Consultant & Knowledge
Center Support
Specialist
Consultant & Operations
Continuity Specialist
Consultant & Help
Center Team Lead
Consultant & Customer
Service Specialist
Sr. Documentation
Specialist
Documentation Specialist
Principal DR/BC
Engineer
Sr. DR/BC
Technical Lead
Assistant Manager
Database Assistant
Computing Services
Assistant
Tom - Key: Purple – Tom’s area - Blue/Green Alex’s
Of the 220 people that work in Computing Services, Global IT Services consists of 42 of those and the group that I oversee equals 26 of those with 5 managers and 21 staff
Ask: Show of hands: How many of you are in IT organizations above 200? 150? 100? 50? 20? Less?
Ask: “Raise you hand if you would consider it difficult to lead through others in your organization? How many find it difficult for others to lead through you?”
Telecommunications
Systems Administrator
Customer Service
Representative
Campus Affairs Team
Technology Consultant
Craig Street Team
Technology Consultant
Campus Team
Technology Consultant
Communications
Project Manager
Information Services
Operator
Platinum Team
Platinum Consultant
6/2/2018

5. IT Leadership Paths Thought Leader Advisory Consultative Transactional
Expectations:
Lead Significant Operational Activities/Projects
Influence Strategy
Foster Collaboration and Partnerships
Empower/Develop with and through others
Expectations:
Direct & Lead Organizations
Strategic Planning
Change Advocacy
External/Internal Alliances
Inspire Innovation
Expectations:
Manage a department program/
Budget Management
Operational Planning
Empowering & Developing Others
Expectations:
Manage a small team or program
Operational Effectiveness
Lead projects and initiatives
Develop policies and procedures
Expectations:
Oversee a small team
Supervise Staff and put together indiv. development plans
Contribute to projects and services
Director
Assoc./Asst. Director
Sr. Manager/
Manager
Thought Leader
Assistant Manager
Tom
Ask: How many of you have more than 5 layers of management? How many 4? 3? Less?
Ask: How many of you have defined leadership paths developed in your organization? Do any of you have defined technology leader paths as well? Are you clear about what to expect from them or how to work with them?
Advisory
Team Leader
Consultative
Transactional
6/2/2018

6. Have you been challenged to…
Manage Upward/Downward
Work across other units/departments
Manage other Managers
Develop Cross-Functional Project Teams
Deal with the Culture and History of an Organization while Adopting Change
Former positions & former roles
Sometimes the “history” isn’t pleasant
Alex
Ask for show of hands for each scenario.
Ask: “What other kinds of interesting or complex situations can arise in working with others at different levels and layers of an organization?”
6/2/2018

7. What about…
Competing for a position with your peers only to later have to work with them as their boss?
Inheriting work from another staff member to take it to the next level?
Managing through others on a special project you have been assigned to outside of your normal role?
Taking on (Forced?) into a missing role in a project team?
Needing to rely on other leaders for your own work?
Alex
Ask for show of hands for each of these scenarios.
Ask, “are there other potentially sticky situations that you found yourself in?” “What other types of circumstances could involve people in different ways?”
6/2/2018

8. What have we learned?
Sometimes it’s necessary to let go and trust the other person. No one person can do it all.
Try to balance what you need to know versus what you want to know.
Too many cooks in the kitchen doesn’t necessarily mean better food.
Involving Supervisors versus trusting others
Explaining your motives & reasons can set others at ease.
Tom
Ask, “What other advice do you have to offer?”
6/2/2018

9. Best Practices to Consider
Transparency – be as clear and open as possible
Set Expectations up front. Specifically: deliverables, timelines, and outcomes.
Agree on Communication Channels & Preferences up down and across
Don’t commit resources you don’t directly oversee without first discussing with their direct manager
Talk! Communicate! Then Talk and Communicate some more!
Understand the stakes: Know when to delegate versus when to decide
Tom
6/2/2018

10. Best Practices to Consider
Empathize. Seek to understand before being understood (Covey).
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes – talk to them – before making a decision that impacts them.
Help others to understand where you’re coming from on an issue.
Understand and explain the different perspectives and viewpoints of each role.
Remember you are both learning from each other!
Define and agree upon goals
Allow for different approaches to solving the same problem
Alex
6/2/2018

11. Questions & Contact Info
Alex
Tom Dugas –
J. Alex Lang –
6/2/2018