Initial Job Objective: Remediate and mange the CRM Central 2000 Project
Challenges: This was a large and strategic Avaya software development project. The committed beta test readiness date was 90 days out and bearing down.
How I dealt with the challenges: I convened a trio consisting of me, my supervisor, Keith Cowley, and a management colleague, Keith McFarlane. Together, we thought through various options for getting the project done, engaged team leaders, and devised a end game plan. With disciplined execution, aggressive testing, effective communications, fearless coordination, good humor, swift and face-saving conflict resolution, innovative methods, and focused defense of the critical path, the team raced forward and met the committed beta date.
Beta customers were impressed and word of our product and effort spread. Avaya won a prestigious industry award for the product that this project created.
Why I left: I didn’t leave. We relocated the team to Dublin, CA, reorganized it, and I took on a new challenge creating an agile automated test team.
Keith Cowley, Keith McFarlane, Marc Polster
This is so cool – despite all the chaos, the progress continues. You are very awesome and so is the team. Lucinda Sanders, Vice President, R&D, Avaya.
Marc’s Avaya software development team in Dublin, CA
You’re doing a great job driving this — it’s one of your fortes — real-time blood and guts project management. Keith Cowley, Coach, Director, Avaya R&D, 2003.
I was in awe of your talents to rally people and sign them up for things. Jill Ross, Avaya management colleague.
One of the keys to making work work is to make it fun, and I think you have done a lot to make that happen. Susan Hallander, Avaya CRM Central System Engineering.
I have been in meetings with other Project Team Leaders that have nothing to do with Conversant and heard comments about how notorious Marc’s skills are when it comes to managing these projects and documenting the status. Jim Hughes. Lucent Offer Manager (partner), Peer review.
