Why being the only IT person is a bad thing 14

[Mike555]

Is doing a good job worth it if your boss does not give you any credit for your work? The purpose of this message is to see if anyone besides myself has had a common experience.

I work for a small company of about 110 employees. Alone, I am responsible for all technical support for all employees. This includes everything from installing new OS's to setting up desktop shortcuts. A lot of my friends tell me I have the best job in the world - I work independently as the singular source of IT knowledge within the company. However, I have recently been starting to feel very much alone at work.

I feel that 99% of my work goes unnoticed because I do all the technical stuff by myself. My manager works with our claims processing system making sure that insurance claims pay correctly. He has no clue what I do because he is not technical and he ignores things he doesn't have to understand. His job does not require him to be technical.

Last year I built the company website...and everyone just thought "Well, Mike's the technical guy and technical guys build websites". When we migrated from WinNT to Win2k with no major problems everyone just though "Well, Mike's the technical guy and technical guys upgrade Operating Systems." When I had to learn SQL in one week in order to implement a new system to comply with new government regulations, management basically said "Go at it, MIke...your're the technical guy, right?" The fact is that no one in the company, including my manager, understands the technical aspects of what I do except for me.

I also find myself simplifying technical stuff all the time. It gets to the point where I basically do not give myself any credit for my work because I always have to explain stuff to people in basic terms (especially MANAGEMENT!!!!!!). I'm the last person to gloat about my work, but I'm starting to feel like I need to in order to get any type of credit. And I don't want to do this.

Can anyone offer suggestions as to ways I can help others understand what I do? Or am I just stuck inside an endless loop?

Thanks.
Mike

 

[sleipnir214]

To answer the question at the beginning of your post: As an IT professional, you have an ethical duty to perform your job to the best of your ability, regardless of any lack of accolades you see yourself deserving.

To make your activities better-known to your supervisor, involve him in your activities. While he cannot actually help with doing the work, you might get his attention by asking his advice on something more mundane, like resolving scheduling conflicts in your work.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!

 

[CajunCenturion]

I certainly can appreciate your desire for a little ego-stroking. We all need that from time to time.

However, if as you say, your boss has no idea what you do, then he has no idea just what to give you credit for. To him, you're doing your job, like you're supposed to. You need to somehow educate him. sleipnir214 has some good ideas.

Let's try putting the shoe on the other foot. When was the last time you thanked your boss for the things he's done for you. That may be one way to get him to look back. It may be that if you give your boss more credit, maybe you'll more credit back from him.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[jrbarnett]

Mike

Speaking as somebody who has worked in IT support, where I was very much appreciated by end users and colleagues, and routinely praised while doing so, and also as a developer, where my work was routinely described as "crap" by colleagues even though nobody else would have had the knowledge to do the work I did, and having sorted out the mess left by what can only be described as incompetent former co-workers than myself on many occasions, I can understand what you are going through.

I can only wonder what would happen in the event of your absence, should a major problem occur that somebody couldn't fix. Try booking two weeks leave for a holiday and see what happens?

Taking your point about involving others in your work though:
Try and set up something like a company Computer Users group to find out what they want from you, whether they are happy with the service you provide (on the grounds that most people don't praise when things are going well and they are happy).
Make sure this group includes representatives from all levels of the company that use the IT facilities - right from shop front sales staff and receptionists to board level directors.
You could raise questions about whether it is worth upgrading to new versions of commercial software used by the company, any facilities that they would like to see but currently don't have - eg perhaps a shared mailbox system such as Exchange, Groupwise or Notes and you are currently using POP3 to each workstation, maybe remote access or web mail facilities or suggestions for improvements to current facilities.
You could make a few suggestions as well, such as producing FAQ's for common tasks that don't require your knowledge, such as how to create a shortcut, taking your example, and placing these on an intranet page or in a shared directory on a server for everybody to access as they need to.

This will give a range of people throughout the company an idea of what you do and the variety of tasks you perform. They will hopefully pass this on to their colleagues and underlings through word of mouth.

