Users: They're the reason IT needs us, but in a turducken-style conundrum-inside-a-paradox, they can make your work life miserable.
Well, I'm here to help with that. In the world of IT, it's almost a badge of honor to treat users with contempt. Guess what- that's not the way it's supposed to be. Check out these 4 techniques that will help you relate to the people you serve- and have a much better time at work.
Evaluate your mindset
Do users make you nuts? You should start with where they are coming from. Regardless of how you may feel about a particular user in a certain situation, you must remember that your employer has you there to do a job- which it to keep that user working and making money.
You can't control other people- you can only control yourself. Remember this quote from Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:
Remember, every time you think the problem is “out there,” that very thought is the problem.You can't control the way the other person is going to behave, but you can control how you will respond to it. Resolve to respond positively, even in negative circumstances. It makes you feel better and helps interactions go more smoothly.
Try to find common ground
Your end-users are people too. To help get them on your side, find some things you have in common. You can talk about these things during long interactions, and you might be surprised at some of the things they like.The way I do this is to take a look around their work area and see something interesting. Sometimes I make a note if they have a vanity plate or a sticker on their car I can bring up. Maybe the have a award or a desk toy (or regular toy!) that you can talk about.
Remember that a person's favorite subject is themselves. Take a genuine interest in something about them. It goes a long way and can make for a memorable experience.
Warning: Do not be fake about it. Don't feign interest to get by. If you truly have nothing in common (not likely- at least you work in the same company), just keep the conversation polite and friendly. People can smell fakes from a mile away.
Tame the high-maintenance user
I'll admit that I have some fun with this one. In every company, there's always that one person (or several, depending on size) who are a key player in the business.
You know the type- the ones who like to either stick to the business protocols or avoid them completely. Sometimes they are nasty in emails, or call out every little mistake your group makes.
These people are usually high-profile. If you can win them to your side, they can become a powerful ally when you need clout. They can also be a nightmare.
Sometimes these people are difficult because they're hopeless (and sometimes untouchable jerks). With these people, you grin and bear it.
Other times (more often), they have been beaten themselves by someone in your department or group. I try to be sensitive to this, and instead of treating them with contempt, I go out of my way to serve them well.
Notice I did not say please them. I'm a professional and so are they, so I don't do their work or anything- but I do try to be as easy as possible to deal with. I anticipate needs, and when mistakes are made, I respond with kindness.
When you get this user on your "team", you become a bit of a rock star, and you get an advocate as well. Totally worth it, and it also makes the people who can't handle this person a bit jealous. Nice.
Related: Want you users to hate you? Here's how to make that happen.
Use the dang phone
There's nothing wrong with chat, email and text. In this day and age of instant communication, however, a lot can be lost. When you can't see (or even hear) a person's tone or body language, things can go south fast- especially if there's a problem already.
When there's a situation, pick up the phone and call the person. When you do that, you get instant empathy for them. Rudeness can melt away, and you can attack the problem and not the person. Trust me, it works!
Here are 4 tips to help you be nicer and get along better with your end users. If you do these in the real world, it will make a difference. I hope they help you!
Do you have a tip you can share? Comment below and let me know.
Also- cool news: I'm working saving about $4,000 on my VCP6-DCV certification (it's from VMware) by doing it in an unorthodox way. If you think that's cool and you want to try, jump on over to my blog, CareerLevelUp.com and see what I'm going there. While you're at it, subscribe to my email newsletter to get updates on the process.
It is unfortunate how some loathe dealing with people, but that's a lot of what we do. It's hard to find those older IT jobs of just sitting in the basement, in the server closet and just do maintenance on the server. Customer service is key.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Jimmy. It stuns me when I hear techs bash people. The what I've always taught it is that they are experts in something, just not IT. They deserve respect for that at least.
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