General discussion

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #2184860

    Need a mentor

    Locked

    by namco ·

    I’ve been in IT for about 2 years, and up until last month have always had someone within the workplace above me that I can talk to about the job, projects, difficulties etc.

    For the first time I am now without this, and suddenly feel the responsibilities of my job (IT manager) are simply not understood by anyone above me in the organisation. This is making my job extremely stressful, as I feel the IT systems within my organisation are a huge burden on me personally. Servers and software have become the bane of my existence as the potential disruption that would be caused by any downtime is always on my mind.

    I wonder if anyone else feels that IT management is a stressful, lonely, misunderstood existence withing an organisation?

    Maybe i’m just not cut out for the role? Or maybe it’s the same for all departmental managers – does the FD know the difficulties of being a Sales manager? I doubt it.

    This brings me to the idea of mentoring. I’ve actually been a mentor before, and am currently training a technician and find it extremely rewarding, but I still need a mentor myself, or at least someone I can openly and honestly discuss my role with within the organisation.

    Anyone else felt this need? how did you cope?

    Thanks

All Comments

  • Author
    Replies
    • #3104181

      King to goat in ten seconds flat

      by jdclyde ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      that is what being a manager is all about.

      When things go smoothly, your sitting on top of the world. The first major bump and everything changes.

      This is why many managers take on a “if it’s not broke, don’t touch it” attitude. They are coasting and playing CYA.

      Mentoring, that part I can’t speak of. Never had one, never been one.

      Milk helps with that ulcer! 😀

    • #3104169

      It is normal

      by zlitocook ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      To feel overwhelmed and under appreciated in our field. I have been both a mentor and been trained. But if you feel that way all the time you may be at the point of “I have become more then I want to be” position. Alot of people reach this point and ether quit and do some thing completely different, stay at the job and become bitter or take a lesser job and feel alot better.
      I am not telling you what to do; you know your life and limitations.
      I was the IT director at a small hospital, a lead manager at a big company. I did not like the entire hassle and taking the blame for every thing.
      So I backed down a step and now the job I have pays better, has alot less hassles and I love working there.
      You have to ask your self, do I like what I am doing, and can I see myself doing this for years and most important do you have at least some fun?
      If not well you can decide what you want to do.

    • #3285082

      Yes, IT is not often understood.

      by jdmercha ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I have never had a mentor, but I have had several advisors and supporters. I am the youngest of 7 and have some very successfull siblings. I’ve been advised and coached by them all my life.

      I have never been a mentor, but I have been a teacher and a coach. I have never stopped furthering my education.

      I guess I’ve never felt the need for a mentor since my immediate family includes MBA’s, Lawyers, VPs, IT managers and even an Intel Engineer.

      Feel free to contact me throuh TR if you want to.

    • #3151010

      Mentor would be most helpful!

      by winkyrules ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I work in a small company as a network administrator. I began when the company had a peer to peer network. Now we have servers and I am responsible for anything IT. I love it, execpt that when I have a problem, I have no one to go to for advise or to ask, “how do you do this?” It would be great to have a mentor to ask questions that I don’t know the answer to, but for now, I am stuck researching any problem that I can’t quite figure out.

      • #3150991

        Feel the pain

        by anna_adika ·

        In reply to Mentor would be most helpful!

        I am in the same exact shoes.
        Things are always exciting when all is well but can be a pill whne things go wrong.
        Yes it can get lonely at the top sometimes I suppose.
        It is all a matter of choice and passion.
        If you are passionate about your job and it adds to your lifes passion then that is what matters.

    • #3150866

      Coach, IT manager elsewhere, and Peers

      by plan b ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      When I found myself in this situation, I did a few things.
      1. Got a coach. I was able to share the frustrations, challenges, and also the good stuff with a non-involved party. One that didn’t really know IT and didn’t NEED to know IT. One that would hold our conversations confidential.

      2. Began an informal mentorship with a senior IT person at another non-competing company. I would approach them for advice and to talk over ideas. They understood the IT challenges, just not the corporate ones.

      3. Found peers and associates in the rest of the company that were going through the same sort of things – just not in IT. They had the same overall corporate perspective, just not the IT challenges.

      By talking to all three and blending the ideas and advice, I sort of created what for me was an “uber-mentor”.

      I don’t know if this would help you, but it worked for me.

      • #3150807

        sounds good

        by namco ·

        In reply to Coach, IT manager elsewhere, and Peers

        Thanks, this does sounds like a good approach.

        1. I do bounce alot of ideas off of other managers within the company, but they are not officially coaches. Was your coach official? Would you recommend asking someone to perform this role for me?

