Technically Speaking

Like anything in business IT is cyclical.  No… we don’t spend a ton of time spinning around or circling the wagons to make things good or bad for those who use our services.   In this particular case it is much like finance it goes up and comes down and always comes around again. 

But if it is like finance… just budget better

Budgeting will help sometimes, but think about the issues that are constantly coming up.  The issues do not really go away, they just hide or masquerade as other things, but constantly come back around.  If that is, the way in which you look at and tackle the problems doesn’t change.

It’s the same, but different

The problems are typically the same aren’t they?  Constantly coming up again and with good notes and collaboration among peers, both internal and external, hopefully the problem gets solved in a rather short period of time (shorter the more times it appears).

We aren’t thinking about budgeting here although they need to be managed repeatedly I am looking more at the issues experienced. 

Remember what you are being paid to do…. help people

Sure you get to repeatedly tell people how to archive mail or get them on the Internet but you are really helping people.  Working this out in my own mind has been and up and down rollercoaster but overall it is about helping people.  the pay scale and other things, while necessary are secondary to helping others.  Remember why you got into this business in the first place.  Take the time to think about the reasons you do what you do and then ask why a few more times.  See if money is the answer to any of those questions.

This afternoon I was asked to help prepare some video for a sales meeting.  I am not sure if the video was intended to be motivating or not, but I think the target audience of sales staff could easily have been replaced with IT staff.

Some IT Manager and staff have likely taken the approach that the problem will come to you when it needs to be fixed, I sure have.  Waiting until the fire has started and could burn out of control at any moment rather than trying to work with the users as soon as there is something they find that isn’t quite right.

Sure in some cases IT is reactive, you cannot fix a problem if you don’t know its there, but there are some problems that can be fixed simply by being active in your organization and doing some managing by walking around.  Hearing how the users interact with each other and the IT staff and seeing how they use their computers might be a clue to an upcoming problem.  Being able to solve the problem either before they mention it to the help desk or as soon as they do might take the opinion of the IT staff through the roof as being extra helpful.

The video clip simply got me thinking about doing the work rather than planning to do the work.  Yes some planning needs to be done, but if all of the time is spent planning little to no work is getting done.

Spend time building procedure and getting the right process in place as soon as possible to reduce the overall work required to fix problems.

I thought the clip really drove home the idea that we as IT people should get out there and do the work and help those around us.

Have you guessed the clip I watched? – Here is a link (NSFW) Video Clip

Do you think the approach to sales in the clip was too harsh or that it might have been right on target?

Like most work, IT can be a bit of an albatross sometimes.  Even those of us who play with computers all day can get “a case of the Mondays” once in a while.  It is a curious thought to me how often these things happen.

I realize it is still work and it is a job, but I try to think of it as playing with computers to cut through the work blah aspect of it, but even that runs thin sometimes.

Change venues once in a while

Even though telecommuting is all the rage in some industries and organizations, still others haven’t gotten on the bandwagon of remote work.  It might be a good idea to spend a day or two every month working remotely or from a different desk than yours.

This can change your view and keep you able to focus on the tasks facing you.  It may not be as nice as working from the beach in your sweatpants, but a simple change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered in terms of different perspective.

As I write this I am away from my usual desk sitting in the waiting room of a clinic.  It isn’t ideal for sure, but the windows and new things to see are nice for a change.

Reflect on the results

While working on tasks or projects there are many things going on and time for reflection may be scarce, but upon completion of the activity take a few notes about the things that were accomplished and those that were not.

Once things have been on their way for a few weeks, take a few minutes and read your notes and reflect on the outcome as well as the methods employed.  Then condense your notes and pick out the highlights and jot them down for your performance review or just your own information.

Keeping well organized notes for your performance review might be just the right thing to help your supervisor know what you have been working on.

Keep something to learn available

You need not constantly learn the latest and greatest technology, but perhaps a new style of writing or a new type of activity related to a hobby.  This should help keep your brain moving and prevent it from getting stale.

Hopefully these few tips will help keep motivation high and feeling of “ugh work” low.  Remember we in the IT area get to play with computers everyday and help others use technology.