IT Professionals Managing and Motivating

IT Professionals

Managing and Motivating IT Professionals

Regardless of a business's size, having quality IT professionals who can manage the firm's technological services are integral to that business's success. Like other employees, IT professionals must be directed by a level of management in order to harness their talents in such a manner that will progress and grow the business. Unlike other employees, however, IT professionals are creative and talented employees who fill a role that is often quite different from that of other employees. Often, the roles of IT professionals are more managerial than other employees. For instance, IT workers are generally charged with offering advice to companies, taking on an advisor role that is generally reserved for managers. The culture of IT professionals can also cause unique challenges in the professional realm, as these workers are not necessarily trained in the same manner as other business professionals, meaning they are more concerned with technology than customer service. This means they may enjoy working at different hours and under different conditions than traditional employees. In addition, the same challenges that apply to traditional employees also apply to IT professionals, such as dealing with problems of diversity and discrimination. Thus, because of both problems unique to the IT professional and the compounding traditional issues that occur in professional settings, motivating IT professionals is a challenging task that can be accomplished only through meeting the challenges in each of these areas.

Motivating IT professionals is not like motivating other employees because of IT professionals' unique position in the corporation and the unique culture in which they operate. According to Katz (2005) motivation is integral to managers because of the negative characteristics associated with no-motivation in the business environment. While Katz (2005) notes that motivation cannot guarantee success, it can be helpful in reaching that success. The author writes that "strongly motivated employees and project teams push themselves to overachieve, stretching their thinking and working arduously to accomplish considerably more than even brighter and more technically competent peers" (para. 2). Thus, despite the intellectual competence of many IT professionals, it would be devastating for managers to assume this group does not need motivation. However, managers struggle with motivating IT professionals because their role in an organization is often more managerial than other employees at the same level. Further, their cultures as scientists and technological professionals makes them unique from other employees. According to Katz (2005) managers can meet these challenges by appealing to IT professionals' desire to explore new territory and making interesting strides. Giving these professionals opportunities "for recognition, growth and advancement, and freedom," which occurs when they have a genuine interest in their jobs, encourages these professionals to "strive to meet the demands of the job independent of its degree of difficulty" (para. 3). Thus, one of the ways to meet the unique challenges posed by IT professionals is to encourage them to develop their contributions to a field they love while also allowing them to advance appropriately. By encouraging these professionals to operate independently, they are prepared to contribute to the company most efficiently through their innovative and solo work. This helps managers deal with the unique role that IT professionals play in companies. Managers do not need to motivate their employees through job-related threats or business-related rewards, as well as encouraging them with the company's hierarchy. Instead, it is wiser for managers to motivate their IT professionals through an appeal to their professional and scientific integrity.