With you on this one. I don't even get why anyone would use Notes unless they seriously can't migrate off of their old databases because of some ancient content that they can't convert to some other format. Like, you know, Notepad, because Notepad is better than Domino.
I'm in much the same situation you're in. I can't do anything with the networking or storage equipment. Gotta put in a ticket, and wait, and wait, and wait, and go to meetings to remind people that I'm waiting. Turns out that pigeonholing people into nonsensical structures in IT isn't really the way to go. Who knew?
This is what leads me to try to stick to startups or consulting for small (under 200) companies.
Alot of these enterprise types were at the leading edge after Y2k and havent adapted since. They have guys who have been siloed for 15 years with no intent to change or learn anything new.
It blows my mind. There is a guy here on the network team. Fucking GENIUS with the tech they have, but a moron on the same principles on different equipment. Watching him try to use a meraki MX is like watching a baby try to learn to walk. Meanwhile the guy manages the network for 15 sites with 4000 users on Palo Alto and hes a master. You talk to these guys and hes been here 15 years, doing the same siloed job and has mastered what he knows....its like learning a board game. He might not be able to tell you why something works, but he knows exactly how to do it. But outside of his little area he doesnt know shit. Same thing with the Notes Email admin, and sharepoint admin, etc. Couldnt tell you he difference between a Public and Private IP but master their craft.
The silo mentality is a death sentence.
Alot of the newer mindset is collaboration with multiple techs involved in multiple facets. My last company I ran the IT department of about 30 people. I had 4 "Senior" techs that were responsible for The Routers, Firewalls, Switches, Servers, Wireless, Applications, Databases etc. Between the 4 of them they did the job fine. You lose a bit of the Specialist and some higher end knowledge and experience, but most support plans made that obsolete years ago, and everything is getting so much easier. And hell, google fixes 90 percent problems. I haven't found a thing that I either couldnt fix myself, or find a forum post about in years.
I think it is alot easier keeping Millennials in that kind of environment too.
A good manager and a team of average Do everything techs is more functional to me than a shit manager sitting in meetings all day with a team of Specialists that cant even complete a task without 5 other people involved.
ITIL turned IT into a governmental bureaucracy of inefficiency. Take a dose of common sense, invent fancy words for aforementioned common sense, then add laborious levels of redundant bullshit into the equation and you end up with ITIL and the state of IT at large organizations today.. I could never again work in a very large IT department simply because you never get anything done-- you're either having meetings to discuss future meetings, or you're waiting for your requests to churn through 10 levels of change management bullshit.
Bigger departments certainly need bigger controls, and I only manage a department of 6 IT people, but my motto is one meeting per week max, and one change management interface that forces people to keep up with their link in the chain.
Truest thing I have ever read.
Salaries have also flattened out in many markets. Alot of Smaller shops are able to pay the same or more than giant companies. Demand does it I guess. Moron Drones will take steady safe pay for 30 years where talented people might be more willing to take a risk.
