# Just got told I am to train my replacement today



## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

I got told that the company I am working for right now has hired a Director of IT. I have been fulfilling this role for the past year already. I have re-architected the infrastructure which would allow for growth as well as save money in both short and long term. I have helped architect the new web presence in addition to our loyalty program. I have managed the migration to a new telco provider nation wide. I have rolled out 35 new SQL based POS servers.

I am bitter, and frustrated now. I no longer have any respect for this company or its owner or board of directors. I told them over a YEAR ago that their back up solution was NOT certified and was not backing up data... And yet they still waffle back and forth...

Now I am told they are getting someone else to run the show?

Pardon my french fut **** them and the horse they rode in on...

Nothing like being out of a job coming up to Christmas...

Sorry for the rant, but I had to unload somewhere and I did not want to shoot my mouth off here at work. At least I can try and maintain my dignity here....

****suckers, the whole lot of 'em


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

ashm70 said:


> I got told that the company I am working for right now has hired a Director of IT. I have been fulfilling this role for the past year already. I have re-architected the infrastructure which would allow for growth as well as save money in both short and long term. I have helped architect the new web presence in addition to our loyalty program. I have managed the migration to a new telco provider nation wide. I have rolled out 35 new SQL based POS servers.
> 
> I am bitter, and frustrated now. I no longer have any respect for this company or its owner or board of directors. I told them over a YEAR ago that their back up solution was NOT certified and was not backing up data... And yet they still waffle back and forth...
> 
> ...


That is a major bummer man. I spent the last month at my previous job training a guy from China that was taking over my job. The only difference was, I was happy to do it and I charged the company a fistfull for the service. I could not wait to get out of there. it back fired on them in the long run. GM pulled out of the whole idea of re-locating purchasing to China so they got screwed anyway. Hang in there, hopefully better things are coming for you.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

Sorry for the profanity, I am in a bad state right now... I am sooo tempted to just walk today. If I were single and not a father, I would have told them to screw themselves in the meeting and just walked out.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

ashm70 said:


> Sorry for the profanity, I am in a bad state right now... I am sooo tempted to just walk today. If I were single and not a father, I would have told them to screw themselves in the meeting and just walked out.


I know where you are in terms of feelings. But whatever you do... wait a few days. Your mind will clear a lot after a few days. Dont do anything until you wait a few days and think it over.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Let me guess, they got themselves onto a list of the 100 Best Employers somewhere?

One of the areas I work on is so-called "employee engagement". Most of the consultng firms and empoyers who talk a pretty good game about such matters wouldn't know it if it bit them on the scrotum and drew blood. Seriously. Most contemorary models of what induces employees to give their all miss out on some key areas like that which you describe. Just exactly what would be your incentive now to do a decent job? Why would you not mis-train your replacement just to get even? What would make you feel bad about coughing a bit on the phone and calling in sick with, um, H1N1 (yeah...THAT's the ticket!)?

A wonderful paper by Stanford University management expert Jeffrey Pfeffer called "Why the war for talent is harmful to your organization's health" outlines the many ways in which bringing in so-called "top talent" from outside the organization (and totally ignoring the talent within) can gut employee motivation. Management has to give you an answer to the question "Why bother?". And if they can't, they're in deeper trouble than they realize.

You have every right to be bitter. They hired you because you're good. They asked you to train someone because you know what you're doing. And now they want you to read some lines ftrom "Deliverance" (something about bending over and squealing like a pig).

But then finding people in the IT world who have the technical savvy AND people skills to manage has generally always been a very tough row to hoe. Quite often, asking IT managers to make sensitive considerate decisions is asking them to step beyond the perimeter of their expertise. If there is any consolation, it's tactics like that which will have the management team in that company standing in line behind you at a Service Canada outlet in short order. F*** them and the MBA they rode in with. The horse meant no harm, so leave them out of the picture.


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## Guest (Nov 3, 2009)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I know where you are in terms of feelings. But whatever you do... wait a few days. Your mind will clear a lot after a few days. Dont do anything until you wait a few days and think it over.


+1 -- maybe there's a CIO offer waiting in the wings for you?


