Attitudes

At the company I work, technology issues seem to take on a adversarial tone at just about every turn. It is frustrating beyond belief and only serves to make relationships difficult and an environment where you are constantly fighting the system, just to get something you want. I happen to be one of the few technical people that does not work on the technical side of the house, so I have a unique perspective. I can figure out how to ask for help in a way that will actually yield help.

What I find insane are some of the policies and the processes that you have to endure just to solve minor problems. I understand the need for consistency and access controls, but it should be tempered with reason. I have made the suggestion that those of us who are technical and able to support ourselves should be able to do so, with appropriate access given as needed.

It is frustrating for me to have to request something that I could fix myself in under ten minutes, which will take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to resolve. We are not talking about complex issues, I mean basic things like allocating more server space or installing software.

I am constantly explaining why policies are put into place to fellow coworkers who are blindsided by corporate IT policy, because the attitude from the IT community is just "because we said so." Unfortunately, that only angers everyone who hears it. Once you explain, in a reasonable, though usually non-technical manner, why security policies exist, most people agree that they are appropriate. The assumption that IT seems to make is that all people are morons and incapable of understanding anything about why they do the things they do. And while this may very well be the case most of the time, it is not absolute. Explained correctly, even the most complex technical issues can be grasped by just about anyone.

I strive to do this in everything I do, explain it in a way that everyone can understand. I do not feel it is necessary to talk down to people, rather it is more advantageous to increase their knowledge, sometimes without them even realizing it. Of course, I guess speaking to fellow employees as intelligent people who can think and reason for themself has succeeded officially in getting dinged on a review for not "considering my audience." Oh well, the people I work with have always expressed appreciation for explaining technical issues in a way they can comprehend, so my work is rewarding, at least in that regard.

So if you are a technical person, keep this in mind: Just because someone is non-technical, this does not mean that they cannot understand technical issues. You just have to speak their language and not intimidate them. Try it sometime, educating people is always for the greater good!

Oh yeah, and as much as RTFM is tempting as an answer, sometimes you have to point out the chapter and recommend some prerequisites. :-)