Sleipnir214's comment about doing the job to the best of your ability though, is absolutely spot on.

I hope that this is a useful suggestion.

Regards

John Barnett

 

[Mike555]

You all make a very good point - Which is to more involve my boss and others in my work.

As I'm sure John knows: When working in support & development roles it is sometimes difficult to involve non-technical (or incompetent) co-workers in technical aspects of your job and expect any certain degree of helpful ideas/suggestions/feedback about your work. Especially if you are the only person who understands something. But I agree that I shouldn't expect others to understand what I do unless they are involved somehow. Even if it is asking for mundane advice as Sleipnir214 suggests.

You make a good point, CajunCenturion. I rarely give my boss credit and I'm sure this isn't helping matters.

John, Very good suggestion about the users group and FAQs. This would help make things more visible to everyone. I'm definitely keeping this in mind.

Sleipnir214 - Your comment about doing the job to your best ability is perfect. (Is there currently a creed for the IT indudstry? )

Thank you all for your very helpful feedback. It is very much appreciated.

Mike

 

[CajunCenturion]

With respect to IT Professionals, don't know of a creed if there is one, but in any event, the doing your job to the best of your has nothing to do with the IT part of your title, it has everything to do with the Professional part of your title.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[TomKane]

Perhaps some measurement is required? The problem is probably exactly as you say - because you're doing this stuff on your own you're the only one that knows what you're going through and what you had to do to get the job done.

Maybe you need to start logging your work in some kind of issue tracking system. If you already are then maybe you need to start making it work for you.

What if on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis you could show your manager that x IT issues/queries were raised and that x% were user support and that y% was system admin and that a tiny minority (neglible I'm sure) were genuine system problems. That issues were "turned around" in the quickest time possible and that the Account Dept (or whatever) were the most "needy" in terms of your assitance. You may even be able to use this information to highlight what the biggest support issue is for you and your users and take steps to dealing with it once and for all - freeing up your time (maybe) and showing that you are being proactive in the service you provide to your organisations users.

If you have hard data backing you up rather than anecdotal evidence from your users then I think that will go a long way towards your manager appreciating you more.

People who get appreciated in other departments or in other industries are set targets/objectives and when they exceed them they are the greatest - but if there are no targets then how can anyone be sure if your doing great or not?

 

[KornGeek]

I'm the last person to gloat about my work, but I'm starting to feel like I need to in order to get any type of credit. And I don't want to do this.


Remember that you can let people know how hard you worked to accomplish something without gloating. It sounds like the main reason these people aren't fully appreciating the work you put in is that they don't have an understanding for how hard it was. Sometimes the only way for them to understand is for you to "toot your own horn." This isn't bragging, gloating, or showing off. This is simply a way to show your own appreciation for your work. Hopefully others will begin to understand what you've done and will start to appreciate it too.

Don't be afraid to be proud of your work.

 

[jymm]

I was in a similar boat a while back. Started a simple word document that I kept open all day long. It had/has several categories (that change from time to time).
1) New Tasks
2) Major Project Work
3) Ad-Hoc reports
4) Support
5) FYI
6) Future big stuff

I then just forwarded it to her on a weekly basis (and printed it for my own self). It was not meant to be a true project accounting system (how many minutes did it take to figure out who in accounting did what to their machine) but just something to keep everyone's head pointed in the right direction. Turned out that my supervisor at the time did not realize how often I was spending time on ad-hoc reporting needs for several of the departments. At the end of the year (before the mandatory 'review') I quickly scanned the saved files for those major things and asked that it be attached to the review. The boss's boss did not realize what I was doing either... plus it helped me keep track of how many times I had to fix the stupid printer in Marketing because the folks there did not have a clue what a regular sheet of paper looks like (sigh)... needed marketing people and got 'booth babes'... ah well.

nuts & bolts - everyone here is right. Be proud & make sure that people know what you are doing - it translated into BIG BUCKS for me!

