Let's blame the IT guy

I understand the reality that everything that goes wrong is the IT guy's fault; but I just 'realized' it today.

If a server goes down, a network switch dies, computers run slow, etc… it's my fault. Even if I've done all the preventative maintenance that I can… it's my fault. I know what I signed up for when I took this job. What I didn't sign up for is people blaming me because I don't do their job for them.

I was recently approached by a colleague who prefaced their question with 'I've been wanting to ask you a question for weeks but just haven't gotten around to it...' I assumed this implied 'My question isn't urgent but I would like to know the answer. The next time you have a few minutes would you please help me understand something?' I cordially said that I was currently swamped but would come to her office when I had a few minutes.

My assumption was incorrect. She sought me out every hour asking if I'd forgotten about her. As I would walk around the office people would ask me if she had found me yet and that she was looking for me. I soon learned that she had been under the gun for several weeks on a project and had just been pulled to the mat (so to speak). I was now the excuse as to why she couldn't get her work done. It was my fault that she couldn't turn the project in on time.

When she came to me again around 4:30 she told me what her issue was; she was unable to locate a file that she needed. I told her to tell me where the last known whereabouts were and I would find the file. Two days later I get an email with a file location. 30 seconds later I responded to her email with the new location of the file (thank you Windows Indexing Service).

I realize that I have control over a lot of systems at my workplace and am paid to keep them up and running. Sometimes things are out of my control and fall apart. But please, understand that I have a job to do just as you. If you need something from me I will do my best to fulfill your request in a timely manner. But don't put off your job, get with me right before it's crunch-time and expect me to do your job for you. Also, don't blame me if you don't do your job.

My Work is Cyclic

There are many roles in the IT world. In many large corporations they spread the IT workload across multiple, narrowly focused roles. In smaller companies, such as the one I work for, there is a small department of IT professionals that focus on all aspects of IT. The department is really small in my company; I am the only IT professional.

In my role at work, I am the hardware  and software specialist, network engineer, server infrastructure specialist, help desk, and the list goes on. My first priority is to keep all of the employee computers up and running and thus one of my primary roles is desktop support. When I don't have to fix malware issues or crashing computers I work on the projects I develop to better our computer and server infrastructure. This might include extending our wireless network coverage, implementing networked video cameras, replacing aging servers, or virtualizing our physical servers.

These variables (among others) make my workload very cyclic. When things are busy, I often work 10-12 hour days (both at work and at home) and even nights and weekends. When my workload is light it gives me the opportunity to research preventative implementations and measures and develop future project plans (and I can often go home early, allowing me to work from home in the evenings).

The change of pace in my job can be frustrating at times but it's also welcomed. I appreciate being able to take my time planning initiatives but enjoy tackling time-consuming projects when the need arises. But don't worry, we just purchased $50,000 in software and $15,000 in server hardware that I get to install.

I wish I worked Bankers' Hours

I get harassed a lot because of the hours I seem to work. First shift starts promptly at 7 AM (it starts at 6 AM if we are especially busy), engineering must be at their desks and working by no later than 8 and office staff start there day around 8:30.

I get to work by 8:30. I have an hour drive to work and mornings aren't the best time of the day for me. I get through my day and end up going home anywhere between 3:30 and 5 (usually, I try to leave by 4). Now for the keen observer, you might note that I am at my place of work for less than 8 hours on an average day. However, just because I'm not at work doesn't mean I'm not working.

I usually get home around 5:00, spend some time with my family, then log into work around 8 or so. On any given evening I will need to apply updates to servers, restart rogue processes, install software on a user's machine, troubleshoot issues with machines, among many other mundane tasks.

My ultimate goal is for IT to be as unobtrusive as possible. In order to meet that goal I often have to do a lot of work on what most people would call their personal time. IT guys can't necessarily leave their work at the office. If something needs fixed, I fix it whether it's at 11 AM or 9 PM.

So go ahead and give me a hard time. I may not put in a full day at the office, but please don't imply that I get by with doing less work than anybody else. If you do harass me though, I might be inclined to give you a phone call and invite you to ride with me as I go into work at 4 AM to fix a RAID that crashed on a server.

Why we have the latest toys

I'm a very fortunate person. God has given me many gifts and I am able to use them daily in my chosen field of employment. And man am I lucky that my field has some neat toys!!

I have never met an IT guy that wasn't a gadget guy (I'm sure they're out there but probably shouldn't be). I have a huge appreciation for breakthrough technologies and how they get applied to daily life and business. Personal computers revolutionized the way work gets done. Cell phones revolutionized the pace at which business occurs. The internet revolutionized communication, purchasing, the transfer of knowledge and information, and the way we approach and do business. Smartphones revolutionized who has access to information at any given moment. Social networking revolutionized how we maintain contact with people. All of these things absolutely blow my mind and I get to live and work with it every day.