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## Guest (Nov 3, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Let me guess, they got themselves onto a list of the 100 Best Employers somewhere?
> 
> One of the areas I work on is so-called "employee engagement". Most of the consultng firms and empoyers who talk a pretty good game about such matters wouldn't know it if it bit them on the scrotum and drew blood. Seriously. Most contemorary models of what induces employees to give their all miss out on some key areas like that which you describe. Just exactly what would be your incentive now to do a decent job? Why would you not mis-train your replacement just to get even? What would make you feel bad about coughing a bit on the phone and calling in sick with, um, H1N1 (yeah...THAT's the ticket!)?
> 
> ...


Mark, I've been showing this video to anyone at my office who'll listen:

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

Seen it? What do you think? I think money, specifically bonuses, makes people in my industry (semiconductors) stupid. Everyone is afraid to think because every single idea you generate is tied to money in your pocket. No risks. No innovation. Just a meandering plod towards obsolescence.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

iaresee said:


> +1 -- maybe there's a CIO offer waiting in the wings for you?


Not likely... I don't think I am old enough by the owner's standards...


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

iaresee said:


> Mark, I've been showing this video to anyone at my office who'll listen:
> 
> http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html
> 
> Seen it? What do you think? I think money, specifically bonuses, makes people in my industry (semiconductors) stupid. Everyone is afraid to think because every single idea you generate is tied to money in your pocket. No risks. No innovation. Just a meandering plod towards obsolescence.


I can't look at the video from here, but I'll take a gander once I get home. In the meantime, I encourage one and all to read this very prophetic article by Malcolm Gladwell: http://www.gladwell.com/pdf/talent.pdf It outlines the HR approach adopted by Enron and Worldcom, as advocated by the management consulting firm of McKinsey and Co, in the few years before their downfall. Putzes. Unfortunately, what Gladwell describes is more contagious than H1N1.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

that really bites the big one. i hope things work out better for you in the future. 

maybe it's just my opinion, but often times when we work for people like that we know what they are capable of. sometimes we even see the shaft coming before it does, waiting for it in denial or maybe out of security/comfort. 
i know it's been that way for me a time or two. sounds like they did you a favor, in the long run. best of luck. you prolly won't be out of work for long.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

My 2 cents

What they are doing to you spews chunks. That being said, do you want to spew chunks too? I think to rise to the occasion, do your job in a dignified manner, and don't give them any reason to say anything negative about you is the way to go. There are things you have done and set up that is your own intellectual property, and you take that with you. You do not have to train your replacement other than an "overview", or the generalities. Remember, that this is the person they selected as more qualified, and thus, should be able to think his way through what he comes across. After all, with less qualifications, you did. So just do the job they are paying you for, but certainly no more than that.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Were you on contract or salaried? If salaried, did they give you a reason for dismissal? Is the replacement education related, ie, new director has some letters behind his name you don't?

I have a number of friends in IT (and at one point considered it myself), their jobs seem to come and go but they always land on their feet quickly. I wish the same for you.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

One of the research literatures I follow in the journals is that which is generally referred to as "organizational justice"; essentially the perceived fairness of person-organization transactions. So that could be the fairness of hiring practices, layoffs, performance appraisals, or any number of things.

One of the godfathers of the field, Jerald Greenberg at Ohio State, published a paper in 1990 that set the management community on its collective ass. He somehow persuaded a midwestern manufacturing company that had to do some fiscal ugliness to let him use the occasion for a field study. Three different plants in three different cities were studied. All three had indices of theft and employee turnover measured for 10 weeks or so as baseline. At the end of that period, employees at one of the plants was told there would be wage rollbacks. It was a cut and dry message without much explanation and without any assurances that things would get back to normal at some identifiable point in the future. A second plant received a similar announcement and rollback, but the announcement was much more apologetic, and came with much more explanation; everything you would expect if someone was trying their best to be "fair". The third plant received no rollback or announcement as a control. Both plants with rollbacks suffered increased theft and experienced increased departures during the 10 weeks or so that wages were rolled back, but the plant with the short-n-cold announcement suffered 3x the theft. When the rollback was cancelled and normal wages reinstated, employee theft dropped but turnover remained high in the plant with the less empathetic announcement.

