might seem very challenging to overcome – often some good communication will help mitigate the risk of these distracting side-behaviors. The first step, of course, is to realize and recognize what is going on and why. Hopefully, you have management above you who are to help steer you through what may be a political mine-field. Almost always, transparency and open communication will keep the project on the right track and, of course, yield the best results.
Stay objective
One of the biggest dangers is that you may find yourself becoming part of the problem. This is often inevitable and may even give you some keen insight into why the current dynamics are found in your environment. In a certain sense, you may feel like you are becoming “part of the problem” – and indeed you may very well be! This is normal as the environment may pull you into the problem. Your best choice in this situation is to be aware of the dynamics and realize how it is affecting you personally.
The wrong choice could cost you your job!
Picking the wrong tools can indeed be career limiting. The positive side is that these challenges make this task and the management of the group dynamics all the more important. If you manage to navigate all of the personalities and come up with the best choice from a technical, process and organizational culture perspective, then you can proudly add the effort to conduct a solid tools analysis to your resume. Don’t be surprised when both your current employer and others want to utilize your objectivity and professional “people” skills for the other projects that are equally important to the organization!
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About the author
Leslie Sachs is a New York state certified school psychologist and the COO of Yellow Spider, Inc. (http://yellowspiderinc.com). Leslie is the coauthor of Configuration Management Best Practices: Practical Methods that Work in the Real World, Addison-Wesley Professional (http://cmbestpractices.com). Ms. Sachs has more than twenty years of experience in the psychology field and has worked in a variety of clinical and business settings where she has provided many effective interventions designed to improve the social and educational functioning of both individuals and groups. Ms. Sachs has an M.S. in School Psychology from Pace University and interned in Bellevue's Psychiatric Center in New York city. A firm believer in the uniqueness of every individual, she has recently done advanced training with Mel Levine's "All Kinds of Minds" Institute. She may be reached at LeslieASachs@gmail.com, or link with her http://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliesachs.
