Program Management: Are Executive Leaders Governing or Meddling?

Does executive leadership trust their infrastructure program managers to deliver the results?

It's natural to want major capital programs to succeed because these programs are large, visible, and expensive. That’s a big reason executive leadership hires a program management team. However, it’s easy for those same leaders to cross the line from responsible oversight into operational program delivery. The related meddling can delay projects, confuse staff, and dilute accountability.

The Top 10 Questions to Ask Yourself

Ask yourself these 10 questions to determine whether you are governing or meddling in program management:

Am I crossing into operational matters (like procurement, scheduling, or task assignments) instead of focusing on policy, outcomes, and strategic priorities?

Is my communication helping or unintentionally disrupting the chain of command?

Could my involvement in project decisions be perceived as micromanagement by staff or vendors?

Am I influencing staff or program choices outside of approved board policies or resolutions?

Have I consulted with the executive director, general manager, or board chair before offering input or direction to staff?

Would I be comfortable if my communication or actions were shared publicly or discussed at a board meeting?

Am I setting a precedent that encourages other board members to bypass formal channels, causing confusion or inefficiency?

Have I considered how my actions might affect staff confidence, morale, or clarity in executing complex infrastructure work?

Am I speaking on behalf of the board—or am I voicing a personal concern that could be misinterpreted as a directive?

Do I genuinely trust executive leadership and infrastructure managers to deliver the results—or am I stepping in due to my own discomfort with uncertainty or pace?

Are Executives Leaders Governing or Meddling?

 The most telling question is #1: Do I trust the team? If you consistently find yourself stepping in to make decisions that program managers should handle, you are signaling a lack of trust in their abilities.

Oversight is vital. And so is trust. There are cases where executive leadership must step in; however, stepping in should be the exception and not the rule.

Ethical leadership means holding program management staff accountable while also respecting their space to plan, prioritize, and execute. When everyone stays in their lane, projects move forward more smoothly. Ask yourself these 10 questions to help determine whether you are governing or meddling in your program management.

---

JD Solomon Inc. provides solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Program Development page for more information.

Work Management Part 4: Maintaining Asset Inventory Data and Drawings

JD Solomon Inc. specializes in strategic asset and work management support—bringing clarity to what you own, its condition, and its value.

Garbage in, garbage out. One of the biggest challenges organizations faces is maintaining accurate asset data and up-to-date drawings. These two foundational elements—what we own and how it’s documented—are important to the success of any asset management system. More importantly, they can easily be addressed as part of work management.

It’s Obvious Why It Matters

Smarter Planning and Better Decisions

Knowing what assets you have and their condition makes it easier to plan budgets, schedule maintenance, and respond to emergencies.

• Accurate asset data provides valuable insights into useful life, obsolescence, maintenance strategies, and the time required for ordering critical spare parts.

• Accurate drawings also help field staff understand layouts, components, and interconnections, reducing guesswork.

Improved Safety and Efficiency

Up-to-date working drawings and safety instructions help field crews work more efficiently and safely. For example, having electrical one-line diagrams readily available minimizes downtime and risk.

Compliance and Accountability

Regulatory agencies often require documented proof of system layouts and emergency provisions. A well-managed inventory and set of drawings ensure your organization stays in compliance and defends operations when needed.

Three Common Challenges

I have worked with hundreds of facilities and infrastructure organizations over the past 30 years. When I reflect on the most recent five or six organizations, the fundamental challenges for maintaining asset data and drawings remain the same.

1. Disconnected Systems

Many organizations store asset data and drawings in separate computer systems (databases). While we see fewer legacy spreadsheets these days and more centralized databases, the problem persists that maintaining links and data across platforms remains a significant challenge.

2. Unclear Ownership and Roles

Who decides what's considered a part versus an asset? Who updates the drawings after small system changes? These questions often go unanswered, resulting in stale data and outdated documents.

Everyone shouldn't hesitate when you ask the simple question, "Who owns the data?"

3. Resource Constraints

As more capital work is conducted through operations and maintenance (O&M), the people on the ground often lack the time and support to update drawings or maintain detailed asset inventory lists. These long-term issues get pushed to the back burner. From an information systems perspective, we’re much better at installing new systems than maintaining existing ones.

Three Practical Fixes

The fixes are not sexy when it comes to maintaining asset data and drawings. To use a football analogy, its blocking and tackling. To borrow a quote from a song by David Byrnes and the Talking Heads, "Same as it ever was."

A. Embed in Daily Workflows

Don't treat asset data and drawings as a separate task. Instead, make them part of routine inspections and PMs. Include checklists that confirm the presence of critical spares, safety instructions, and current drawings.