The takehome message was clear: fairness costs you less, and unfairness hits the bottom line. It was a pretty compelling message to management and one that consultants could use as a sledgehammer to drive their advice home. Since that classic study, there have been many others that demonstrate other impacts on the bottom line of being fair vs unfair, sensitive vs inconsiderate.

As one of the principal researchers in the field noted at a conference I attended in the late 90's, "I live in Michigan, where the big 3 automakers are located. Every year, thousands of people apply for jobs there, and while I'll bet most of them own automobiles, only a fraction of those people are hired by the auto companies. You have to wonder what impact the nature of the treatment during that job application process might have on their consumer behaviour. If they feel they were cheated by that potential employer, will they be so quick to buy, or recommend buying, a car from that company?"


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Okay, listened to the Dan Pink thing. It's basically a synopsis of Deci & Ryan's "Self-determination theory" ( http://www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT/ ).

He's not entirely wrong in what he has to say, but he overstates his case. What people want from their work is not "fun" or compensation, but rather *justification*. That justification for what they do can sometimes come in the form of money for some people and some tasks, and can also be provided in terms of intrinsic factors like "fun" or curiosity. But it has to lead somewhere that provides justification for one's efforts. I can assure you that people urged to spend time doing what they like, but never allowed to finish it, or never allowed to present it to others and have it valued, will not be nearly as motivated as some in Pink's audience might think.

One of the downsides to thinking that compensation will solve all organizational problems is that people most motivated by money (and often by the status attached to the money - i.e., being the highest paid whatever - rather than what they do with the money) will eventually take off on you. They may be motivated, but their actions are not necessarily congruent with what the organization needs. I keep reminding folks around me that it's not whether you can "attract the best and the brightest" (a phrase that has me running for the Pepto-Bismal every time), or how quickly you can hire them, it's how long they stay with you. Waving wads of cash to attract the B&B may bring moths to the flame, but not necessarily moths who will stay with you once they've gotten the promotion leverage out of you that they want. I hasten to remind people of something we seem to have forgotten: companies benefit by having "talent", but they benefit more by having loyalty plus talent. Money, you can get just about anywhere, so don't think your money will elicit loyalty that trumps someone else's money.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

First get a glowing letter of reccemondation from them and then tell them to pound sand.
Train my replacement?? Are f**king kidding me? Train him yourself.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

bscott said:


> First get a glowing letter of reccemondation from them and then tell them to pound sand.
> Train my replacement?? Are f**king kidding me? Train him yourself.


It is corporate policy to not provide references other than confirm employment...


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i once had what i considered my dream job. the pay was good, my boss was great. it wasn't perfect there, but i loved that job because i was treated like a human, instead of an indentured servant. there was a time when i needed to hire some guys, so i called a few good guys i knew at another company.
i knew the company well. they were total @#$%^& who wouldn't cross the street to piss on you if you were on fire. no one would leave them, it was as if they had stockholm syndrome. "well, i've been here 10 yrs..."
yeah, but they laid you off 7 or 8 times, never pay bonuses, and treat you like dirt. it reminds me of women who stay with the guys that beat them.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

ashm70 said:


> It is corporate policy to not provide references other than confirm employment...


Then take any severence they may pay and then tell them to pound sand.


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## Stonesy (Oct 7, 2008)

Get the resume out there ASAP and cut those slimes off at the pass. 
Computer people=money:smile:


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

ashm70 said:


> It is corporate policy to not provide references other than confirm employment...


Then there is no incentive for you not to mis-train your replacement as mhammer suggested.


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## Stonesy (Oct 7, 2008)

Powdered Toast Man said:


> Then there is no incentive for you not to mis-train your replacement as mhammer suggested.


Get me a skyhook! MOFO!


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

Well after sleeping on this for a night I am even more pissed off...

When I started here over a year ago, I found in the first week that backups were not viable. The hardware is installed on a machine running VM. The device is not VM certified. As a result no vaild backups are being processed. When the backup does run it just sucks up CPU cycles on each of the machines it is backing up but it does not write to tape.

