Project Server admin... in way over my head
March 23, 2009 10:09 AM Subscribe
I am in way over my head at work right now as a project server administrator and I don’t see a clean way out of it.
I work at a small biotech company in program management. Last year my boss went ahead and bought Microsoft Project Server against me and my managers judgement (I don’t think we have the right environment for it with ~80 mostly unfriendly people completely against this type of management and extremely complicated timelines). We had a hiring freeze that pushed me into the role of deploying project server… I know what I’m doing enough to make it look like I know what I’m doing, but I’m quickly running out of runway here. This has basically turned into my sole responsibility and while I think it can be done, I certainly do not have the experience level necessary to make it a successful deployment (I get paid about a 1/3rd of what experienced Project Server Admins get on monster.com). Further complicating the matter is that my manager and my boss both really think that I can do this work (it doesn’t help that I told them that I thought I could do it way back when). They only sort of understand the complexity of project server and the organizational shift required to make it worthwhile… if I do get them to hear me out I’ll basically be laying the groundwork to losing my job, if I don’t then I’ll be the captain of a ship that is doomed to hit an iceberg… I also absolutely hate the software.... help!!!
I work at a small biotech company in program management. Last year my boss went ahead and bought Microsoft Project Server against me and my managers judgement (I don’t think we have the right environment for it with ~80 mostly unfriendly people completely against this type of management and extremely complicated timelines). We had a hiring freeze that pushed me into the role of deploying project server… I know what I’m doing enough to make it look like I know what I’m doing, but I’m quickly running out of runway here. This has basically turned into my sole responsibility and while I think it can be done, I certainly do not have the experience level necessary to make it a successful deployment (I get paid about a 1/3rd of what experienced Project Server Admins get on monster.com). Further complicating the matter is that my manager and my boss both really think that I can do this work (it doesn’t help that I told them that I thought I could do it way back when). They only sort of understand the complexity of project server and the organizational shift required to make it worthwhile… if I do get them to hear me out I’ll basically be laying the groundwork to losing my job, if I don’t then I’ll be the captain of a ship that is doomed to hit an iceberg… I also absolutely hate the software.... help!!!
I agree with Zippy. Find out if there are training courses you can take and propose this to your boss. This is bound to be cheaper than you losing your job and them having to hiring a Project Server Admin in your place. Or, perhaps they could hire a consultant for a short period of time to show you the ropes while getting the system deployed correctly. And definitely be up front about the situation - it is always better to face it head on with your boss than blindsiding him months from now when it truly could be a Titanic-type situation. Make him understand an extra cost now would save a fortune later on.
posted by boulder20something at 10:48 AM on March 23, 2009
posted by boulder20something at 10:48 AM on March 23, 2009
Tell your boss sooner than later. You don't know if they "really" think you can do the work, it's more likely that they hope you can do it by yourself, since they seem to be trying to force this down the throats of the department and may not have much to back up the idea if it can't be implemented. To wit: they promise performance, dump it on you, they have a scapegoat for failure, and they get to claim all responsibility for success. This is Shitty Management 101.
posted by rhizome at 11:10 AM on March 23, 2009
posted by rhizome at 11:10 AM on March 23, 2009
Make a (simplified) business case as to why you need better resources for the task. Speak the language of your superiors.
posted by furtive at 1:58 PM on March 23, 2009
posted by furtive at 1:58 PM on March 23, 2009
- Admit you made a mistake in overestimating your ability to do the job, but point out that the complexity is not immediately apparent to newbies, and that you are now doing what's needed to deliver what they expect.
- Walk boss through your day-to-day issues to illustrate the problem.
- Ask for training, brief consulting if needed.
- Sooner than later - yes!
If the management runs the rest of the company in the way you describe, you'll be out of a job anyway when the company folds. Are you really safer if you say nothing?
posted by buzzv at 2:22 PM on March 23, 2009
- Walk boss through your day-to-day issues to illustrate the problem.
- Ask for training, brief consulting if needed.
- Sooner than later - yes!
If the management runs the rest of the company in the way you describe, you'll be out of a job anyway when the company folds. Are you really safer if you say nothing?
posted by buzzv at 2:22 PM on March 23, 2009
It sounds to me like you are being asked to do three jobs: Project Manager/Project Analyst and the implementation System Admin
Talk to your boss about how it's bad practice to mix up those different roles, decide which role you prefer (or at least which one you least dislike) then see how you can setup a proper team to work on this together.
If allocating people full-time is the problem, suggest they have several people work part-time on it - freeing you up to do other things, then at least you will have reduced your exposure to what sounds like a doomed project.
posted by Lanark at 2:47 PM on March 23, 2009
Talk to your boss about how it's bad practice to mix up those different roles, decide which role you prefer (or at least which one you least dislike) then see how you can setup a proper team to work on this together.
If allocating people full-time is the problem, suggest they have several people work part-time on it - freeing you up to do other things, then at least you will have reduced your exposure to what sounds like a doomed project.
posted by Lanark at 2:47 PM on March 23, 2009
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Rather than fire you and hire someone new, your boss may instead choose the more positive and less disruptive task (to your org) of: paying for you to take training courses in being a Project Server admin, bringing in a temporary consultant to come in and get things running with Project Server, or hiring someone to take some of the load off your hands so you can focus on X, Y, and Z.
posted by zippy at 10:34 AM on March 23, 2009 [1 favorite]