B. Clarify Roles and Policies

Establish who owns the responsibility for maintaining different types of data—tools, parts, assets, and drawings. Define what gets updated, when, and by whom. This clarity reduces confusion and helps spread the workload effectively.

C. Phase in with the CMMS Strategy

Maintaining asset data and drawings is a heavy lift, so don't try to do it all at once. Start small—maybe with one system or one facility—and phase it in. Add links to drawings and parts lists in your CMMS during later implementation stages, when your team is ready to do so.

Effectively Maintaining Asset Data and Drawings

Maintaining asset data and drawings may not seem urgent until something breaks or an inspector arrives. However, waiting until there's a crisis means missing opportunities, incurring increased costs, and taking on unnecessary risks. Treating inventory and drawing management as a key part of work management, and you’ll lay the groundwork for a safer, more efficient, and future-ready operation.

Need help getting started? JD Solomon Inc. specializes in strategic asset and work management support—bringing clarity to what you own, its condition, and its value.

---

JD Solomon Inc. provides practical solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Asset Management page for more information related reliability, risk management, resilience, and other asset management services.

Why Work Documentation in Maintenance and Reliability Matters

The key to work documentation is to keep it simple as possible.

Work documentation is tough. Most people prefer doing the work rather than doing the paperwork. However, work documentation is critical in keeping equipment and physical assets running smoothly. When done right, documenting the work helps the team stay organized, supports smart decision-making, and gets more of what you need from senior management. Work documentation is more than paperwork—it’s a foundation for long-term success.

Why Document Work?

There are three main reasons to document maintenance work: to show the need for more staff, to protect yourself (CYA—cover your assets), and to enable useful analysis later.

Obtain More Resources

First, well-documented work can reveal when your team is stretched too thin. If your records show consistently high work hours and backlogs, it becomes easier to justify hiring more help. Without those records, you’re stuck with just your word—which may not be enough.

Protect Yourself

Second, documentation protects you. If something breaks or goes wrong, you want to be able to show what work was done and when. It’s proof that you followed procedures and managed things responsibly. Documentation is important when safety, compliance, or money is on the line.

Identify Trends

When maintenance data is collected over time, it becomes useful for spotting patterns. For example, a pump may fail every 18 months. Without documentation, you might miss that trend. But with good records, you can predict future failures and plan replacements before breakdowns happen.

Software Is Not Everything

Many people think work documentation is about having the right software. However, software is not the heart of the process. Structure and discipline related to following your business processes matter most.

Follow the Process

Work documentation should follow a consistent process. This includes logging what was done, when, by whom, and why. It also involves tracking the parts used, time spent, and any follow-up work needed. Everyone on the team needs to follow the same process so the data is useful and reliable.

Decide Who Owns the Work Documentation Process

Equally important is deciding who owns the process and the data. Is it the maintenance planner? The operations supervisor? A shared responsibility? Without clear ownership, things tend to slip through the cracks.

Make Sure Senior Management Cares

Here’s a tough question: does anyone in management care about the documentation? If not, it’s hard to make it a priority. Many organizations collect too much or the wrong kind of data. However, when leadership sees the value, especially in terms of dollars and downtime, they’re more likely to support the effort. And if senior management cares, most people down the line will care.

Forecasting and Big-Picture Thinking

One powerful use of work documentation is replacement forecasting. By using R&R (Repair and Replace) models, asset health models, and renewal forecasts, organizations can plan for the future instead of reacting to problems. This kind of forward-thinking makes it easier to budget for replacements and upgrades.

Use the Data

Some organizations feel good about their work documentation because most of the blanks are filled in the software. However, a lot of data is entered that is just plain wrong. The best way to test your data is to put it into a forecast.

Speak the Language of Senior Management

Importantly, R&R forecasts tie maintenance data to financial planning. Finances, and more specifically money, is the language of senior management and the board of directors. R&R forecasts help show what needs fixing and what it will cost if it's not fixed soon.

Keep It Simple

The key here is to keep it simple. Start with a simple spreadsheet, Make simplifying assumptions. Build complexity as your team becomes more comfortable with the process. Using your data at the simplest level will reveal many gaps.

Why Work Documentation Matters

Good work documentation is a strategic tool. It helps justify staffing, supports safety and compliance, improves planning, and saves money. Whether you're in a water utility, a factory, or a public works department, clear and consistent documentation makes your maintenance and reliability efforts more effective. In short, the effort makes your job easier in the long run. Work documentation matters.

---

JD Solomon Inc. provides solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Asset Management page for more information related reliability, risk management, resilience, and other asset management services. Subscribe for bi-monthly updates related to our firm.