I have raised this issue several times and have re-architect'd the whole environment with an eye to VM. This leads into co-lo for DR as well as it creates a UAT environment. The infrastructure I designed would actually save them money to the tune of 41K per year in just shipping out paper pay stubs....

I was told that they needed a second opinion. Fine, I can understand that. However a second opinion doesn ot mean hiring a Dir IT to come in.... for this guy's salary I could redo the entire environment and be done with it...

I am more bitter today than yesterday if that is possible. I am just not as angry.

The board of directors is more hung up on the prestige of having a director of IT (for a department of 2 people) than doing what is right and good for the company. I said as much to my boss (the CFO) and he told me that the board had decided this and it was the way to go. I really like my current boss. He is a fair level headed man who took my advice and ideas and valued them.

In short, I am now spending most of my day(s) looking for a new gig.

Sorry for the negativity here guys. If I did not unload here, it would have been in the office and I would have acted the fool. I appreciate the opportunity to vent here.

Thanks for the kind ear,

Andrew

P.S. At least this will give me a reason to sing the blues now?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Unload all you want. I far prefer people unloading about something real, and experienced by all too many, than hearing underinformed people unload about the imagined. (Can you tell I've been to the CBC website?)

A little over 30 years ago, the drummer in my band and myself rented a half-duplex to share. The landlord lived in another part of town. While he had the money to own the property on paper, he basically only had the money to keep up his own home, and let ours go to hell in a hand-basket. Unfortunately, there is no law that requires a person to have common-sense and enough funds available to maintain a rental property before they are permitted to become a landlord. Same way that there is no law which requires a person to have insight and patience before becoming a parent, no law that requires someone to be competent at explaining and evaluating before they are allowed to teach, and the same way there is no law requiring someone to have wisdom, foresight, and empathy before they become a business owner or manager.

Sadly, you got handed the brownish end of that particular stick. I suppose one skill that you should perhaps be honing right now is being able to explain the conflict between yourself and your (soon-to-be previous) employer in a way that doesn't make you sound like trouble. The origins of the split are that you entertained certain assumptions about what would be optimal for the organization (good on you! more employees should be like that), which differed from your management. They failed to present a convincing case that their strategy provided certain clear advantages to the organization that yours didn't (something that might have led to you saying "Ohhhhhh, I get it now".), and chose to find you surplus. There is certainly no "honour" in being surplus, but at the same time it is not a dishonourable discharge. So, when the time comes to find yourself a better employer, set aside the bitterness and have your new employer know that someone else's short-sighted decision is their good fortune. That'll make for a better cover letter, a better interview, a new start, and a better Monday morning (hopefully with a fatter cheque). You deserve it.:smilie_flagge17:


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Are they publicly traded or part of an organization that is? Could be they just need/want to make their annual reports look better. That would be an easy one to explain in a future interview.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

an update...

Ok, so the new guy starts. I had to sit down with him to discuss the VM architecture that I created for this company and explain the rationale behind most of it. I have absolutely no issue for that. It gives me a chance to show off my plan...

However during the discussion I got asked "What's a SAN" as well as what is BES and the comment "Oh, we used HP VMware, it is a much better version"

Keep in mind that this guy is the DIRECTOR OF I frigging T, he should be well aware of these terms unless he has been living under a rock for the past 10 years.

I cannot believe that this guy is going to be the head honcho here... How do I get that kind of gig?


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

ashm70 said:


> an update...
> 
> Ok, so the new guy starts. I had to sit down with him to discuss the VM architecture that I created for this company and explain the rationale behind most of it. I have absolutely no issue for that. It gives me a chance to show off my plan...
> 
> ...


I was in the corporate world for many, many years. It was my observation that the higher up you were, the less you had to know. I knew many a VP that had not one clue as to what was going on. But they could ALL play a pretty good round of golf.


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

ashm70 said:


> an update...
> 
> Ok, so the new guy starts. I had to sit down with him to discuss the VM architecture that I created for this company and explain the rationale behind most of it. I have absolutely no issue for that. It gives me a chance to show off my plan...
> 
> ...


