From the Archive – Taken Hostage
‘From the Archive’ is a series of real-life anecdotes from my career. Because some stories just need telling!
Hostage Taker – Definition:
Hostage takers come in different forms, they are a staff member that holds you hostage due to their many years of service. Their ace is that they are the only staff member left with specific IT systems knowledge that cannot afford to be lost, everything is their heads and nowhere else. They are a highly valuable resource, and they know it. They ignore directions, carry out unauthorised work, run their own businesses from your office, and are often lazy and even go as far as to turn up for work when it suits them.
Steps need to be taken in these situations to document what they know (best of luck with that) and train up other staff. I have encountered many hostage-takers, each has firmly believed that they are indispensable and therefore, can do as they bloody well, please. Hostage-takers cannot be tolerated, I take the view that if they were run over by a bus on their way to work and therefore became unavailable, life will go on.
I started a new assignment at the Head Office of one of Australia’s largest companies. They had a distributed IT model with remote businesses running their own IT with in most cases their own IT Support person. The Head Office IT department was providing Shared Services. My brief was to re-centralise some of the remote IT, fix an assortment of common problems and lift productivity. There was a litany of complaints about the Head Office services from the business units. A new MD had recently been appointed to the company, he bought in a new CIO and the CIO (who I knew well) bought me in.
Day 1. I did my walkaround introducing myself to the staff and explained why I was there. Many of the staff were very timid, they would not make eye contact and hid behind their partitions. The former IT Manager, along with his direct reports, sneered and laughed at me after my introduction. I later spoke to one staff member who informed that the staff are timid because each morning the IT Manager and his Direct Reports go to Mc Donalds, come back to his office and decide amongst themselves who in the office they will bully and torment that day.
Day 2. I interrupted the breakfast club meeting, (and curiously) asked what the meeting was about, upon which they brazenly told me exactly what they were doing (confirming what I had been told) and that I could go stuff myself. They were in charge stil, and nothing I did was going to change that. I stood my ground, told them that these meetings were now over and added a few personal observations as to their professionalism. They laughed in my face, but they were NOT happy. Later that day I gave the former IT Manager a list of tasks that I wanted planned out and back to me in a Schedule format (about 2 hours work). I gave him 2 days to do it.
Day 3. I am a whiteboard guy. I alway have one or two in my office for planning, listing ideas and so on. When people come into your office, they always read your whiteboard which is what I want them to do. I had filled two whiteboards on my first day. Later in the day, I started receiving heaps of emails from the breakfast club members, when I opened an email, a pornographic image flashed up for one second then disappeared. When I opened it again, the image was gone and there was no trace of an image in the email. Jeers and laughter from down the corridor. Round 1 to them.
Day 4. My two whiteboards have been scrubbed clean. Jeers and laughter from down the corridor. Round 2 to them. My Schedule is due, of course I had to go and ask for it. Reply “We don’t do Schedules”, my reply, “We do now, I want it by 4.00pm please.” After that, I documented the conversation in an email, expanded on the issue that a simple task had not been done in 2 days and that a senior Manager did not know how to do a basic planning exercise producing a Schedule. I expressed my concern and disappointment, sent him the email, reminded him of the 4.00pm requirement and copied HR. No jeers or laughter. Round 2 to me.
Day 5. My schedule never arrived and it is midday and none of the breakfast club have turned up for work and no communication. At around 1.00pm they all come in together, exclaiming that it’s a miracle because all of them had a flat car battery that morning which is why they are late. A bit later, a certain Manager comes to my office, throws my Email at me and says “ You will have to do better than that”. I sent another email, this time with a list of things that were unacceptable and put him on notice that I won’t tolerate his behaviour and that his tenure was at risk. Copy to HR.
Day 6. I bought the CIO up to speed, who was horrified but not too surprised. He was focussed on the business and commented “that’s why your here”.
Day 7. Still no Schedule, that was no surprise. I invited the IT Manager to a meeting with myself and a HR representative and terminated his services. I had a security guard escort him to clear out his things and leave within 15 minutes.
Day 8. The staff are joyful. The remaining breakfast club members are in disbelief. I call them altogether and tell them straight out that they have two options, fall into line as of now or leave, or if need be, I will help them leave.
Day 9 onwards. The staff are feeling great, work is pouring out and my new Direct Reports have all fallen into line bar one.
Outcome. Hostage Takers cannot be tolerated. Every one of them that I have encountered has had a really bad attitude and has gone to great lengths to try it on.