        2. I’m actually trying to find a local event to try and meet with peers. I do have my old boss that I can ring if I need to (and have) but it’s a little awkward.

        I think I do actually have access to the kind of people you mention (apart from coach), I just havn’t realised. I’ve spoken to them, but about different subjects at different times. I’ll make a concious effert to discuss current projects with them to get their perspective.

        Thanks again

        • #3154481

          IT Manager – a new world

          by gooder ·

          In reply to sounds good

          Now you’ve made the step, you’ve discovered that things are different, as I did. You should no longer be the techie, but let someone else deal with the day-to-day server housekeeping, etc. (although it of course depends how many people are in your IT dept, and what “IT Manager” means in your company).

          You have overall responsibility now, rather than just one slice of the pie, but that doesn’t mean you have to do all the work too! Delegation can be a wonderful tool if used properly, and it’s not just “management speak” or skiving, but a proper prioritisation of your time.

          Give yourself time to adjust.

          The advice to talk to other, non-IT, managers in your company is very wise – I spoke to a couple of others about things and discovered we had similar problems. The three of us have since setup a group/forum of all the heads of department (12 people) and regularly discuss and brainstorm various shared issues. It initially scared the bejeez out of our directors, but it produces results, and we feel we are more in control and can support each other, and in general it breaks the ice. Being one of the founders for something like this increases your street cred with your peers as well.

          It’s also helped me “educate” others about what it is that we do (not just fix PCs), and how we can help the company in the future (think and talk strategy). The problem that nobody above you understands the responsibilities of the job is reduced – because you’ve explained them to your peers, both sides realise you have things in common, and they in turn help to educate their bosses and yours.

          Management are now your equals – talk to them. Mentor each other!

    • #3149393

      Change JOB – really helps

      by wire ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      Hi

      I have the same fillings when I work for SOMEONE (company). Quit Your Job and start online business – You can earn FAR more than now and wake up at 9.00 (or 10.00 if You like) !!!!

    • #3154484

      Why don’t you think TR can be your mentor?

      by mpplynch ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I am a physicist that now does programming, there are several less senior people I mentor.

      When you reach a point where you have no-one around you to mentor you it’s just because in any particular area there’s only a limited amount of knowledge required to perform all the tasks required.

      At least I have found this to be the case, when I have a problem that I need help with, it is only because I have not encountered the problem before…..this is when I use sites like TR. Any quick search and someone is bound to have had the same problem before…and with some help has found the solution.

      Always remember, No-one knows it all, someone has probably solved the problem already or with our help we’ll find a solution. If we all share our experiences then the work is a lot easier.

    • #3154402

      Everyone needs a mentor

      by paul.gregg ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I think it is essential that everyone have a mentor to provide guidance or discuss your next great brainstorm.

      I found myself in a similar situation where I felt that I had few resources available internally to help me address my specific needs within our IT organization. I took two steps to fill the void.

      First, I began reading everything. I expanded my reading horizons to include books on management, personal growth, ethics, and leadership. I had been staying current on the news and technology but my focus was too narrow.

      Second, I looked outside our organization to find a cross-industry association of my peers. this lead me to a unique series of seminars that is helping me enormously. Dick Dooley conducts the Leadership Learning Forum that is specifically tailored to IT Managers. It is a unique approach to mentoring and will help you build your external network. I recommend Dick’s solution to new and veteran managers looking for leadership or mentoring advice. For more information, you can visit http://www.thedooleygroup.com.

      Good luck in your search but know that you are not alone.

    • #3152078

      I’m in the same situation

      by pmajon ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I have worked in IT over 8 years full-time now. Two years ago I took an IT management position that put me in charge of the entire IT infrastructure for a 300+ person company.

      First off, you can’t go through life wondering what might or could happen if something on your end failed and it cost the company downtime. Everytime I think of that I break out in a cold sweat. You need to be as proactive (read: cover your ass) as possible. Obviously your company can’t afford to cover ALL its bases and plan for every scenario or possible disaster. (unless your the IT admin for Mobil)

      Create a disaster recovery plan, partner with an IT solution provider that can help you in times of crisis, and make proactive recommendations to the CFO. Keep well read on industry news, create a test environment with a spare PC or server (Hooray for virtual machines!), and network with your peers, which means keeping in touch with people you have worked with in the past. (good for bouncing ideas off of each other). Take advantage of training whenever possible, and you should do fine.

      Also keep in mind that Rome wasn’t built in a day, so if don’t have time and resources to start a project, don’t let it eat you alive. Discuss it with your boss and always keep in the mind the cost / benefit ratios with anything you do.

