City of Springdale

From Fixing Issues to Removing Roadblocks

As I transitioned from a more technical role into management, the biggest change was not necessarily learning to let go of technical work, but learning to prioritize the different responsibilities that come with managing a team.

My focus today is much more on delegation, setting expectations, accountability, coordination and making sure work continues moving forward. When technicians come to me with an issue, I normally start by asking what they have already tried rather than immediately giving them an answer. There is an expectation that they exhaust the options available to them before escalating an issue.

My technical involvement has also changed considerably over the last several years. If a technician or team becomes stuck, I am less likely to step in and become the person troubleshooting the issue. My role is more often to determine what is preventing progress, coordinate the right resources and escalate when necessary. Sometimes that involves people within my team and other times it requires bringing in resources from other IT teams.

The biggest adjustment has been learning how to prioritize my responsibilities as a manager and recognize where my involvement provides the most value.

Turning Ticket Data into Accountability

One of the most important improvements has been creating more structure and visibility around the work being performed. We have improved our ticket workflows, established service-level expectations and implemented better methods for tracking tickets, projects, responsibilities and performance.

A major reason for those changes was to improve ticket resolution times, organization and prioritization. Having an IT service management application that provides measurable information has made a significant difference. I can look at ticket age and performance metrics and identify areas that may require attention instead of relying only on perception.

Accountability is not just about the numbers, though. Expectations have to be communicated and followed up on. I review performance and aging tickets and coaching has also become something I believe should be documented rather than handled entirely through informal conversations.

Ultimately, the tools provide visibility, but management still requires using that information to identify problems, coach employees, set expectations and follow through.

Building Ownership Beyond the Technical Fix

Everyone has defined responsibilities, but cross-training is also expected. Knowledge sharing is common within the team and across groups because we do not want an operation where only one person knows how to support a particular system or process.

When mistakes happen, I prefer to sit down with the employee and retrace the steps that were taken. The objective is to understand the decision-making process and use it as an opportunity to learn rather than simply tell someone what they should have done.

To me, ownership also means more than fixing the technical problem. It includes following through, communicating with the user, documenting the work when appropriate and verifying that the issue has actually been resolved.

My responsibility is to make sure the team has the resources, coordination and support necessary to move the work forward.

Bringing Frontline IT Needs into Technology Planning

My primary responsibility is managing the day-to-day operations of the IT support team. Priorities are influenced by several factors, including public safety, operational impact, the number of users affected, deadlines, departmental needs and direction from leadership.

I also have to understand the capabilities and workload of the people on the team. Not every technician has the same experience or strengths, so keeping work moving requires matching responsibilities appropriately.

Delegation is an important part of managing that workload. I have a coordinator who helps oversee the day-to-day ticket flow and keeps me informed when something significant requires my attention. We stay in communication, which allows me to maintain visibility into the operation without needing to insert myself into every issue.

My director has responsibility for the broader technology direction and helps determine where our attention needs to be placed. My contribution to that planning comes primarily from the operational side. The support team works closely with departments throughout the municipality, so we see their needs, recurring problems and the operational impact of technology firsthand. I can bring that information forward and provide input based on what we are seeing in daily operations.

Leading Without Forgetting the Technician’s Perspective

One thing I would tell someone moving into management is not to forget where you came from. Remember what it was like to be the person doing the work and dealing with the day-to-day challenges. That perspective is still valuable after you become a manager.

I would also tell them to understand that their relationships with coworkers will change. You can have good relationships with your staff, but you have to be careful about trying to be a friend and a boss at the same time. At some point you may have to hold someone accountable, have a difficult conversation or make a decision they do not agree with.

I have also learned to be much more aware of what I say and where I say it. As a manager, your words carry a different weight. Be careful about the advice or commitments you make when things are going well and be even more careful about what you say when you are frustrated or angry. The same applies to conversations in an open work area. You have to think about who can hear you, how something may be interpreted and how you communicate with your staff.

Managing people requires a different level of awareness. How you communicate, how you treat people and how you handle the responsibility that comes with the position become just as important as your technical experience.