Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!rochester!rit!mjl
From: mjl@cs.rit.edu
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Information Systems is an Engineering Discipline: Management
Message-ID: <1307@cs.rit.edu>
Date: 20 Sep 89 14:08:12 GMT
References: <6429@hubcap.clemson.edu> <10835@riks.csl.sony.co.jp> <89262.134141UH2@PSUVM.BITNET>
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Reply-To: mjl@ritcv.uucp (Michael Lutz)
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Lines: 48

In my experience, having technical people managing a project (or an
enterprise) is no guarantee of success, and having non-technical people
in a position of authority does not guarantee failure.  Within the past
couple of years I worked in two diametrically opposed environments.  In
one, there was technical management all the way to the top (the
president himself had a distinguished technical career).  However, this
particular management (EE/ME based by the way) knew nothing software,
didn't care to learn about software engineering, and really didn't give
a shit about software quality (this in spite of the fact that software
was an integral part the firm's products). The result was predictable:
they got shitty software, and morale was lousy among the software
development staff.

On the other hand, I also had the opportunity to work as a senior
designer in a product software group managed by a former customer
support engineer/sales rep/marketing rep.  This person had modest
software development experience aeons ago.  However, he viewed his job
as that of a "producer" and let those of us who were "directors" have
wide latitude as long as we could show sustained progress towards
product delivery.  He also recognized the necessity of providing a
solid support environment, and consistently authorized new hardware and
software tools if he could be convinced that they would help the
project.  Finally, he really believed in the product, communicated that
enthusiasm to the technical staff, and then trusted us to deliver.

In some ways the pressure was higher in the second situation, because
no one could honestly grouse about the lack of support from above, or
use managerial incompetence as an excuse for less than whole-hearted
effort.  But IMHO this was worth it, because the trust in the group and
each of its members kept up individual and team morale, even in the
face of normal project setbacks.

In summary, technical management is no panacea, and non-technical
management is not necessarily a recipe for disaster.  What's needed is
a good, trusting relationship between the manager and the technical
team, with a shared commitment to solid engineering.  I think it is the
lack of appreciation of these issues that is the root cause of most
engineer's disdain for MBA's

Mike Lutz
Rochester Institute of Technology

P.S.  The manager in the second story above is now in an MBA program.
I wonder if the brain-washing will alter his style :-)
Mike Lutz	Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY
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