 

[Provogeek]

sleipnir214 has some great advice here. Keep that boss person in the loop, and provide him with more information that he/she cares to know or understands. What I do to ensure my boss is aware of my job difficulties and to keep him a close part of what I do is to allow him to make choices I present him with. Now, it is fixed the choices I give him, I've already made the choice my self. But I have found that my boss better understands the hard work I put in if I give him the choice.

I don't use this very often, doing it to often make you look like you can't make a choice on your own. But it does help him to understand what it is I am doing and how hard it can be to become an expert on a product that was released two weeks ago and just sold to a client for install.

I have also gone as far as to makeing my boss feel the pain I have to feel. Had to report to client site at 1am to work with an over seas engnineer to setup a WAN. Not only did this over seas engineer refuse to agree to an apointment that was resonable for both time zones (he would only report 10am his time, 1am my time), but after an hour of dealing with his accent I find out he has no idea how to program a router. On top of that, I find that he telco had lied about the line being up and testing good. SO, I just had to give my boss a call, at home, to let him know the WAN link was not up. Ticked him off, but he liked being kept in the loop and I saw no reason to stop. ;-)

Brent Schmidt CNE,Network +
Senior Network Engineer
Keep IT Simple

http://www.kiscc.com

 

[scriptscribe]

Mike, as the lone IS and IT professional at my current location, I know exactly how you feel. About a year ago, my company allowed me to transfer from corporate headquarters in Orange County, CA to a rural sattelite business that they owned. Since they suddenly had someone reasonably knowledgable in the ways of computers at this location, they seized the opportunity and ask me to do things like network troubleshooting, virus detection/repair, Windows troubleshooting, Excel, Word & Outlook training, as well as any other task that may come up. I don't mind because I enjoy the challenges and find them an enjoyable distraction from my day-to-day work, but long ago realized that I was completely unappreciated.

When the company needed their interface emulator updated at this location, they overnighted me the disk and asked me to update all 60 or so computers at this location. Many of the people here had not used their A:\ drive in, well, pretty much EVER. At least 30 of the A:\ drives were clogged with dust and lint and needed to be partially dismantled to be cleaned or were just plain hooked up incorrectly, meaning that I had to remove hard drives, video cards, etc, just to get them operating. After all of this, all they essentially said was, "Well, Mike's the tech guy and that's what tech guys do." (My name's Mike too)

When I was told that I needed to perform all SQL reporting for this location, I picked up an SQL book and taught myself in about a week. When I produced accurate, on-time reports, they responded, "Well, Mike's the tech guy, and that's what tech guys do."

I was told by a VP at this location that she wanted an interactive database that included viewable updatable data with controls to automate data updating. I picked up a Visual Basic book, taught myself VBA in a few weeks and created an Access application that was met her needs to the letter. When presented with the application, she essentially responded, "Well, you're the tech guy, so I knew that this is what you'd do."

I currently am creating a resource to improve employee efficiency and productivity at the request of a couple of people. It'll be too messy with Access forms and VBA, so I've spent my spare hours learning C++ and MFC over the past year or so. I'm sure that after taken the time to teach myself C++ and I've completed the program that they'll respond to that as they have with everything else.

At one point I felt as you did; that I was unappreciated since no one else new my basic job. My boss called me into his office a while back and said, "I have no idea what you do on a daily basis because i can't take the time to learn it all, but as far as I'm concerned, the fact that no one complains about your "stuff" means that you're doing an outstanding job." I realized that he was right. If people have no idea what you do, sometimes just the fact that they aren't complaining about your "stuff" is the best compliment you can get.

Apologies for the length, but I wanted you to know that you're not the only one in your situation.

 

[SF0751]

For more proof that you're not alone - even though you're all alone.......

Check out

http://sysday.tripod.com/time.htm

.

Enjoy!

Susan
Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer. - Mark Twain

 

[Kjonnnn]

Well.. you won't be totally missed or appreciated until you're not there. Fact.

 

[KornGeek]

Maybe the issue is the way you're interpreting "You're the tech guy, and that's what tech guys do."

