How to Make Time for the Fun Stuff
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, says the old proverb. To interpret that for the world of IT technical workgroups, all work and no play is an illusion – the trick is not to allow your Read More …
Category: How To
Practical, instructional articles describing methods and procedures for IT support managers
How Managed Support Can Save Clients £Thousands
Managed support can be more than just a bunch of break-fix techies. With the right set up, IT Support saves money. Here’s the argument and the calculations you need to prove it. Read More …
IT Support Fixes Should Take Minutes, Not Days
ITIL® has its strengths, of course, but if there’s one thing it really, really sucks at, it is IT User Support. ITIL tells us we need a Servicedesk and lots and lots of queues and backlogs; and then pretty much Read More …
Training: External/Channel Support Workgroup Leader
Most training for IT professionals is based around ITSM (IT Service Management), or IT services as delivered to a corporate internal customer base. This two-day workshop is different. It is aimed at the support leaders in the Channel. The is Read More …
The Problem with the ‘Nice’ Manager
It’s nice to be seen as nice. Nice means an easier ride, less friction, no conflict, broad acceptance. But then, even niceness is not always easy, because others may not always be nice to you. And then there’s the question Read More …
Defining ECSM – External Client Support Management
When we think of IT Support, we probably imagine a technical service for the computer users of an organisation. The de facto industry framework for managing that relationship is ‘IT Service Management’ (ITSM). However, when the IT support is being provided to external customers, or Read More …
It’s About Priorities, Not Service Levels
For the past twenty-odd years, I have been a consultant specialising in IT user support and its management. Organisations call me in to help them quickly improve support delivery, and staff productivity and job satisfaction. Over the years, I’ve had Read More …
IT Management – How to Make Your Staff Want to Work for You
It’s not easy being the leader of a technical workgroup. It’s even harder if you came up through the technical route yourself, so you know you’ve got to let all that technical stuff go. That has to happen to give Read More …
For healthy IT support, go beyond the service desk
Let’s not underestimate IT user support. It is far and away the most important function of IT. Occasionally, some business department heads will need a software development project or to commission an infrastructure improvement, so calling upon IT’s project managers, Read More …
Tech Staff Motivation – Forget What You Think You Know
Good grief, there is some real naïve nonsense talked about motivating staff, there really is. I’ve recently read yet another happy-clappy article making some spectacularly preposterous claims about staff motivation. It upset me, as so much of this trite, theoretical, Read More …
