2 Jethros and the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever: Ocean’s Eleven on Staffing

Two jobs ago, I hired my old work-study student from two jobs before that. And now I’m trying to bring him here. A recent staffer at my old job went into consulting. You bet I called him for help with some of our administrative applications. A colleague from my last job now works for a major firm, let’s call it “Crimson Beret,” and I think I’d abandon hope if I couldn’t turn to him for help. The former security czar at my last job doesn’t know it yet but he’s on my mind as we budget for security consultation. Etc. Who’s your dream team? At minimum, I say you need an excellent communications person, a really sharp operational person who knows infrastructure (not a project manager!), and someone who can build strong, positive relationships between suppliers and “demanders.”

3 Responses to “2 Jethros and the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever: Ocean’s Eleven on Staffing”

  1. jezebel said:

    Aug 27, 08 at 8:02 pm

    “(not a project manager!)”

    eh hem…
    I totally agree with you; it’s a nice feeling when you’ve got enough of a community that you start building dream-teams in your head, and better yet start surrounding yourself with good people.

    BUT, I also believe there are pm-s and there are PMs. The former are ineffectual, dead weight. The latter should be doing at least part of all 3 “minimum” requirements: communicate, build infrastructure, and build relationships. The title is crap and pm-s are usually crap, but there are good ones who get it and aren’t just paper monkeys. But you know this.

  2. rufusb said:

    Aug 28, 08 at 7:45 am

    Bravo, Jezzie! I was a PM before I knew I was and before it was a credential that you could get in a gumball machine. We all know who the doers and the non-doers are. We try to retain and smoochy face the former and tolerate or obliterate the latter. My dream team would consist of a Unix genius who is also a doer, a Mac doer that understands that Macs need to work in the enterprise and a Windows guy that hates the AD but makes. AND, Kobe at small forward 🙂

  3. admin said:

    Aug 29, 08 at 5:14 pm

    Yes, I didn’t mean to say PMs aren’t useful, I just wanted to make it clear that when I wrote “operational” I was referring not to someone who manages operational projects but to someone who knows operations. Ideally, these qualities are embodied in the same person. Moving beyond my minimum staff, I think the next hire I would make would be a PM. Heck, I’m hoping to hire one next week! Then, Kobe.


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