So there's the "Oh man, that's so cool I can't believe I can do that!!!" side of gadgets, but there's also the "Oh man, that's so cool but what will it do to the network and what vulnerabilities does it open up to the company" side of gadgets. It's almost impossible for us to figure out the dangers of a technology (or the usefulness of a technology) if we don't get to experience and play with it hands on. An example that's going on right now in my company is smart phones. We proved the usefulness of Blackberries but now we have people desiring iPhones and Android phones. I have to understand them and work with them before I can effectively implement them. Also, I'm the first person someone comes to when they have a problem with the technology. How can I help my customer if I've never used the device before?

Since I am so immersed in technology I also have the ability to bridge the gap between technology and business. Maybe I see a gadget on the internet and can visualize a use for it at my company. Before we buy one for every employee, someone needs to experience the product and try to fit it into their daily workflow. Who better to do this than the IT guy (who also needs to know how to fix it if we do happen to buy everybody in the company one)?

Cursing me out will not put you on the top of my list

A couple of weeks ago I had a new experience.

I was working on our barcode capture system which forced me to visit 8 terminals around the plant to find the one causing the issues (this system is 15 years old but for the most part is rock solid). Fortunately for me, the terminal causing the problems was right next to a computer that allowed me to remote into the server and send it configuration commands.

A gentlemen (I had never seen him before which suggested to me he was a recent hire) approached the barcode terminal to which I told him it wasn't working and I was fixing the issue. He proceeded to curse me and the 'blasted' (edited for content) barcode system up one side and down the other. He definitely was NOT a happy customer.

Because I work in the IT field, I work in the customer service field by default. I've had some pretty ticked off customers before but I've never been spoken to like that before. I don't know anyone would speak to their dog like that. I understand frustration when a tool you rely on to do your job stops working; I do not understand transmitting your frustration in such a way that not only demeans the person fixing the issue but also makes you look like a buffoon. I have other morals and values at play but I essentially prescribe to the golden rule (treat others the way you want to be treated). If you show me respect I am more than willing to show you respect.

I did resolve the issue (about 4 minutes after the gentlemen left) despite his attitude because many people more people other than he rely on that system. If I had a place of business and was treated that way by a customer I think I would politely explain that their business wasn't appreciated.

All that to say, I understand what I signed up for. We are often the scape goat for people and/or problems and I'm fine with that. But if you respect me and what I do, I'll be more inclined to respect you and what you do. I might also be inclined to give you better service.

IT Personality Types

A good friend and colleague sent this web page to me this past weekend. I thought it fit right in with what I was trying to accomplish with this blog.

Personally I have not deal with every single personality type. I have seen all 8 tendencies in different people I've associated with over the years but am not familiar with each individual job role.

Are you familiar with these tendencies? Do you work with any one of these people?

http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/it-personality-types-8-profiles-in-geekdom-313?page=0,0&source=rs

Are we just lazy? Why we don't fix your problems

Please stop calling me every 2 hours to ask if I've fixed your problem yet. I understand that you have a job to do and if something is preventing you from getting that job done, it really is a big deal. There is, however, something I need you to understand. I don't work solely for you; I work for the company that you work for.

You see, I have a lot to do every day, just as you do. Not only do I sift through log files to find out why a backup failed last night, setup new computers for new users, recondition computers that have seen better days, read up on the latest virus/malware that's threatening to take us back to the stone age, but I also have to be on call for the 135 other people that work for this company. I understand Outlook is running slow for you and I will get to it at some point. But I currently have a SQL server that is crashing and a network switch that is going down for no apparent reason.

When I receive an issue request I immediately have to prioritize it. I might already have quite a list and your request gets placed at the bottom of the queue. I might be working on your issue and something more important comes up. I might be walking out of the building on my way to lunch and ignore your email or phone call. Also, the requests don't end when I leave the building. Occasionally I will have to drive an hour back to work and stay until the problem is fixed (try being at work at 2AM when no one else is around; talk about quiet).

Sometimes I forget that you submitted a request via phone call or in person. In that case, please send me a reminder via email. Sometimes I sit on issues until I have a better understanding of the problem. Sometimes there is no fix to your issue and I send the request to smarter people than myself. Sometimes I'm told that it will cost too much money to fix your issue and you have to deal with it.

I must also admit that I am human. Sometimes I attach less of a priority to your issue because I don't fully understand it. Maybe you ask for so much help that I try to focus on another problem because you've already called me 3 times today. Maybe you were a jerk to me and I don't want to work on your issue now. I hate to admit it but we all struggle with that sometimes.

I see it as my job to keep my customers happy. It would not be conducive to that relationship for me to simply ignore an issue. As mentioned before, I do understand your job is important and I simply ask for the same understanding in return. Also, it never hurts to be nice to us :)