I am the sole 'IT' person. I have spent years learning the processes and work flows of everyone in the workplace (about 75 people in three locations). I have designed most of the systems, and know all the software, hardware... inside and out.

I have been called Mr. Negative, many times, though I don't think I am negative at all. I always listen to a proposed new process, or a can we... I nearly always answer the same way: "Let me chew on it a while."

Very often, the answer is we can't do 'A' because it will be detrimental to 'X', 'Y' and 'Z'. Sometimes, the answer is if we do 'A' it will affect 'X' and we will have to change 'Y' too.

My goal is to help the owners of the business to make money. Often times one person would like to make a change that would shift work to someone else. I need to make certain the owners are aware that a given change may mean they need to hire new staff or shuffle duties.

More recently the owner came to me and said we are going to do X. I told him we could not do it the way he proposed. He told me I was being negative, and that it was no problem. We are now more than 2 months into the project (which is a disaster) and he finally met with a pro accounting firm which basically confirmed everything I told him and said scrape it and start over.

Moral of the story, sometime there is a reason to be negative. The fact that I was candid probably saved my job.