      Well, that’s all I got. I remember feeling the same way you do when I took this job 2 years ago. I haven’t been fired yet, so I must be doing something right.

    • #3152026

      This may not help but others including myself…

      by unclerob ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      can feel the same way sometimes. The IT profession especially the boat your sitting in can definitely leave you feeling stressful, lonely, misunderstood, etc.

      Coping is not always easy but it’s something you just have to do. I think you mentioning that you’re in the process of mentoring another individual probably does provide you some solace with your existing situation and that can be a type of remedy/therapy for your situation.

      If you feel you need a mentor, you may not have the chance to be in the physical presence of someone that can provide the support you need but the internet provides you the environment to look for someone in a similar career doing similar things and maybe you can develop relationships that allow you discuss your problems and at the same time help others with problems. That being said it isn’t an easy process to actually find the right people that can/will help you & vise versa but it’s not impossible either – the 1st step is reaching out and making the attempt and I hope the rest will follow more easily.

      I’ve personally been in the same situation and it can sometimes feel like a heart attack, alot of anxiety can develop real quick over the responsibilities you have and not having the support network to turn to when you need help – it’s a question I ask myself often: if I’m providing help & assistance to everyone else who’s helping me? The answer isn’t always what you need to or want to hear but sometimes you have to learn to just rely on yourself – the funny part is once you’ve learned how to cope more effectively and rely on yourself as the single source of help, someone shows up in your life and you get what you’ve been looking for previously and learned to do without.

      The learning process never ends, coping isn’t easy but life is like that, just hold on with both hands and tell yourself you can meet any challenge that comes your way, nothing is impossible if you are committed to the task and put in the necessary effort & determination.

      You sound like a level headed individual, the fact that you had the courage to start up a discussion on this topic speaks volumes of your character & maturity, I’m sure you’ll find what you need.

    • #3152012

      I was in a similar situation

      by tharmagon ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I was in a similar situation. I am a database programmer/admin but ended up running a company network when the IT manager was fired. I was then told you are now running the network. I knew very little about networks and it was in a big mess (which is why the IT manager was fired) and I was all on my own, so was overwhelmed.

      What I did was:
      1. Read, read and read more. Read books, websites, and bulletin boards anything I could get.
      2. Joined a local computer professional club to network.
      3. Joined on-line discussion groups and asked a lot of questions.
      4. And the most positive thing … I found a local computer consultant who didn’t charge the earth but seems to know everything. I can call him in when there are problems I don’t understand or I have too much to do. I have learnt so much from that guy. I was upfront with him. I told him I need to learn and as I do I will need him less and less. He was fine with that.

      The result … I’ve now been the IT Manager for 2 years. Feel much more confidant. Have been told several times by the owner I was the best promotion he ever made and have had 2 large pay raises almost doubling my salary.

      Don’t think I am complacent though. I still have so much to learn. And still follow the same steps above. For instance I am about to install an Exchange server. Know very little about it. But I am reading and my consultant is ready to help.

      • #3151993

        Good situation

        by namco ·

        In reply to I was in a similar situation

        Hi,

        Sounds like a good situation. Well done on setting things up correctly with the consultant too. I did have a consultant for a while, however he was there before I started and the team dynamics became very strained and awkward.

        In my company, one IT mngr was fired left and the other left, leaving only a trainee. I was recruited into an environment where noone had a clue how it was set up, what kind of servers, how many, who the isp was etc. 6 sites and 14 servers!

        The situation is better now but the still don’t really know what they have, just that it works!
        A consultant paid specifically to advise you sounds great though

    • #3151998

      wow – great responses

      by namco ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      Thanks to everyone that has responded, this thread really seems to have taken off today! Some very positive and encouraging responses, all with valid points.

      Using the internet in general and specific sites like TR is a great help in this situation, and the responses from TR members are invauable. Previously, I’ve had understanding and experienced coaches within the workplace that have provided advice on all aspects of my career, as well as technical advice. I had an unofficial team of 3 in my last workplace.

      I’m going to swallow my pride and meet up with my old boss for some brainstorming.

      Ultimately, it’s my new boss I need to speak to. There are a few aspects of the system that keep me up at night and he needs to know what they are so he can authorise spend to fix them.

      I’m considering joining the British Computer Society with a view to finding peers to network with.

      I think what I’m feeling here is the pressure of being responsible, more than the fact it’s IT. Maybe QA managers, H&S managers, and sales managers can feel the same way

    • #3153545

      Sounds like “it does not compute”.

      by ouvrez ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      The key to getting beyond your difficulties is empathy – and an understanding of that is important to the people with whom you are communicating.

