It’s a big election year here in the US, and it’s hard to escape discussions of politics on or off the TV and Web. Tuesday night in particular marked a significant milestone on the campaign trail: the Iowa Caucus. Every news outlet and would-be pundit is weighing in today on what the results mean, and if we can glean any indication of what the future holds in store. Who’s likely to take the eventual nomination?
Unfortunately, Iowa is a poor predictor of the presidential nominee. Bill Clinton, George H.W Bush, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter all placed lower in the Iowa Caucus on years they were chosen as the nominee of their party (and subsequently elected president). Despite the media attention, it could be anyone’s game, and the upcoming New Hampshire primary will make an even greater impact. What seemed flashy and impressive one day can be undermined by new information the next.
When exploring options for enterprise software to manage services spend, it can be a challenge to take the long view and not to make hasty predictions. It’s easy to marvel early on at a flashy feature, a fancy widget, but don’t forget to consider every aspect of the solution to identify the best possible candidate.
You also have to consider the decision makers involved in the process. The workplace has its own politics, and when it comes to something like enterprise software, every department involved has a lot at stake. When you have a small group of decision makers, each representing the various needs of their parent groups, you can end up with a tension not unlike what you see during an election year. Everyone’s usually acting in the best interests of the company, but they’re also going to be focused on what they know best – the needs of their specific departments. Is it possible that one loud voice can dominate the discussion and push toward a solution that marginalizes the others? How do you make sure everyone has an equal say?
It may be daunting when you imagine trying to find a solution that pleases everyone, but ultimately you have to think of what’s best for the company. The average approval rating among US presidents since Truman is only 56 percent. Surely you can do better than that.