Part time users with obvious problems 3

[Zelandakh]

As I am sure many of you have this problem, you are probably losing as much of your working day as I am.<br>
<br>
I have created version 1 of my quick reference guides to some of my more used apps.<br>
<br>
Typical problems that need to be listed on a &quot;cheat sheet&quot; for non-technical or occasional users:<br>
<br>
Remember to switch your monitor on<br>
User name - its your full name with a space, not just your christian name<br>
password - make sure caps lock is off<br>
domain - if this is missing type in domain1.<br>
<br>
That's how it starts. Once they get to the desktop, you need to know how to shut the computer off:<br>
<br>
Press START, SHUTDOWN and choose YES. Wait until the screen says &quot;it is now safe to switch off your computer&quot; and you can switch your computer off.<br>
<br>
Fortunately, the really non technical personnel in our company only do those things listed above and never actually do anything. They are the ones that get earmarked to have the computers with slow network cards and tiny hard disks...<br>
<br>

 

[Guest_imported]

Hey, I sure can understand where you are coming from. Some of the questions i get around here are enough to make me batty. For instance, not more then 5 minutes ago, I got called away from my desk, someone said they couldn't use the Microsoft Access program. When I went to see what the problem was, the problem was simply that the user deleted the short-cut to the Access program off their desktop. All they really had to do was go to start-programs-msaccess, but I guess this is just a little too advanced, eh? <p>John Vogel<br><a href=mailto:johnvogel@homepage.com>johnvogel@homepage.com</a><br><a href=

http://johnvogel.homepage.com>My

HomePage</a><br>WebMaster - DataBase Administrator - Programmer<br>

 

[Alt255]

Something I've suggested in my workplace is that all new users and all users operating new software or hardware should undergo a basic training &quot;boot camp&quot;. The list of recruits would expand whenever users performed costly errors, such as deleting the Windows folder, insering a screw driver in a live power supply or even cleaning their keyboard while entering data.<br>
This is the only field where neophytes are handed a machinegun and the keys to an eighteen-wheel tractor trailer on their date of hire. Is this wise?<br>
So far, the responses have included blank stares and mumbled &quot;Yeah, that would be nice&quot;s. I guess that's as far as the issue will go without a stack of documentation and a bold, underlined dollar figure.<br>
My question is; how can we help a Cost of Doing Business grow up and become a Return on Investment?

 

[Zelandakh]

What I have to cure SOME of the problems is a short document with a few of the answers to these issues.<br>
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I have the 2 page doc (so you can make it one sheet of paper) for Windows 9x that covers logging on, accessing programs, drives, extensions and so on. Then I have one for Word that covers opening, closing, printing, saving, stylesheets and all the other simple stuff. One similarly for Excel and an advanced one for Word - i.e. don't confuse those people that don't need advanced stuff!<br>
<br>
I'm still getting the &quot;my computer stopped working so I switched it off&quot; problems from people who should know better. We downed our Exchange server and those still in Outlook needed to close the app and continue with their work...<br>
<br>
It's hard to soar like an eagle when you work with turkeys

 

[MasterRacker]

Concise Quick References are probably the best solution I've found so far. One of my main pushes is to do more of them this spring. <br>
<br>
I used to have a 30 page &quot;New User Manual&quot;. The problem with that is it's too long and intimidates people into leaving it on the shelf. If you can take the same info and break it into 30 one page quick refs, people will look at them as needed and actually get something out of them. <p> Jeff<br><a href=mailto: masterracker@hotmail.com> masterracker@hotmail.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>

 

[rjs]

We support a number of clients where we set up a shared/public folder at the Exchange or GroupWise server where we post short how-to's. Of course this only helps those who can get past the turn pc on, login process.<br>
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But it is great for things like: How do I change my password? or Where do I get toner for the printer? etc. Our basic boot camp training emphasizes the location of this how-to folder.