      For instance, a CEO is going to have a very strategic outlook – a vision. You don’t want to discuss day to day operations with someone at that level.

      A CFO will be focused on the financials – Total Cost of Ownership, Returns on Investment. This is key – financial people only accept hard dollar projections. If you say something will save the company money because it’ll make the employees more efficient, you’ll need to present a business case to prove it. Otherwise, it won’t be accepted. Intel’s I.T. department has a great white paper on this on their website.

      A CIO, while interested in technology, isn’t going to be interested at the same level as an network administrator. You’ll need to understand the CIO’s vision, concerns and priorities to achieve some kind of symbiosis.

      All these people will be concerned with compliance, liability, business continuity and disaster recovery to some degree or another. The key is to demonstrate how what it is you are discussing, applies to their concerns.

      As you move down the corporate ladder, people will become more concerned with less strategic, and more tactical or day to day concerns. Budgetary issues will always be at the forefront of any conversation.

      Finally, to understand the Sales Manager, it?s important to internalize a couple of things:

      More than any other position, the jobs of Sales Management and Salespeople are at risk. To their supervisors, what was done last month or last quarter doesn?t matter. It?s always, ??what have you done for me this month?? Salespeople tend to dislike paperwork or anything else that slows them down or takes their focus off their goal or exceeding their sales quota. They often tend to work hard at controlling their environment. Largely, I think, because so much of their professional like is really out of their hands.

      When trying to persuade anyone, but salespeople in particular, remember two rules: FAB and KIS. Feature / Advantage / Benefit and Keep It Simple. Feature: Using a pass phrase instead of a complex password. My cat Ryan is 8 or I married Julie in 1997 or ESPN is channel 45. Portillo?s hotdogs are $1.69. The Advantage is that it?s easier for people to remember them because they can personalize them and they?re flexible. The Benefit is that it maintains integrity while maintaining operational effectiveness.

      KIS is incredibly important. Coming up from the IT ranks, you have a deep appreciation for the technology. Much more so than the vast majority of your colleagues. Just because you?re enamored with a particular technology doesn?t mean your colleagues will have any appreciation for it whatsoever. This can be difficult to adjust to. Just remember to keep in mind that you have to tell them what?s in it for them. Does it make their life easier? Does it save them money? Is it fun? Will it increase their prestige? These are salient points.

      About Outside Salespeople ? they are a particular breed. They chose that career because it offers a level of flexibility other positions don?t offer, unless you?re your own boss. It?s generally very challenging and very stressful. Yes, they may get paid well and there may be big perks but remember, if the company doesn?t have sales, the company folds, so there?s value in that. To handle the stress and the rejection, Salespeople tend to have big egos. They have to. Otherwise they couldn?t survive the position. It?s like emotional Teflon. Generally speaking, they will look to you to streamline things ? to make things easier, faster, more reliable.

      While a significant part of your job is defensive in nature, keeping the good in and the bad out, it?s important to realize how your decisions impact others. I worked for one company in which we had to type the exact same data no less than four times, into four different programs, in the same computer. I had upwards of 14 passwords. Now, I am completely cognizant of the reasons and logic behind this. I?m also aware of the fact that there are reasonable solutions to these problems. These were big time wasters. Do you think anyone in my department thought the folks in I.T. had any idea as to the impact that had on our operations?

      Find ways to achieve your goals while making it as easy as possible for others to do their jobs and you?ll be a hero ? especially if that isn?t the case now.

      Good luck!

      Jonathan Rubin

    • #3153455

      Responsibility

      by scottmayer ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I don’t want to come across as critical, but you misspelled organization. My advise, do your job then leave the work issues at work. Go home, relax and enjoy life.

      • #3153451

        Organisation – spelling mistake?

        by sams.internet ·

        In reply to Responsibility

        He’s British – that is how we spell organisation using the English version of the English language.

    • #3152896

      Mentors

      by vought ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I am in the same position that you are I will let you know when I figure it out,
      Matt

    • #2557864

      it is kinda lonely at the top

      by frostbite ·

      In reply to Need a mentor

      I think more and more it is becoming clear that the role of the IT professional is not just technical but really more into understanding how to help other people as you climb the ladder.

      The faster your department gets the reputation as providing solutions to other departments, the easier life becomes for you.

      Take care not to get stuck in infinite ?requirements gathering? mode though as that is often seen as a time waster. Strive to get mini-wins and slowly get into bigger projects.

      Find people you can relate to in chunks of your interest. For example the HR manager for handling personnel, the Finance manager for budgeting. In addition to learning about their organizations, their processes you can potentially find ways to provide improvements to their departments as well.

Viewing 15 reply threads