Fixing the technology isn’t always enough
Every IT person has had one of these situations. A user comes to you with a problem. You fix it and announce, “Problem solved” or “Case closed.” But you’re met with a long, uncomfortable silence or a blank stare. It’s an awkward moment that you can end only by saying something like, “Well, let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you,” before shuffling away, wondering where you went wrong. Where we go wrong, more often than not, is in handling the facts of a problem but not the feelings that accompany it. The technology problem...
Read MoreWords are the first hurdle for new tech managers
New managers struggle. They also don’t get much help — or sympathy. My last column elicited a lot of heartfelt reader emails about the difficulty of, and lack of support for, the transition from technical work to management. My conversations with those readers also revealed that whatever support they did get left their biggest need unmet. Training focused on skills — the mechanics of management — but the new managers still lacked the language to truly understand the value of management itself. That’s right. What they needed most were words. They can think and...
Read MoreIT cares, but business people have trouble reading our enthusiasm
In my exploration of the differences between technical and business people, nothing surprised me more than this: Business people tend to think that we don’t care about anything. One of their biggest complaints is that we don’t share their passion for the business. When-ever I hear this, I have an immediate, visceral reaction of outrage: “How could you possibly think I don’t care about anything? I work like a dog to try to turn your visions into reality!” But my recent work has given me a deeper understanding of how business people think, and I’ve...
Read MoreIn the tech world, management is not a promotion
Whenever I hear a technical person say, “I just got promoted into management,” I know he’s in for a rough ride. Because chances are he doesn’t understand what he’s gotten himself into, and whoever gave him the job hasn’t prepared him well. Very rarely do they realize that in technical work, this new role isn’t a promotion — it’s a career change. To get a promotion is generally to receive added responsibilities. There is a sense of continuity: What came before is a part of what is to come. But for technical people, nothing could be further...
Read MoreWant to own the future? Build rich relationships
For more than 20 years, I’ve been hearing complaints, concerns and panicked hysteria about the end of the IT career as we know it. Just below the surface, we all seem to think that we’re about to get the ax. And that’s because we persistently misunderstand what our business partners want most from us. We think they just need the best technician, but they don’t. What they need most, now and in the future, are technical people who can communicate and collaborate with nontechnical people. Regardless of their specialty, individuals who can work across the cultural divide...
Read MoreNEW BOOK: 8 Steps to Restoring Client Trust
We are pleased to announce the release of our new book.
At a neat 118 pages, this book is a succinct, no-nonsense set of instructions for what to do and what not to do when you have an unhappy client. It's especially prized by technical people who, when faced with emotionally charged situations, want a clear and concise set of rules to follow. When your client is really steamed, disappointed, or ready to give up, and your own instincts fail you, this book steps in to save the day.
