Do not press and do not approve

I may be wrong, but I suppose that these two tips will help you not to step on those rakes that I jumped at a run for several years in a row. Especially if for most of the people around you “understand computers” or, moreover, your work is directly connected with the help of users.

Tip one: "do not approve"

All my good leaders taught me that you should never say anything, even if the answer is obvious to you (white paper, hot outside, sweet sugar, etc.). Initially, it was hard for me to accept this, especially when the obvious and useful (in my opinion) advice for a person had to be wrapped in such a “wrapper” that it was difficult for him to understand the original idea.

More or less well, I began to learn this lesson only after I was very well put off by my colleagues and clients several times. Then I was lucky, I got away with all the situations, but I got a very unpleasant aftertaste, although along with the draft I understood the following things:

- a person may initially incorrectly formulate a question (not exactly or not completely), so your advice will help only in some cases, and in part it will not help (and in some way it will hurt);
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- from the moment you gave the advice, until the moment of its implementation, it may take much longer than you expected, and at that moment your answer may be inaccurate, incomplete or incorrect;

- your words can accidentally or deliberately distort, i.e. perform the advice is not accurate or not complete;

- in some cases, the transfer goes through a “broken phone”, i.e. a person is not interested for himself, but for someone (especially often I come across a situation where subordinates decide a question for a manager);

- you could initially misunderstand the essence of the problem or what a person wants to get in the end;

- the purpose of the appeal was to prepare the soil for the “setup” (yes, I also came across this);

There may be many more situations, but this is not important for us, but the fact that the answer, which should logically be correct, will be wrong and in the best case for you it will be a waste of time, and in the worst person or company will be harmed and applied with your filing. But if you didn’t say it, but said “I guess,” “I could be wrong, but ...” you have room for maneuver to indicate that you didn’t say anything, but thought.

Please note: I do not propose to deliberately mislead people by giving wrong advice, but only suggest not burning bridges for yourself in order to have a way to retreat if something goes wrong (including not your fault).

Tip two: "do not press"

In most cases, something needs to be done to solve the problem. And if you need to do, then you need to press (turn, switch, etc.). But should you always do this? If the operation is complex, requiring specific knowledge and its implementation is directly included in your responsibilities, then I assume that you will need to press. And if the ability to perform this operation is included in the employee’s job duties, when applying for a job it was one of the requirements, then you should also do it?

Personally, over the past two weeks I have twice encountered the fact that when applying for a job in a resume indicated "confident PC user" can not copy files to a USB flash drive. And you know, with what question did they approach me? No, do not think that they asked to teach how to do it. They wanted me to do it! Yes, it is their job and they are paid for it, but since I understand computers better than they (in their opinion), then copying files to a USB flash drive is also my task and it doesn’t matter that it’s not my job duties.

The position “I don’t know anything, my hut is on the edge” was viewed everywhere and in everything, users ignored all orders, hoping that no matter how hard I resisted, but as soon as the business processes of an employee, department or company begin, a general hysteria begins it comes down to the fact that now it’s not the one who didn’t do it earlier (whatever the reason), but the one who can solve the problem at the moment, but “took a principled position and refuses to help” (by the way, if I’ve busy with something more important for the firm then this is so same my problem).

And in fact, before, I constantly came across such provocations and did everything for people, because it seemed to me that somewhere there really was my flaw, I had explained something wrong, etc. A month ago, they wrote instructions on switching to a new server 1C, but you did not do the whole department? Well, let me do it, under your general nagging about what I'm slowly doing and your sales have stopped. Apparently it was necessary to go more often and ask you to do it.

And then, not without the help of good people, I gained enlightenment, inner peace and became calm. What-what are you saying? 1C does not work? Have you read the instructions for switching to a new server? Well, read on! Where to click? And over there is a button. No, I will not click, it is your duty. Do not remember the login and password? And go to the general, the cabinet know, he will quickly “remind” you.

I do not know whether this is good or bad, but the method works. If before all the problems could be blamed on me (I didn’t do it or did it for a long time, I didn’t set up, I’m just to blame), now most people are beginning to understand that if they had to do something, but decided not to bother themselves, come running with a cry of "nothing works" and get the result without tension, first they will get a public reprimand from me, then the same from my manager to their manager, after which their manager will give a good kick to the department as a whole and the perpetrator personally , and in the worst case The situation may reach the general. And there already and before a serious punishment not far left.

Again, I draw your attention to the fact that the purpose of the council is not to teach you to shirk work, but to protect yourself. Remember, I wrote that people can not copy files to a USB flash drive? So I left, and the person remained to copy files from the computer to the USB flash drive (to transfer to a laptop), copied, which means, and comes to me, reports that I can take the old PC. I came, asked if everything was copied exactly (after taking the PC from the employee, we clean it and erase everything so that the other one could not recover), received an affirmative answer and took it to us. He sat for an hour and a half, took out the case, once again calling the person, asking if I was erasing everything exactly. Well, yes, he says, I took everything. And an hour later he arrives with bulging eyes and hysteria, instead of a client base on a flash drive, there is a shortcut to it. Do you know who was to blame? No, not me :) But I could be guilty if I touched my hands.

PS: the article was written so that people suffer less for their good deeds. Yes, in theory, in each firm, they say, they are rowing in the same boat, but, unfortunately, in practice, every man for himself (less often a pack on a flock). Two or three times I was on the verge of being fired because of the reluctance to accept the fact that people are constantly playing undercover games and can talk with you about one thing, and your manager, director and owner about another. A good relationship with the owner saved me from dismissal, but many did not have such an opportunity, they were fired.