Build an Effective Technology Support

¶ … build an effective technology support team. There is much more to tech support than understanding the many systems, software, and hardware an organization uses in its daily operations. People operate those systems, and people have to be trained to use them effectively. A tech support person has to be able to function within the IS environment, but they have to function outside it, as well, so it takes a certain type of person to make the best tech support person for an organization.

There is much more to tech support than sitting at a computer all day and maintaining a healthy operating system. Tech support people have to work together, and they have to work with others, too. As the textbook notes, "Training and support professionals can partner with the line manager, the end user, and the systems developer in designing and delivering effective learning strategies. Everyone has much to gain when these stakeholders work together" (Regan and O'Connor, 2002, p. 208). In many organizations, training and IS are separate departments, so software and hardware training may not be handled by the IS department. That does not mean that tech support people do not need to know how to train. If they are working on support or the help desk, they will have to answer questions from users, they will have to walk them through situations, and they will have to understand the user's needs. They still will need training skills, so training in how to train others is a necessity for a successful tech support team. Training others is a specific skill, and not everyone has the ability to master that skill. Tech support personnel should be comfortable training others, instead of blindly telling them what to do with no understanding or concern about the user and their abilities.

That brings up another vital characteristic of a successful tech support team. Many IS professionals have the reputation of being unable to communicate with others, essentially "loners" who enjoy computers much more than people. They do not have good people skills and they would rather work alone, rather than as a member of a team. To be successful at IS support, a person has to be extremely patient, and has to enjoy working with others. The days of rude, impatient, and arrogant tech support people who disregard and disrespect their users is gone, and a more patient and productive IS team is necessary to be successful. This type of team is more productive too, because they recognize they are part of a team, rather than a single unit working autonomously. A group of authors note, "Emotional intelligence and strong people skills are necessary to provide effective technical support. Even without the increased anxiety on the part of users before a class, it can be difficult to immediately obtain detailed information about an issue" (Groen, Tworek & Soos-Gonczol, 2008). People skills are essential in a strong tech support team, and IS professionals who disregard people skill bring down the entire effectiveness of the team.

IS staff also needs to know and understand how users use the software and hardware they need for their jobs, so they can train them effectively. In a perfect environment, IS staff could actually watch people use their computers every day, from what programs they utilize to how they work within these programs. Understanding their needs can help them create more effective training programs and manuals, which directly address the issues their users will come across in their daily activities. Trainers also need to understand how people, especially adults, learn, so they can create the best training programs for their users. Adults learn differently than children do, so a good understanding of this is crucial to designing effective needs assessments and training programs. Creating effective needs assessments also leads to a more productive environment, which benefits the organization, so tech support is more than managing the IS environment and staff needs, it adds to the overall effectiveness of the entire organization.

Another important aspect of the successful IS tech support staff is the program administrator. The group of authors continues, "The program administrator plays a central role in defining the roles and responsibilities of the technology support team and manages their workload" (Groen, Tworek & Soos-Gonczol, 2008). A good program administrator motivates their staff and keeps morale high by understand workloads and efficiencies. They are a good leader and they instill trust in their staff members, empowering them to make decisions and work on their own without too much interference, but they know when to take control to make the team more effective. That is quite a bit of authority to balance, so a good program administrator should understand the needs of their staff members by working in their shoes before they assume responsibility.

One of the most visual and important positions in the IS department is the help desk. Help desk staff are the bridge between IS and the users, they represent every aspect of the IS department, and they are often the only staff members users ever encounter. The textbook notes that there are several key requirements for successful help desk staff members. The authors write, "A key job requirement is technical knowledge. At least equally important to that requirement, however, is a variety of communications skills and problem-solving strategies" (Regan and O'Connor, 2002, p. 249). Problem-solving abilities are extremely important in this role, and the ability to think quickly while multi-tasking is important, too. An analytical mind helps, but understanding the user's frustration or learning ability is a key factor, too. Patience is also necessary, as are the good communication skills the text authors note. Many people may think that the help desk is one of the minor roles in the IS department, but in reality, it is one of the most important functions of the department, and how the help desk staff treats their users can set the stage for the way the entire organization views the IS department. The text notes that it is easier to teach technical knowledge to a person who has good interpersonal skills, than it is to try to teach interpersonal skills to someone who does not have them, and that helps bring personalities into the discussion of successful tech support staff.