 

[Zelandakh]

Our basic boot camp includes such things as &quot;you cannot change your password&quot; and &quot;when your printer says toner low, let me know and I'll change it&quot;...<br>
<br>
Yes, it means they will never learn. But with some of them, it is best not to know!<br>
<br>
Cynical Zel

 

[Albion]

Problem I have is that management is afraid to piss off the users, so they won't allow me to do things the proper way.&nbsp;&nbsp;I have so many band-aids on top of band-aids it's not funny.&nbsp;&nbsp;I've tried writing security HOW-TOs but because the HOW-TOs &quot;force&quot; users to do things a certain way they've been thrown out infavor of letting problems happen.&nbsp;&nbsp;Know how frustrating it is to have a user come to me and ask why he's getting a sharing violation, just because someone on another station didn't log out two days ago?&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet I can't force the users to log out.&nbsp;&nbsp;If we have a security problem I get management asking me who was on a station.&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, I can't tell them because no one even bothers to log on or off anymore.&nbsp;&nbsp;Talk about security holes.<br><br>-cm

 

[MiggyD]

I know what you mean.&nbsp;&nbsp;I've crated help files for 2 departments.<br><br>One department didn't know how to use their new phones.&nbsp;&nbsp;The other didn't know how to find their Word DOCs (I guess START/HELP/FINDING FILES or START/FIND was [still IS] just way too much to remember for the 2nd department).<br><br>After constructing the help files, placing it (shortcut) on their desktop, and telling them to look there first. I too would hope that they would learn.&nbsp;&nbsp;But somehow, about 24 hours later, the brain cell that had &quot;go there first&quot; simply dies off and they call again.<br><br>I guess its a never ending battle with Non-Techies.&nbsp;&nbsp;You can only hope for the mediocure. (I couldn't use &quot;the best' because that means they'd remember, wouldn't they????????) <p> <br><a href=mailto: > </a><br><a href= > </a><br>By the twitching of my thumb, something wicked this way comes........oh, it's only a boogy.

 

[nehpets]

Worse than not knowing anything are people with a little knowledge and the ability to deny!....what I mean are those well meaning people who have a PC at home and interfere with systems at work when they go wrong. Typically they cause more problems than were first present and then deny ever touching anything, or at least keep quiet about it! [sig]<p>Steve Thomas<br><a href=mailto:sthomas@ITIMSoftware.com>sthomas@ITIMSoftware.com</a><br><a href=

http://www.ITIMSOFTWARE.com>Company

Website</a><br>I am not Shameless, therefore I will not tell you about the when I was caught.........(now you are curious!!)[/sig]

 

[nehpets]

Another thought re training; the most effective way to approach training is through small digestable chunks. Start with the very basics and move on through one application at a time over a realistic period, always try to remember what it felt like to know nothing and put yourself into their boots for a while...I finf this makes you have a more effective attitude towards training! [sig]<p>Steve Thomas<br><a href=mailto:sthomas@ITIMSoftware.com>sthomas@ITIMSoftware.com</a><br><a href=

http://www.ITIMSOFTWARE.com>Company

Website</a><br>I am not Shameless, therefore I will not tell you about the when I was caught.........(now you are curious!!)[/sig]

 

[kjonnnnn]

At a company I use to work at, all new people were given a short course on computer usage and the software they'd be using it works. See if you can implement such a thing, you can justify it by talkn about the about of downtime using have by waiting for simple problems, that they can fix, be resolved. [sig][/sig]

 

[Zelandakh]

We have people hired on the basis of being experts in various pieces of software. No one tests them! The people doing the hiring don't know the software either.

I wrote a test for interview purposes. The people doing the hiring won't touch the test cos they know THEY will fail too.

&quot;try to remember what it felt like to know nothing&quot; - I was never THAT bad...



[sig]<p>Zel<br><a href=mailto:zel@zelandakh.co.uk>zel@zelandakh.co.uk</a><br><a href= > </a><br> [/sig]

 

[nephets1]

At no point has an entry, or knowledge level, been specified in this forum. Perhaps Z might like to start a new forum based on &quot;Getting the Right person for the Right Job&quot;.
Cheers all

 

[kjonnnnn]

What do you mean Nep? [sig][/sig]

 

[nephets1]

I was referring to Z's comment to my earlier one;
&quot;try to remember what it felt to know nothing&quot; -I was never that bad....well some people will be...they will require training..in some respects they are easier then those who do know a few bits here and there!!

Z has now raised a point about the wrong people in the wrong jobs (also he believes the wrong people are interviewing the wrong people the wrong way)....therefore I invite him to commence a new forum!!!

...Thats all folks!!

 

[kjonnnnn]

Oh...

Unfortunately, most people in the wrong jobs never know that they are in the wrong jobs, they think everyone else is at fault... [sig][/sig]

 

[Nathan12]

Do any of you have microsoft office certifications?

 

[Empeethree]

I think Zelandakh hit it on the head with the comment about the people doing the hiring really don't know it either. We run into this all the time, someone tosses up a few catch phrases and next thing you know they are being boosted as the next best thing to sliced bread. Then the person shows up and within days it becomes obvious they dont know what they claimed to know.


just my two cents