I worked for a number of different companies, of different sizes. As well, being a salesman most of that time I called on literally hundreds of different companies. Sadly, one thing I learned well is that your situation is not only typical but perhaps the norm!

Sometimes I wondered if it was a Canadian thing, that we were far worse at management than our American cousins. Since my field was selling electronic parts to manufacturers, most of the brands were from American-based companies, like Intel, Motorola and Texas Instruments. There was a BIG difference between working for a Canadian distributor and an American one! In America, if you received a better offer you usually could go to your boss about it. He would then have the opportunity to match it or shake your hand and wish you the best. It might happen that some years later you would return to that company, as you accumulated experience up the ladder.

In Canada if my boss ever found out I was entertaining an offer from another company I'd be kicked out the door! What's more, I might have been the company hero but after that I would forever be Satan personified!

Virtually ALL the various firms I worked for were like the Dilbert cartoons, to greater or lesser degrees. The larger and older companies were the worst. I worked for one in Burlington that flogged its troops for over 6 months to meet a deadline. Holidays were cancelled, overtime was effectively compulsory (not officially, of course. That would be illegal!) and the pressure was incredible.

We made the deadline by Christmas. In the first week of January two notices were posted in the lunch room, one directly atop of the other. The first was a "atta boys! Thank you!" missive from the divisional manager, mentioning various departments by name and laying on the praise for "everyone's herculean efforts"!

The second, just inches beneath the first, was a layoff notice for several hundred workers.

Immediately there was a wildcat strike in the production area. I stood back and watched, flabbergasted at how such a thing could have happened. Maybe a layoff period was necessary and inevitable but surely they could have waited a day or two. Or even put the second notice up on a different wall! Yet the management was walking around trying to cope with the walkout, blissfully ignorant of how the situation had happened. I couldn't understand how those managers got given those large salaries!

If it's any consolation to you, my experience was that while in some cases it takes years sooner or later those kind of screwy and thoughtless companies go out of business! They are running on inertia and if they are big enough they can last a long time. Look at GM! Eventually, things catch up to them. Smaller companies are able to pick at them in the marketplace like piranha, stealing both customers and employers. After all, the offending companies make it so easy!

Right now, remember the Klingon adage that "revenge is a dish best served cold". Do what's best for you and your family. A change of employment might be a blessing. Any company that would treat you like they did is liable to screw up and go bankrupt anyway.

Maybe you should consider going "contract". You'd have more freedom and probably make as much or more money! IT guys have almost been forced into being mostly contract workers, since most management doesn't understand what they do and so are resistant to giving proper support. It's harder to take a contract IT guy who refuses to be tied to them for granted.

Good luck!

:food-smiley-004:


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The sad truth is that once you have stupidity firmly implanted in an organization, getting rid of it is like - to quote Lenny Bruce - getting snot off a suede jacket. Why? Because the folks who select management are those nearest the top, and like tends to select like. And if they aren't near the top, they are being guided by directives from the top. And the top is not big on details. Perhaps more importantly, management places an enormous value on "Can I work with this person?". Now, that is not unimportant, but necessity is not sufficiency. So, having a credential that smells good, a firm handshake, and you seem like someone who would be good in meetings, does not replace deep "organically acquired" knowledge of the material, processes, and business of the organization. And "top talent" from outside is not a replacement for "groomed from the inside". There is more than a grain of truth, I suppose, to the premise that you can always teach someone the details of the business but you can't teach them to be easy and comfortable to work with. But there is an equally large, if not larger, grain of truth to the notion that an MBA and an "impressive resumé" does not equal competence or tacit knowledge of the organization, and that if you want a truly great hire, you use not only tests of personality, reference checks, and interviews, but you look at capacity to learn quickly and knowledge of the area.


