Excellence in It:. Warren C. Zabloudil

good ones are their own. It’s important to develop the skills to deal with this type of manager because they are everywhere and won’t go away. This’s the type who always suggests the opposite of what you suggested. Perhaps they feel it makes them look knowledgeable when they dismiss the ideas of others out of hand. Nonetheless, this type of manager is easy to handle, but it takes some practice. The old trick here is to start off by suggesting the opposite of what you want and count on them to inevitably suggest the opposite of that. Sound crazy? Then you have no idea just how often this kind of thing actually helps techs get what they need to complete tasks they’re handling. Spend enough time in an IT career and you’re sure to experience this scenario at least once. Just be sure it doesn’t backfire. They might accidentally agree with your first suggestion right off the bat and you end up with the opposite of what you wanted. Again, this takes some practice.

      Another type of manager is one who is afraid your request will affect so much of the company, it could elevate you into a light that’s brighter than their own. The trick here is to let them share the credit. Drop their name around as someone who came up with some of the original ideas. Sure it’s not true, but you want those new systems right? So bite the bullet and get with the program. Chalk it up to the tough life of a computer tech…all pain and no glory. The bottom line here is that if you keep the systems in shape and up to date, your legacy will gradually come to the top anyway. The truth is, legacy is always better than moments in the spotlight. So don’t let your pride get in the way of your good work. Rise up in your company through providing solid systems and not through craving attention. If giving up some credit in the short run means others will be commenting a year later (perhaps over the e-mail systems you built) on how good the computers seem to be running since you’ve be around, then you’re on your way to achieving excellence in your field.

      Yet another type of problematic manager is the “been there before” type. Whatever you suggest, they’ve seen it done differently at a company they used to work for. To them, that other way is better than what you suggest, regardless of how well designed your new system is. Now you’re competing against something which is totally outside of your control, but this one is easy. Just remind them that their current work environment is different from their old company and that the solution you propose will work better and cost less in this situation than the one they remember will. On rare occasions they may actually consult a tech they know from their old company about your operations and how they can improve them for you. The problem here is that in the IT world no two systems are ever exactly the same and therefore second opinions are terrible ideas. This’s one of those few occasions where lowly techs get to say no to upper management. Unless the other tech is as up to speed on your systems as you are, then their ideas will probably do more harm than good.

      Your systems are your domain and no outside intervention is allowed without your approval. If management lacks confidence in you, then improve both your knowledge and your communication skills. It’s a different story if you requested the outside support on a professional level basis from a trusted vendor or through a manufacturer support agreement, but under no circumstances are you to turn over the keys to your systems to another tech who is behaving less than professionally. This’s the one thing you should openly fight for with management. Just be sure to demonstrate good arguments without showing any frustration on your part. Once you finally get the improved solution in place and running well, it’ll always strengthen your opinions in any future crisis. Just make sure those opinions never involve whining if you want them to really matter.

Too Busies

      Even if your schedule really is overloaded, it’s best to learn to stay ahead of the curve and keep the jobs you’ve been assigned on track. The most important tool for this is good time management. Few things are less forgivable in the fast paced 21st century than bad time management skills. In today’s fast paced economy, time management is a critical part of nearly every job out there, IT or otherwise. Being able to manage your time is the same as being able to manage your usefulness. How much work you can properly do within a set timeframe is how your contributions to the company will be measured. In IT, this means managing multiple timelines while you move between the different jobs you’re working on.

      A major component of time management is the ability to prioritize each job as soon as it becomes known to you. Prioritizing means different things to different people. Some techs prioritize their tasks by focusing on end-user complaints. Others base priority on what they think will get the overall workload done the quickest. Still others prioritize based on where they’ll be at any point in the day. Even local geography or a building’s architecture can affect how you choose the order for getting things done.

      Nevertheless, even if you’re doing a great job with your own prioritizing, you can still be impeded by others who aren’t as focused. However, to achieve excellence in IT you must always find a way to not let things slow you down. If the offending party is a boss who throws you a last second task, you still need to stay on track with all your original ongoing tasks. If he/she received a call from a customer that needs attention immediately, adjust your plans and add this job to the list and continue. Just stay flexible enough to be able to scale out your work load without stumbling to the point you end up getting nothing significant done that day, but don’t go beyond your limits. The point when you become saturated by your workload and prioritization concerns should be well known and understood by you. If management doesn’t know it also, then let them know. Your honestly and openness on an ongoing basis is a good thing and will make your boss’s job easier too. After all, it’s your boss who feels the most pressure from upper management and ultimately the end-users too. The more you can help them cope with the pressure by giving them honest feedback on the impact of the workloads you’re being given, the better.

      As far as end-users go, those affected by a computer problem usually feel their own needs are the most important. This’s human nature, especially in pressure-filled work environments. It’s just another variable for you to work through when prioritizing. When all the variables are working against you, don’t panic or get frustrated. Just make good choices about how best to proceed and then stick to those choices.

      There are a few things you can do to help manage time and make your work easier. They are:

       Always respond quickly

      The more you wait, the bigger the workload will be down the road. Today’s jobs are likely to overlap with the ones you’re sure to get tomorrow. Even if you’re tired and worn out, quickly jumping on jobs as soon as they arise will serve you well in the long run. The more things you can cross off you list today, the better off you’ll be tomorrow and in the future. Otherwise, you risk getting stuck in perpetual catch up mode. If several jobs come up at once, prioritize each appropriately but move on all of them as quickly as possible while remaining mistake free. Remember, habitually slow techs are easy to spot. They’re the ones complaining about the work load even when they have less to do than other better producing techs around them.

       Don’t call a job done too early

      This’s a recurring theme in this book. Calling a job done before it truly is done just adds to your workload down the road. Few things can hurt your morale more than having to stop in the middle of the day and redo a task you thought you had finished earlier. Priorities become confused and even the easy jobs feel a bit harder as you work to catch up. Doing a partial job only defers the core of the fix to some other time when your workload will be every bit as hectic. That kind of approach will always wear you out faster than doing a complete job does; especially after spending weeks, months, or even years perpetually catching up from behind.

      Some techs try to make an art of balancing quick fixes like it’s some kind of dance. In reality, they’re more like the performer balancing a bunch of spinning plates. They move from job to job while hoping everything stays balanced and holds long enough for them to reach the endpoint. Unfortunately, this can only go on for so long before one plate eventually falls and causes the tech to loss focus; throwing the other plates out of balance, too. It’s best to not get into this rush-job frame of mind in the first place. The tech shouldn’t move on from any plate until each is confirmed to be stable and no longer at risk. Getting into the habit of sticking around long enough to honestly confirm