Can You Change Corporate Culture?

Can you change corporate culture? If you are in a situation where you see that "the way things have always been" no longer serves the organization's future--what do you do?

Does anyone have any success stories to tell where they have addressed the need for cultural, procedural or environmental change--and made it come to pass. Please share these with us. I am preparing a new podcast for "The ROOT Cause" on this topic and would like to include your stories.

Thanks,

Barry

The Network and Application Performance Analysis Team (NAPA)™

INTRODUCTION:

Network & Application  Performance Analysis is a team sport.  Rarely are all the required skills in one skull.  Perhaps it is best understood once you think in terms of functions and skill-sets within a Troubleshooting process.  In order to be able to handle ANYTHING that comes along, you will need team members with high level skills in Enterprise Applications--Operating Systems--Databases--Server Issues and a detailed understanding of Protocols and Packet-Level transactions.   But, to expect one or two people to have detailed knowledge of all these areas is unrealistic.

The Senior Network and Application Performance Analyst (NAPA)™ will need to be able to communicate with all these individuals, teams and managers.  Communication & interviewing abilities are mandatory.   

THE 7 PRIMARY TEAM ROLES:

1) Network & Application Performance Analyst (NAPA)™:  Team Manager & Technical Team Lead.  The NAPA must learn all the Client’s goals - Technical - Political - Management - Budgetary -scales the team accordingly. They are the hub of the team's wheel.

2) Enterprise Application Specialist (EAS):  Able to map Application flow from a functional & transactional basis. Understands Database interactions - Multi-Tiered Architecture - Web Servers 

3) Protocol Analyst - Packet-Sniffer Guru:  Understands Network Protocols - Topology Framing - Troubleshooting from the Packet Level.  

4) Network Engineer:  Familiar with wide variety of vendors i.e. Cisco--Foundry-- Nortel--Troubleshooting Layers 1-3.  

 5) Operating Systems Specialist:  UNIX & Windows, Other... 

 6) Project Manager:  Maintains Task List - Gant Chart - Reports to Client's Management  

 7) Technical Writer:  Creates deliverable documentation showing work & resolutions provided by Network Application Performance Analysis Team.  This person does not need to have a solid technical understanding but must be able to follow the gist of it when interviewing the technical team in order to "translate" the information into a document that is understandable to both a technical and NON-technical reader.

Network & Application performance Analysis troubleshooting doesn't require separate people in each role - single individuals can perform multiple roles.   The Senior NAPA may be able to perform all roles--at a high level.  However, the Client’s Subject Matter Experts (SME) will still be required.  Consider them a guest member of the team.

Having a Champion within the Client's organization is critical.  The Organization's staff is not accountable to The NAPA Team - does not have to provide information or perform tasks. Will not do so when busy - but always busy!  Clear path of internal escalation & champion provides authority. After all, every team needs a Captain.