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

mhammer said:


> The sad truth is that once you have stupidity firmly implanted in an organization, getting rid of it is like - to quote Lenny Bruce - getting snot off a suede jacket. Why? Because the folks who select management are those nearest the top, and like tends to select like. And if they aren't near the top, they are being guided by directives from the top. And the top is not big on details. Perhaps more importantly, management places an enormous value on "Can I work with this person?". Now, that is not unimportant, but necessity is not sufficiency. So, having a credential that smells good, a firm handshake, and you seem like someone who would be good in meetings, does not replace deep "organically acquired" knowledge of the material, processes, and business of the organization. And "top talent" from outside is not a replacement for "groomed from the inside". There is more than a grain of truth, I suppose, to the premise that you can always teach someone the details of the business but you can't teach them to be easy and comfortable to work with. But there is an equally large, if not larger, grain of truth to the notion that an MBA and an "impressive resumé" does not equal competence or tacit knowledge of the organization, and that if you want a truly great hire, you use not only tests of personality, reference checks, and interviews, but you look at capacity to learn quickly and knowledge of the area.


In short....bullsh*t baffles brains :sport-smiley-002:


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## sysexguy (Mar 5, 2006)

rent "The Mechanic" with Charles Bronson

Andy


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

ashm70 said:


> an update...
> 
> Ok, so the new guy starts. I had to sit down with him to discuss the VM architecture that I created for this company and explain the rationale behind most of it. I have absolutely no issue for that. It gives me a chance to show off my plan...
> 
> ...



I get that the common belief is that Director of I.T. type people are usually not that technically inclined, like most think they should be. But I don't know how that is possible. I'm an I.T. guy I manage a network for an International company. The head of I.T. our CTO is not only a great guy he knows quite a bit. He probably couldn't do what I do 100% but he's smart enough I beleive he could figure it out if he had to. Infact he has helped me on some problems that I've been stumped on. Of course I've helped the development team on some stuff to. 
And my boss knows what a SAN is and knows what VMWARE and HyperV are etc. I guess I feel lucky
To the O.P. this might be a good time to gamble and walk out. I don't know how the new guy could fill your shoes. Of course he might be really good at finding your replacement.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

OK, so I had a meeting with this guy, my CFO and reps from Dell. I had done solution design for a virtulized environment and the apropriate pricing and TCO work done. Well the new genius (whom I shall now refer to as Droopy). Well Droopy decided that he wanted a quote from Dell. So, he gets the following specs from our existing boxes for Dell to quote on:

Machine name (WTF dif does that make?)
HDD
Number of CPU's (no speeds, just number of cpus)

So Dell sits down with us and looks at the current hardware list and the first question they ask is: "Have you considered virtulization, as this would be a good candidate for it?" Droopy responds by saying that it is not what he wants, he says it is too complex and expensive. Keep in mind he has been here a week, has no idea of strategic plans, no concept of current utilization etc...

He then tells the Dell reps that he wants to pare down the solution as he has never seen a drive fail (I just replaced one on monday, in a Dell no less) in all his years of IT. HE said that at his previous position he implemented a whole 5 racks of equipment (BIG FU*KING DEAL). He is throwing out acronyms and jingoistic terms like they are going out of style, ALL WRONG. The Dell SME was chuckling to himself at this guy's stupidity.

I finally could not take anymore and just got up and walked out. I met with the CFO afterwards and told him bluntly that the guy is a wash and they should get rid of him now. The CFO did not comment either way, but he did acknowledge that my solution did seem to be the better one and made more business sense.

The CFO has now asked me to prepare a case for VM vs the Droopy's "solution".

Man, I have to say, it felt good to just get up and walk out in the middle of Droopy's diatribe. I did not even say anything, I just left. During the meeting, my CFO and I exchanged raised eyebrow looks at some of the shit that Droopy was spouting.

I cannot believe they hired this guy without even giving me the chance. I think my CFO is now seeing the error in that. I am hoping that this guy will get the axe and I can be given the chance to run the show as it should be run.

THanks for the opportunity to vent... I will keep posting if you're all interested. It should get pretty comical when he and I go tete a tete to choose one solution over the other. I cannot wait to see what awesome techno speak he comes out with next. "HP is shit, they are unreliable, Dell is so much better, I used them at my last position. HP went down after taking over compaq"


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## kw_guitarguy (Apr 29, 2008)

That sucks ash...If my CIO asked what a SAN was...I'd scream!

