Over on Robert McIlree’s blog there is an example of what a management meltdown looks like in a data warehouse meeting. Here’s a snippet from his post:
In one case, a client manager was presenting a conceptual data model to his management and other interested parties in a project kickoff meeting…
This guy couldn’t get to the third slide in his Powerpoint deck before getting smacked upside the head by the VP, with other managers piling on directly after. The managers could have cared less about a conceptual data model – when were they going to get their data warehouse so they can analyze their costs and financials? One exec, a former techie, went so far as to begin a macabre bout of row-column engineering on the thing, right there in the meeting. Our guy very quickly lost control of the room and the meeting degenerated rapidly from there.
Ouch!
The funny thing about Data Warehousing projects is that on the surface they are very easy to understand what needs done. Looks simple even. But it’s not. In fact, it’s probably one of the most difficult projects you can tackle.
So, could this unfortunate situation been avoided? You bet! Here are six ways how:
Clearly Set the Goals for the Meeting
Make sure those attending the meeting and those presenting it understand what the key objectives and take aways are for the meeting. Then make sure you stick to the agenda. For kickoff meetings this is about leadership, communication, goals and the project roadmap. It was probably a bit too early to start discussing a conceptual data model (CDM) - especially to this crowd.
Don’t Get Technical
When talking to management about technology it is important to present it at a high level and in terms they can understand. Be prepared to provide additional information in layers if asked (there will always be some that have a bit of geek in them). In this situation it would have been better to stick with a short, high-level overview of the systems that will be integrated into the data warehouse and quickly move into the actionable business answers that this will provide.
Speak to Each Persons Interests
For data warehousing projects there are going to be a number of leaders from various functions and levels in the organization. Each has a stake and should already understand their WIIFM (what’s in it for me). These are your critical success factors (CSFs). Make sure you presentation speaks to those interests.
Help Your Technical Folks Prepare
If you are pushing some of your technology leaders into higher visibility with management (a great thing) make sure you help them look good. Coach them and give them the time to prepare. Review their presentation in advance. If you do not think they’ll be able to fend for themselves, co-present with them and back them up.
Pull Out of the Dive
Meetings are notorious for getting off track and into subjects and detail outside the scope of the meeting at hand. Be quick to identify if someone is trying to lead the conversation down that path. Then get the meeting back on track quickly.
And finally…
Get to the Point – Fast!
The higher up you go on the org chart, the faster you need to get to your point.
When presenting to management on data warehousing, or any significant technology initiative, keep those tips in mind and the meeting will go a lot smoother.
Also, don’t try to do too much in one meeting. You will have your chance to dig deeper as you move through the project – there are going to be A LOT of meetings, e-mails, documents, diagrams and so on in a data warehousing project.
One last note – the one thing that gets me is that it looks like whoever crashed and burned in Robert’s post had their management there. It doesn’t look like their boss came to their rescue. You should never hang your team out to dry like that.
