NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: AUDREY RASMUSSEN ON NETWORK/SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT 09/01/04 Today's focus: When all else fails, communicate
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * Communication with users can make management easier * Links related to Network/Systems Management * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Lantronix When you absolutely can't get to your IT equipment... get there anyway. Lantronix SecureLinx(TM) SLC console managers provide consolidated access to virtually every piece of equipment in your data center. You can remotely access, control, diagnose and repair IT equipment! Learn more about console managers with our free white paper. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=78671 _______________________________________________________________ IS SECURITY RIPE FOR OUTSOURCING? Security demands for online applications such as e-commerce and Web services are prompting more corporate customers to hand off security functions - such as intrusion detection and firewalls - to outside service providers. Find out if security should be outsourced in this Network World article: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=78259 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: When all else fails, communicate By Audrey Rasmussen Although there are many daily technical challenges to face, it's also true that many problems that IT folks have to deal with could be avoided through better communication. This issue is not endemic to IT only - communications problems may permeate far and wide within companies. But let's focus on IT here. I understand that when you're working feverishly to solve a critical problem, like one of your data centers is completely down, that the last thing that you want to think about is communicating. I agree that priority must be placed on solving critical problems. However, I also believe that IT must place a priority on communicating proactively with users. Whether there is a user liaison within IT who is focused on this, or it's just a change in approach within IT, there must be some kind of focus in this area. Properly setting user expectations can head off potential "user" problems, particularly when you are making major changes in IT infrastructure. The art in all of this is communicating with the users so that they understand the scope of the undertaking and the potential risks. If you get their buy-in BEFORE making the changes, then if something goes wrong, they may be more apt to understand what you are facing and why. But if something stops working all of a sudden without any warning, they're likely to get irate. I know that this seems pretty basic, but it is more difficult in practice. I recently had an experience that brought this topic to mind. A company was making a major change to its infrastructure. Although communication was done to explain what the changes were and when they would be made, the enormity of the change was not communicated. Most IT people would intuitively know the potential issues that such a major change might bring, but that information would escape most others. And it did. So rather than appreciating the accomplishments of this major undertaking with only minor issues resulting, users became focused on what was different than the way it used to be. It's all a matter of perspective and perception. The key to better communication with users is to put yourself in their shoes - assuming their lack of basic technical knowledge (if that is the case). Although there are many extroverts who love to communicate with others in the IT ranks, it is also a reality that there are many IT experts who don't share this love of communication. So you have two choices, you either assign a "natural" communicator to interface to the users, or you set up practices within IT on user communication. Believe it or not, improving communication with users can not only create better working relationships between IT and the users, but it may also improve IT's value to the organization. Although it's easy to think that users are not intelligent life forms that possess the capability to fathom the complexities of fixing their problems, they still would like to have an inkling of communication as to the "cause" of their problem. The people side of IT support should be paid adequate attention, alongside technical excellence. Management extends beyond technology - the people factor oftentimes is more difficult than the technical. _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Audrey Rasmussen Audrey Rasmussen is a vice president with Enterprise Management Associates <http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/> in Boulder, Colorado, a leading industry analyst firm focusing exclusively on all aspects of the management of information technology. Audrey has more than 25 years of experience working with distributed systems, applications and networks. Her current focus at EMA is system management, application management and enterprise management technologies. Reach her at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Lantronix When you absolutely can't get to your IT equipment... get there anyway. Lantronix SecureLinx(TM) SLC console managers provide consolidated access to virtually every piece of equipment in your data center. You can remotely access, control, diagnose and repair IT equipment! Learn more about console managers with our free white paper. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=78670 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Archive of the Network/Systems Management newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/nsm/index.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE NW FUSION PARTNERS' SITES NOW AVAILABLE Network World Fusion Partners is a collaborative effort between Network World and sponsoring Partner companies. Each microsite contains best-of-breed information as well as custom content not found anywhere else, including a custom email newsletter and special offers. 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