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Advice on Managing IT Consultants

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by fhvasco

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Hello,

I am was recently promoted to managing a small band of IT consultants. I am a IT Consultant myself with a number of years as a network administrator. I feel pretty solid about my experience and skills.

This new challenge to manage fellow coworkers is new. I am seeking guidance on online/offline resources to help deliver a winning combination of discipline, preparation and management.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

2 replies

by pshiflet-24

I would say that the best advice regarding managing consultants would be to not be put in that situation in the first place. You are going pretty fast and loose with the word "promoted".

Okay, just kidding. Obviously the very best online resources for ideas, advice, and nuggets of genius would be Techrepublic's IT Leadership and IT Consultant newsletters and blogs. Strong project management skills cannot be overestimated, either.

If you already have a working relationship with the team you will be managing, you may have some issues regarding your promotion with the team. The most important thing to do is to balance everything objectively. You are not there to make friends or enemies. Be clear and firm with your expectations. You may have to create distance between your teammates that you previously did not need to have due to your new role. Lastly, have fun with it. Like most jobs, you should go into it knowing that you are learning as you go. Keep what works and trash what doesn't.

Oh, and congratulations.

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