Big Picture of IT - Share Your Opinions

[Knestis]

... The CRB IMHO has the toughest job in Club Racing. So much work, so little reward. ...

Too hard. Hard enough in fact that they can't effectively do it, the way things are chartered. As a director where I work, I have to set big picture policy, make sure project leaders have what they need to be effective, and stay out of micromanaging their work. If one of them DOES step in it, it's my responsibility but that does NOT make it OK for me to review every one of their decisions. I need to figure out how to scaffold them so they don't make the same mistake twice. And me providing SO much guidance that I can't attend to big-picture matters doesn't do the corporation any good.

This situation lacked any real direction from the CRB, in the sense that if we were overstepping the bounds of our charter, we should have gotten shut off. OR the charter should have changed.

There's a term I love: Strategic ambiguity. That's the process of not being so clear that you get locked into any particular position, as a tool of maintaining control. The CRB took - and has again taken - a position of strategic ambiguity. They OK'd the 92-95 Honda Civic DX but not almost 30 other cars recommended by the ITAC for changes. They've said, "go ahead and use the process for new cars" but tagged that direction with "just make sure it makes sense," thereby leaving themselves an out.

If they want to say, "Respect my authori-tay!!" and do whatever they want, they ought to simply and honestly take that position. I personally don't think that they have the time or perspective to be able to effectively manage all of the car-level decisions for the entire Club Racing program but they could do that if they chose. Or they could defer category mangement to (perhaps more formally constituted) AC's.

K

[Bill Miller]

Andy,

I appreciate your comments. Maybe I take too much of an altruistic or naive view when I look at how I think things should work. In my scenario, the various AdHoc's would already be taking the pulse of their constituency as to where their category should go. If I don't like the direction it's going, but many others do, it's my job to try and change people's minds, or recognize that while it may not be what I like, it would be the best for the category (hey Nord, you listening?). I also think that ultimately, decisions would be made by the CRB, that are made up of folks from other categories. So there would a bit of check & balance.

And in all honesty, I'm not saying that my proposal is the be-all and end-all. I threw it up more as a straw man. The main goal is to get away from the political appointments.

Kirk,

I LOVE that term. I think that's EXACTLY what the CRB is doing, and has done in the past. The never want to be in a position where they're tied down, or can have someone point to something they've done and say that it goes against their policy. You never really commit to a position. I'm sure most of the strategically ambiguous policy is written w/ what an old boss of mine called 'weasel words'. You never come right out and say what you mean.