Let's define what tech guys do:
1) Make the impossible possible.
2) Defy laws of physics (only the minor ones, and only for good reasons)
3) Do what it takes to get the job done
4) Drink lots of caffeine
5) Lose lots of sleep
6) Seem omniscient and/or omnipotent

Considering what we do, it seems only natural that they have to stop being amazed every time we suprise ourselves. Even though we didn't think it could be done, maybe what they're saying is that they have supreme confidence in us.
;-)

 

[Mike555]

Thanks for all your helpful comments, feedback, suggestions. I've taken much of what you've said and given it serious thought. Its great to have a form like this where everyone can help each other out.

Thanks!

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

Even through the hard times... You guys that do everything are mircle workers! I have been called that too. Luckly, I get the thanks and praise once in a while to stroke my ego somewhat.

iSeriesCodePoet
IBM iSeries (AS/400) Programmer

Want to have all your bookmarks in one spot?

http://www.koldark.net/bookmark4u/

 

[mmorancbt]

I used to work in a large user department. I did not work in I.T. and took care of all technology related issues: comptuer support, software development, training, etc.

I think personally it's a great thing. You get to touch so much more than a myopic focus of a given position within an I.T. department - something that I.T. staff often complain of.

However, I believe I may have suggested this in another forum (or in an article???) but at the suggestion of my highly non-technical boss at the above mentioned job I would create a simple report.

She wanted to give me credit for what I did but did not understand the technical functions. She asked me to write a quick weekly report that told her:

1) What I did this week.
2) What came up that was unplanned and impacted projects
3) What did not get done for the week
4) What I planned to do the following week
5) What issues I foresaw that would impact my work and/or work I was doing that may impact the department (downtime, changes to a program, etc.)

In all cases she wanted an overview of the technology but more importantly, how it supported the department and business objectives.

This was huge in forming my career since it became a valuable tool to ensure that my work was actually relevant to the business. It allowed to to schedule, as work, research and development and even reading. It allowed her to see in words she understood, what I was doing and give me credit.

This became the backbone for my focus on Concept Over Process and the groundwork for my career development articles.

I recommend that technologists, if possible, work in a user department, not in an I.T. department. At least for some time.

In short, I would conider you to be in a great position. However, consider the above report. It was useful from PR but also in training me to think about what I was doing. Don't make it a novel, 1 or two sentences on the primary tasks performed.

I hope this was helpful.


Matthew Moran

 

[jok]

How about this? Write up your job duties to the level of an RFP. Ask an out-source provider to make a proposal. I bet it would be quite a bit more than your fully burdened cost.

 

[Mike555]

mmorancbt - Thanks.
jok - That is a great idea. Thanks as well.

 

[gbl]

As the network admin/web page content manager/newsletter editor, etc., for a midsize accounting firm with no other IT people in the office, I sympathize with your concerns, Mike555. I agree with sleipnir214 about doing your best. I too also do not get credit for my work, and am paid well below average. I envy the larger mix of work opportunities you have had, Mike. I would enjoy working with 100 users, SQL, and being allowed to do the operating system migration. Training is not provided and sometimes my superiors are surprised when things take longer, as a result. Although one of the four firm's partners has a sympathetic ear, his understanding does not translate into sufficient influence to yield good reviews or appropriate salary adjustment from the managing partner. Unfortunately he is the only one who understands computer and IT related issues.

The "To do" list as a way of letting your boss know what you are doing is interesting but although I have one that the partners can see, it tends to get used by them to emphasize what I have not achieved compared to what has been done.

Most recently I had a review where they decided they would reconsider the last decision not to give me a raise based on the number of hours I worked. Unfortunately I cannot work extra hours: my wife and I can't afford to pay our nanny overtime! And we need the nanny or one of us would not be able to work and we would lose our home.

Scriptscribe you are lucky that you were acknowledged for a job well done because things worked fine. My seniors don't understand that concept. As for learning on my own after hours, I could not do that recently because I had to have a second job. Now I can't do because I cannot afford it.

I like the RFP concept as well, and I will probably mention it at the next review since I have not received anything for having taken on the firm's newsletter responsibility.