August 24, 1998

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August 24, 1998

Guest Column

Y2K issue is about people working together

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Mary Hessler

As organizations prepare for the Year 2000, many are proudly touting their technical readiness ("We're compliant, no problem.") Yet it's the interconnectivity between all of us that is the real issue.

Right sizing, just-in-time inventory, outsourcing and strategic alliances have laid a foundation of interdependency. The lines of code and the embedded chips are just symbols of the broader layering of services that connect us inextricably to each other.

Unless business leaders anticipate the global impact of the Year 2000 or Y2K in their communities and the marketplace in general, chaos and loss of valued resources could occur.

Strategies to deal with Y2K focus on assessing systems for risk and exposure, testing, correcting, repairing, replacing or retiring affected systems and developing a Year 2000 business continuity plan.

Advanced organizations are working with vendors and distributors to ensure their compliance and pondering the many legal implications that will arise from this technological breakdown.

Many attorneys are jockeying for position as experts now assess the legal cost worldwide to be at the trillion level.

A factor that seems to get swept under the rug is how the people who make up organizations and the community at large might react.

During a crisis that could virtually shut down businesses and community services, how will the people who live and work in the Tampa Bay area be affected? What are we doing to prepare? How will people respond to the crisis that Y2K may set off? What role can leaders play to make a difference inside and outside of their organizations? These are the questions that deserve as much attention as the technical ones.

In a recent article in Information Week, Leon A. Kappelman, co-chair of the Society for Information Management's Year 2000 Working Group, comments that the public at large is oblivious to the enormity of the Year 2000 problem.

He observes that "business as usual" will likely lead us to the worst possible outcomes.

There seems to be a dynamic of secrecy or unwillingness to discuss the issue and its possible impact. Leaders don't want to agitate or arouse fear in their employees so they don't discuss Y2K on the human level. Em-ployees in the know don't want to make waves or panic their bosses. Companies don't want to raise concerns among their investors. Lawyers don't want their corporate clients to say anything that could come back to haunt them.

Many don't reach out to others outside their organizations because it might not be appropriate; it might look too reactionary.

In May, we had a taste of what it's like to have a major system break down. All pagers were inoperable because of a satellite wobbling in space.

Living in Florida, we have all at least heard of, if not experienced, the power of a community pulling together in a crisis like a hurricane. The key that turns the lock of cooperation appears to be caring, trust, communication and the realization that we're all in this together. When humans are caught by surprise and uninformed, responses are usually more self-centered and aggressive. Behaviors like looting, hoarding resources, self-protectionism and violence arise out of fear, mistrust and anger.

Collaboration and communication are critical. Systemic issues can't be resolved by holding on to conventional boundaries and the status quo. Today, individuals and organizations are focusing on solving "their" problem. The problem is not isolated. We're all a part of it.

To solve a systems issue, all stakeholders must participate. We must all be engaged in a new collaborative relationship. As Steve Forbes puts it, "this (Y2K) is not a technology crisis; it is a leadership crisis." Now is the time for all those in leadership roles to get involved. This is a call to action.

Unparalleled participation among organizations, the community and individuals will be essential as the clock ticks on.

An important first step for the leadership of this community is to give the time and resources so that diverse parties that are part of this broader system can come together. Dialogue about our interconnectivity should be at the top of the agenda. Secrecy needs to be replaced by disclosure.

By anticipating the Year 2000 through open forums and playing out plausible scenarios of what could happen, we as a community will be better prepared.

It's hard to know exactly what scenario will eventually play out, but the base of trust and collaboration will set the stage for a new way of working together. The Year 2000 might bring us chaotic times and they can also be transforming ones.

Mary Hessler is an organizational development consultant in Tampa who specializes in communication, group facilitation and community building. She can be reached at maryhess@aol.com or at (813) 831-9500.