ABSTRACT
If you are a new manager moving into an existing, troubled department and need to make rapid changes, the process of analysis will be much shorter than that described in Chapter 13. There we looked at the ideal world – and reality is rarely ideal. Under such circumstances, you will need to make your quick analysis of business needs in parallel with an examination of what services you can actually provide given the staff and resources you have got right now. And do not ignore the political pressures: these will be very real. There will probably be some people in positions of power who have expectations that you will be a new broom. Those expectations will probably be mirrored by the support staff. Meet those expectations, like the new broom you are, get some sweeping done – not so as you upset everybody with change for the sake of change, but with immediate improvements that many people will happily conclude are not before time. After all, the first thing you will need in a new position will be acceptability. Get that first and half the battle is over. Make the more strategic, lasting changes over time and in a planned fashion.
