The IT Crowd
Anyone who works in customer facing IT knows that the iconic comedy show The IT Crowd is like watching your own life played back to you. And sadly, it is surprising how often real life proves that the apparently overblown concepts played out on screen are not that far from the truth.
Asking whether someone has turned it off and on again is a daily occurrence. I have sat in meetings where every team is thanked for a successful IT project except the IT team. Social awkwardness abounds, blank looks adorn the face of business colleagues who just don't grasp technical concepts, and I'm pretty sure that I could convince a lot of people that a simple box holds the secrets of the internet (and a whole lot of other things).
They call the latest generation technology natives. But for those that came before, there are still huge gaps in the understanding of technology for many people. Technology is magic, the modern equivalent of wizardry. It seems so easy, just click a button, drag and drop maybe have someone throw in some code. And consumer technology is so well tested that the average Joe thinks that anything is possible with minimal effort.
For those of us in IT, at least half our job is managing that expectation. Educating unwilling colleagues in how much is involved, explaining why their simple request is actually a complicated and potentially unachievable dream. They want it all, now, at no cost, and perfectly customised.
And to be fair, I don't blame them. The modern day miracles that technology produces on a daily basis across every facet of our lives make it seem like anything really is possible. And with enough money and time it probably is. Of course, none of us have unlimited money or time, and the compromises we make as a result make for a myriad of frustrations. Often directed at the poor IT Crowd...
So why do I do what I do?
Because I get to be part of the magic. From keeping the lights on with BAU through to major infrastructure and software projects that transform the way we do business, I get to be part of the magic. I get to see the real benefits of what I do, and how they flow on into the broader community. I support the delivery of health related programs, and get to see how those programs result in change in the industry, new developments and treatments, truly saving lives and improving the quality of life for people across Australia and worldwide.
What The IT Crowd doesn't show you, is how rewarding it can be. How the small wins and great triumphs make the every day niggles, the frustrations, the lack of understanding and recognition, is what makes the magic so much more exciting.
How many people these days get to say that they are wizards? I do. I may not say it openly (because that would be weird) but the little voice inside me gets to say it: "You did magic today".
And so I'll get up again tomorrow, prepared to ask 'Have you turned it off and on again?'
Asking whether someone has turned it off and on again is a daily occurrence. I have sat in meetings where every team is thanked for a successful IT project except the IT team. Social awkwardness abounds, blank looks adorn the face of business colleagues who just don't grasp technical concepts, and I'm pretty sure that I could convince a lot of people that a simple box holds the secrets of the internet (and a whole lot of other things).
They call the latest generation technology natives. But for those that came before, there are still huge gaps in the understanding of technology for many people. Technology is magic, the modern equivalent of wizardry. It seems so easy, just click a button, drag and drop maybe have someone throw in some code. And consumer technology is so well tested that the average Joe thinks that anything is possible with minimal effort.
For those of us in IT, at least half our job is managing that expectation. Educating unwilling colleagues in how much is involved, explaining why their simple request is actually a complicated and potentially unachievable dream. They want it all, now, at no cost, and perfectly customised.
And to be fair, I don't blame them. The modern day miracles that technology produces on a daily basis across every facet of our lives make it seem like anything really is possible. And with enough money and time it probably is. Of course, none of us have unlimited money or time, and the compromises we make as a result make for a myriad of frustrations. Often directed at the poor IT Crowd...
So why do I do what I do?
Because I get to be part of the magic. From keeping the lights on with BAU through to major infrastructure and software projects that transform the way we do business, I get to be part of the magic. I get to see the real benefits of what I do, and how they flow on into the broader community. I support the delivery of health related programs, and get to see how those programs result in change in the industry, new developments and treatments, truly saving lives and improving the quality of life for people across Australia and worldwide.
What The IT Crowd doesn't show you, is how rewarding it can be. How the small wins and great triumphs make the every day niggles, the frustrations, the lack of understanding and recognition, is what makes the magic so much more exciting.
How many people these days get to say that they are wizards? I do. I may not say it openly (because that would be weird) but the little voice inside me gets to say it: "You did magic today".
And so I'll get up again tomorrow, prepared to ask 'Have you turned it off and on again?'
Comments
Post a Comment