Holding managers accountable
In sports, if a team isn’t doing well, it is the manager who is held responsible. If the Bears or the Cubs (I’m in Chicago right now, can you tell) don’t win, people are upset with the players, but ultimately, the blame is placed squarely on the manager. He’s the one who gets fired.
In software development, I wonder if the same is true? I have not worked at enough companies yet to say categorically that blame tends to be placed on the developers and not the managers, but it is a general feeling I get while reading websites like Worse Than Failure.
I wonder how many projects would be more successful if the managers knew their jobs were on the line if the project failed?
I realize that I probably have a very naive view of the world and there are most likely many managers out there who have lost their jobs due to failed projects. The feeling, however, that I get is that the blame is always pushed down to the lowest person–the developer–and the managers try to figure out a way to make themselves look good through the developer’s failure.
It was just a thought.
personally, i think it’s about the kind of manager you are. and yes, i’m a project manager.
i believe my job is to enable my team to be successful. so if the team fails, then i didn’t do my job. i know a lot of other PMs who feel the same way.
conversely, i’ve also come across a number of people playing the PM role, who do not believe this. they are the ones that are concerned on making themselves look good in the event of failure. i don’t really consider them project managers. i’m not entirely sure what they are …
maybe it’s just a kind of lazyness, but i believe the best way for me to look good as a manager, is for my team to do an amazing job. seems much easier than trying to make up a reason for failure later on.