| Copyright (c) 2007 Don R. Crawley | | | | Read...a lot. The fact that you're reading this article |
| Competence means providing correct, knowledgeable | | | | speaks highly of you. It's not that you're reading this |
| service, performed with accuracy and confidence. | | | | particular article (as much as your author wants to |
| Competence is a two-part process. You must | | | | believe that!), but that you're reading any article about |
| demonstrate competence in the way you do your job, | | | | how to do your job better that speaks so highly of |
| but you must also find ways to maintain your technical | | | | you. There are thousands, perhaps millions, of blogs |
| competence. | | | | and forums on the Web dealing with the same |
| Demonstrating Competence | | | | technologies you support. Microsoft and most other |
| Here are a couple of good techniques to use to | | | | vendors provide extensive support documentation at |
| demonstrate your competence. | | | | their sites. Microsoft even has free hands-on labs and |
| Tell the user what you are going to do before you do | | | | how-to guides. Get one of the O'Reilly Cookbooks for |
| it. This technique is called headlining, in the sense that a | | | | the technology you support and work through recipes |
| newspaper article's headline tells you what you are | | | | that are most interesting to you. |
| going to read before you read it. As a user, it is very | | | | Build a sandbox. I first heard of an IT "sandbox" when I |
| frustrating to be dealing with a technical support | | | | was working with some individuals from Kimberly-Clark |
| provider who does not tell you what he or she is doing. | | | | Corporation in a PKI training session. The IT "sandbox" |
| When there is silence on the phone, the user may be | | | | is another name for a testing lab where you can |
| confused, and this does not assure the user of your | | | | experiment without worrying about system failure. |
| competence. You know you have not done a good | | | | Today, it's often not necessary to set up a physical lab |
| job of headlining if, after a period of silence, your user | | | | with multiple physical computers. Instead, you can use |
| says, "Are you still there?" The user does not feel | | | | tools like VMWare, Virtual PC, or Xen to create a |
| cared for if she has to guess if you are still on the line. | | | | virtualized lab environment in which you can test and |
| Headlining is the mark of a professional Help Desk | | | | experiment to your heart's content without worrying |
| provider. It is easy and quick to do, and creates a high | | | | about affecting end-users. Some virtualization products |
| degree of end-user satisfaction. Use headlining when | | | | are available for free; others at very low cost. (I use |
| you need to take a moment to look up some | | | | VMWare Workstation.) Use Google to learn more |
| information in the database. You can say, "It will take | | | | about virtualization and the vendors who create |
| me just a minute to look that up in the database." This | | | | virtualization products. |
| gives the user the assurance that you are working on | | | | Get trained! As a training provider to the IT world, you'd |
| their behalf. | | | | certainly expect me to make this recommendation, but |
| Another way of providing assurance to users is to | | | | it's important. Training, whether in a college classroom, |
| build their confidence in your ability to help them. This | | | | a seminar environment, in a workshop, or at a |
| can be done with a solution statement delivered once | | | | conference exposes you to new ways of doing things |
| you understand and have confirmed the user's | | | | and thinking about things. Electronic delivery of training |
| problem. A solution statement simply tells the user that | | | | can be an excellent solution, but participating in |
| you can help them solve the problem. You can say, | | | | in-person classes allows you to interact with the |
| "From what you have told me, I know how to solve | | | | instructor and the other students. It's through such |
| the problem." | | | | interaction that you discover new concepts and new |
| Maintaining Technical Competence | | | | solutions to old problems. I discovered when I returned |
| Our world in Information Systems and Technology | | | | to college that just being in an educational environment |
| evolves so quickly that maintaining technical | | | | got me thinking in new and positive ways. Additionally, |
| competence can seem overwhelming at times. Here | | | | great teachers and trainers challenge you and help you |
| are four keys to maintaining your technical | | | | step outside your comfort zone which is how you |
| competence: | | | | affect positive change in your career and in your life. |
| Be curious. Curious people are always exploring. When | | | | Being great at your job isn't necessarily easy, but it's |
| you're curious, life is more interesting and you find new | | | | immensely rewarding in terms of personal satisfaction, |
| ways of doing things, you find things you didn't even | | | | career options, and financial rewards. |
| know existed, and you maintain a childlike sense of | | | | Next week, we'll talk about empathy and its |
| wonder and awe. | | | | importance as part of the tech support process. |