For those of us that have worked in the IT industry, we are well
aware of the image of the IT department at most businesses. Arrogant,
rude, obstructive; these are just a few words that have typically been
associated with IT. Stereotypes likes these can limit effectiveness and
make it difficult for your IT department to do its job. Improving the
image of your IT department is something that is not only beneficial to
your employees, but also the company as a whole.
Demonstrate that you're human beings
The most common mistake made by IT departments is that they forget
that the majority of their work is customer-service based. This means
that there is a great deal of human interaction required and you must
learn to deal with other people.
Too often, because most IT problems can be solved remotely, members
of the IT department will spend almost all of their time in their
respective office. It is important to get involved around the office and
not hide out in the IT department.
Getting out of the IT department every now and again will give you
the chance to meet the users and establish relationships with them. This
also gives them a chance to put a face and name to the IT department
which is much harder to put a negative connotation on. It may be a good
idea to occasionally go help a user face to face even when it's
unnecessary as this will help them understand what goes into fixing an
IT problem. This will help users remember that the IT department is made
up of human beings and not a group of robots who can magically solve
all their problems instantly.
Establishing a good rapport with the users will make things easier
for everybody. You will be less frustrated with their requests and they
will be more patient and appreciative of your efforts to find them
solutions.
Communicate and educate
Maintaining communication with users as well as continuously
educating them will improve your IT department's image and efficiency.
Communication is something that is important throughout the entire
company, but it may be most important between users and the IT
department. By keeping open lanes of communication with users you can
show that your department is accessible and easy to get in touch with.
This will improve your image within the company as well as increase
efficiency as users will be more comfortable coming to you with issues
early, rather than waiting until a major problem develops.
Education is equally essential to improving your department's image.
Informing users on basic IT solutions is beneficial to both parties and
can be done in a number of ways. One way to do this is by organizing
meetings or workshops with employees from every department where you can
work hands-on with users to help them better understand IT processes.
Games/competitions can be incorporated into these workshops and
prizes can be given away to add some excitement. Providing those who
attend the opportunity to win a raffle prize could also be used as an
incentive. Another way to keep users informed is by including a monthly
IT column in the company newsletter that offers tips and advice for
basic IT issues. This will improve the department's image as users will
see you as being genuinely helpful and it could also save you some time
as users may be able to fix a problem themselves rather than by
contacting IT.
Be personable and avoid jargon
Finally, the simplest thing you can do to improve you IT department's
image is to just be personable. If you are friendly and patient with
users, then they will give you the same courtesy. The "golden rule"
applies well here and it is important to remember that if you are rude
and short with users they are unlikely to listen to your suggestions
which could lead to the frustration of fixing the same problem over and
over again.
Also, remind yourself that you are interacting with a person who more
likely than not doesn't know as much about technology as you do
(otherwise they would probably be in the IT department). It is important
to avoid jargon and terms that those unfamiliar with IT may not
understand. This needs to be done without talking down to the person, as
doing so will only cause resentment. It is incredible how beneficial
simply being polite can be to your department's overall success.
Improving the image of your IT department within your company can
contribute directly to a more successful and effective department. An
improved reputation for your department will make it much easier (and
less stressful) to do your job. Although there are some negative views
and stereotypes associated with IT, it is possible to take actionable
steps towards abolishing these stereotypes and improving your image into
one that is held in high regard.
0 comments → Improve the image of your IT department
Post a Comment