That being said...most organizations that have a CTO/CIO/IT Director etc...don't need that person to be THAT technical...BUT they do need a layer beneath him that has the knowledge. It doesn't sound like your company is large enough for the "3 tiered" IT management approach (guy who does the work, guy who manages the team and knows his stuff, then top level guy who deals with the top level bull poop...)

Just continue to prove to teh CFO that you are better suited for the job, or at the very least, that Droopy isn't suited for anything other than a calculator salesman!!

A little off topic, I am a huge virtualization fan, just working on my upgrade plans for VSPhere 4...


~Andrew


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2009)

Where do you work? I want to make sure I don't own shares in it. :smile:


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

YES !!....

Can't wait to hear what happens at the meeting.

"Droopy"....hwopv.... love it....

Glad to hear you walked out of the meeting..:bow:

All the best with this one.

Dave


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Okay my guess is your story is a fictional tv script for a new comedy about an IT department.
I do have to disagree with you on Dell though. I can't stand dealing with those guys and avoid it at all costs. And I'm not so much talking about their product and support. There sales guys drive me nuts.
We deal all in HP and yes I've had my nightmares there.


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## kw_guitarguy (Apr 29, 2008)

I've had nightmares with Dell, HP, IBM....everyone! But I would rank Dell the lowest...our SANS are HP and I love them, solid and reliable with great support.

~Andrew


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

kw_guitarguy said:


> That sucks ash...If my CIO asked what a SAN was...I'd scream!
> 
> That being said...most organizations that have a CTO/CIO/IT Director etc...don't need that person to be THAT technical...BUT they do need a layer beneath him that has the knowledge. It doesn't sound like your company is large enough for the "3 tiered" IT management approach (guy who does the work, guy who manages the team and knows his stuff, then top level guy who deals with the top level bull poop...)
> 
> ...


Ya, the dept consists of myself, my assistant and Droopy. More than a little top heavy I would say.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

guitarman2 said:


> Okay my guess is your story is a fictional tv script for a new comedy about an IT department.
> I do have to disagree with you on Dell though. I can't stand dealing with those guys and avoid it at all costs. And I'm not so much talking about their product and support. There sales guys drive me nuts.
> We deal all in HP and yes I've had my nightmares there.


I wish it were a TV pilot... At least then I'd only have to do one episode before it got shit canned...

I am NOT a big fan of Dell. I am a long time Domino/Websphere architect and every where I have had to work with Dell, they have been garbage. Consumer grade hardware re-packaged as business ready. 

However, I do have to give credit, they did see the virtualization opportunity right off the bat so they have that going for them.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

greco said:


> YES !!....
> 
> Can't wait to hear what happens at the meeting.
> 
> ...


The name suits... a rotund little man who wears suspenders and a belt. He is in his early 60's/late 50's I'd say...


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

kw_guitarguy said:


> I've had nightmares with Dell, HP, IBM....everyone! But I would rank Dell the lowest...our SANS are HP and I love them, solid and reliable with great support.
> 
> ~Andrew


Over all I've been satisfied with our HP SAN but I have had some strange issues in the past 3 years regarding reliability.
Support was good with HP but it was a pain for the first year. It took them that long to find my contract # so that I didn't get a hassle every time I phoned
The biggest headache and where most of the support was used was for Data protector and our tape library.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

ashm70 said:


> I wish it were a TV pilot... At least then I'd only have to do one episode before it got shit canned...
> 
> I am NOT a big fan of Dell. I am a long time Domino/Websphere architect and every where I have had to work with Dell, they have been garbage. Consumer grade hardware re-packaged as business ready.
> 
> However, I do have to give credit, they did see the virtualization opportunity right off the bat so they have that going for them.


Well hopefully for everycloud there is a silver lining. They're crying for IT folk in Waterloo:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091111/technology/technology_rim_homeless_1


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## kw_guitarguy (Apr 29, 2008)

Good article...RIM is a bi*ch to get into. Yeah they have 6000+ emps. in our area, but to get in, you basically have to be a U of W grad...shame really...

Oh well...hopefully things turn around soon 

~Andrew


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