How to Work With Stubborn IT Engineers
Focus on specifics., Be scientific with your description of what you need., Organizations vary widely in terms of how IT departments are structured and managed., One of the main reasons IT employees can be stubborn is that they may not have a good...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Focus on specifics.
Since IT deals with a wide range of issues, it helps to classify your problem honestly.
Is this something that is wrong with the way IT intended the system to work (bug), or is it a shortcoming of the system (feature request)? This is often the most contentious part of dealing with IT, as different perceptions require different solutions.
Try to see the issue from the other side.
IT's primary goal is to ensure that the system is working for the "average" user and that mission critical systems are online.
If they are dismissive of your problem, it may be because the order system is down and the sales department can't place orders (i.e. make money).
A certain level of patience is needed in these emergency settings.
Once this initial level of triage is done, you may simply encounter stubborn people in the IT department.
This may be stereotypically characteristic, but it is not always true.
Most IT professionals pride themselves on being helpful.
Start the conversation by asking for their help with a problem, not by telling them what to do.
You may be surprised how far this gets you. -
Step 2: Be scientific with your description of what you need.
Nobody expects you to understand the inner workings of the network or computers, but a calm, rational description of the facts surrounding the problem will save everyone hours of headaches. , If you cannot resolve your issue with the engineer that you're working with, you should feel free to escalate to someone higher on the food chain.
When you do so, be sure that your technical issue is the focus of the conversation, not the IT professional.
If you're not comfortable doing this yourself, ask your manager to do so for you. , For instance, giving you certain access to a system may be simple to you, but it opens up a security hole in a process mandated by corporate policy.
IT is constantly torn between helping individuals and serving the company as a whole.
If you need an exception in policy, it will need to be approved at a higher level before you start working with a Technician. , Most IT departments have a feedback mechanism that they take very seriously.
If you provide thoughtful, constructive feedback, you are likely to see change.
Feel free to ask them for statistics on trouble tickets.
Most IT departments post these on a website or in a company newsletter.
If you want to dig deeper, ask for more information.
You may find something that could help. -
Step 3: Organizations vary widely in terms of how IT departments are structured and managed.
-
Step 4: One of the main reasons IT employees can be stubborn is that they may not have a good solution that fits with the technological schema for the organization.
-
Step 5: Finally
-
Step 6: recurring problems with a specific IT professional should be reported to the department head.
Detailed Guide
Since IT deals with a wide range of issues, it helps to classify your problem honestly.
Is this something that is wrong with the way IT intended the system to work (bug), or is it a shortcoming of the system (feature request)? This is often the most contentious part of dealing with IT, as different perceptions require different solutions.
Try to see the issue from the other side.
IT's primary goal is to ensure that the system is working for the "average" user and that mission critical systems are online.
If they are dismissive of your problem, it may be because the order system is down and the sales department can't place orders (i.e. make money).
A certain level of patience is needed in these emergency settings.
Once this initial level of triage is done, you may simply encounter stubborn people in the IT department.
This may be stereotypically characteristic, but it is not always true.
Most IT professionals pride themselves on being helpful.
Start the conversation by asking for their help with a problem, not by telling them what to do.
You may be surprised how far this gets you.
Nobody expects you to understand the inner workings of the network or computers, but a calm, rational description of the facts surrounding the problem will save everyone hours of headaches. , If you cannot resolve your issue with the engineer that you're working with, you should feel free to escalate to someone higher on the food chain.
When you do so, be sure that your technical issue is the focus of the conversation, not the IT professional.
If you're not comfortable doing this yourself, ask your manager to do so for you. , For instance, giving you certain access to a system may be simple to you, but it opens up a security hole in a process mandated by corporate policy.
IT is constantly torn between helping individuals and serving the company as a whole.
If you need an exception in policy, it will need to be approved at a higher level before you start working with a Technician. , Most IT departments have a feedback mechanism that they take very seriously.
If you provide thoughtful, constructive feedback, you are likely to see change.
Feel free to ask them for statistics on trouble tickets.
Most IT departments post these on a website or in a company newsletter.
If you want to dig deeper, ask for more information.
You may find something that could help.
About the Author
Amanda Parker
A seasoned expert in arts and creative design, Amanda Parker combines 11 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Amanda's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: