I always hated that question. I mean, truly, truly hated it. Come ON. You can't answer it without going into some serious metaphysical BS that makes any normal person glaze over in 30 seconds.
But...which comes first: the DFS implementation or the folder redirect project? Or Sharepoint 2007 or the published application project? Storage consolidation or DFS (again)?
Without going into techie details (which I actually dislike, much to my tech's disappointment), I'm finding that I can plan my way into a project management circle with little trouble nowadays. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is related to something else that has to be done. A has to come before B which needs C first....but C actually needs A to function!! Try explaining this to your CFO boss who will simply tell you to pick one and start.
And it's true. There is no easy place to start in a loop. Simply pick a point, start the process and understand that something is going to be harder than it could be if C was done first. Sometimes we don't have a choice but to jump in with both feet and pray the water isn't too deep.
With any luck, there is a life preserver nearby. <-- analogy for project plan. ;-)
Monday, January 15, 2007
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Who Wants to be Average?
Average sucks. We're taught that from a young age, mostly by example. The fastest kid in class is the Jock. The smartest kid tends to be the Geek. Even the ugliest kid stands out as non-average.
I am average.
Most IT personnel stand out in some discipline within the realm of computers. Some are good programmers (ie "coders"), able to kick out productive applications with little more than 24 hours, no interruptions, plenty of caffiene and the occasional pizza. Some are good network analysts, capable of mentally following a packet or frame through a network and finding where it's no longer welcome. Still others are great at security, digging out trojans and 'bot engines from deep within a hacked system.
I can do all of that...just not particularly 'expert' enough to get noticed. I can code...but I need a book to remember what the comment prefix is for the language of the moment. I can analyze a network...but I need a cheat sheet to remember that TCP445 is Microsoft's Directory Services protocol and why I'd care. Security is fun but I have to have a load of whitehat hack tools on a USB drive to really understand anything on a system. And the only hex I can read is when the editor's ASCII interpreter is on and I see "dood ur h@xd!" in the code. That's usually a good clue. ;-)
But, oddly enough, this has worked for me. None of it is a mystery to me. I understand the concepts behind any and all IT disciplines. I can't sit down at any expert tech's desk and do his job. No way and I'll admit it to any CEO or manager who insists that I do it. Ain't my thing. But I get what that tech needs to do his job and how I can make his work more efficient. And I understand what the network guys need to do their job better. And I recognize the BS that the sales guys start throwing around, thinking the manager is more interested in the Buzzword of the Day (BotD) than actual performance of product. Although, admittedly, if they bring in the Hot Saleslady, I tend to get distracted for a few minutes.
So average isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm not an expert in any one field. I manage projects, fix servers, build the occasional workstation, guide users through how to attach a file to their e-mail, and make sure the network is functioning for my customers. When I need help, I call someone. When I really need help, I call lots of people. Otherwise, I just get through my average day.
It's working so far. Let's see how long it lasts.
I am average.
Most IT personnel stand out in some discipline within the realm of computers. Some are good programmers (ie "coders"), able to kick out productive applications with little more than 24 hours, no interruptions, plenty of caffiene and the occasional pizza. Some are good network analysts, capable of mentally following a packet or frame through a network and finding where it's no longer welcome. Still others are great at security, digging out trojans and 'bot engines from deep within a hacked system.
I can do all of that...just not particularly 'expert' enough to get noticed. I can code...but I need a book to remember what the comment prefix is for the language of the moment. I can analyze a network...but I need a cheat sheet to remember that TCP445 is Microsoft's Directory Services protocol and why I'd care. Security is fun but I have to have a load of whitehat hack tools on a USB drive to really understand anything on a system. And the only hex I can read is when the editor's ASCII interpreter is on and I see "dood ur h@xd!" in the code. That's usually a good clue. ;-)
But, oddly enough, this has worked for me. None of it is a mystery to me. I understand the concepts behind any and all IT disciplines. I can't sit down at any expert tech's desk and do his job. No way and I'll admit it to any CEO or manager who insists that I do it. Ain't my thing. But I get what that tech needs to do his job and how I can make his work more efficient. And I understand what the network guys need to do their job better. And I recognize the BS that the sales guys start throwing around, thinking the manager is more interested in the Buzzword of the Day (BotD) than actual performance of product. Although, admittedly, if they bring in the Hot Saleslady, I tend to get distracted for a few minutes.
So average isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm not an expert in any one field. I manage projects, fix servers, build the occasional workstation, guide users through how to attach a file to their e-mail, and make sure the network is functioning for my customers. When I need help, I call someone. When I really need help, I call lots of people. Otherwise, I just get through my average day.
It's working so far. Let's see how long it lasts.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Things One Should Not Do Late at Night
Okay, late is a relative term. It's only 9:00pm here.
The list:
1. Get drunk and call ex-girlfriends.
2. Get drunk and call current friends (soon to be ex-friends, most likely).
3. Start a blog.
I'm not drunk so you can guess where this is leading.
I run a small IT department for a small business in the Southwest United States. I came upon the job by accident, having already quit my network engineering job the day before and riding out my two week notice. I quit that job because of a lot of different things but my current supervisor was the final straw. More on that in the future, if this thing lasts.
My history is relatively unimportant at the moment aside from a few key things:
1. I'm relatively intelligent in the grand scheme of things.
2. I've never accepted failure as a legitimate option in the pursuit of a goal (but do acknowledge that it is a possibility).
3. I get along with just about everyone...most of the time.
4. I am perfectly willing to admit when I'm wrong about anything if I am provided the evidence as proof.
5. I'm lucky.
The first four are simple personality traits that just about anyone can develop. The last, however, is more about timing and opportunities than out-and-out Lady Luck.
I'm in my late thirties and, with more of #5, on my way to a fairly good career in IT management. I'm done with the tech stuff, if at all possible. I don't mind the hours or the challenges. I'm just tired of dealing with "tech" and not "people". Too much of IT involves backroom hacking or wizard "click here to continue" crap and not enough honest to goodness merging of technology, people and information. I'm changing that.
This blog...okay, honestly, I hate that word. "Blog" is supposed to be short for "weblog", as most of you are aware. The term became the Word of 2004, with blogs hitting the media during the US election. It hasn't died, sadly. If a word can be both a verb and a noun, it's already doomed to become profanity. Think about that one.
This is a journal of experiences and thoughts. Quite elegant, don't you think? "Blog" sounds like someone is hacking up a lung. Go ahead, say it. I'll wait....see? You sound like you're about to puke. So this one is a journal.
This is a journal of experiences and thoughts. I'm in the process of transitioning from a tech background, with a variety of other job experiences, to a management career. At the moment, I'm finishing up a Bachelor's Degree (8 more classes, thank goodness) and learning the ins and outs of management, both firsthand and through the experiences of others. This is my opportunity to collect my thoughts, share them and see what happens.
It's going to be an interesting ride.
Next: Why I'm Average...
The list:
1. Get drunk and call ex-girlfriends.
2. Get drunk and call current friends (soon to be ex-friends, most likely).
3. Start a blog.
I'm not drunk so you can guess where this is leading.
I run a small IT department for a small business in the Southwest United States. I came upon the job by accident, having already quit my network engineering job the day before and riding out my two week notice. I quit that job because of a lot of different things but my current supervisor was the final straw. More on that in the future, if this thing lasts.
My history is relatively unimportant at the moment aside from a few key things:
1. I'm relatively intelligent in the grand scheme of things.
2. I've never accepted failure as a legitimate option in the pursuit of a goal (but do acknowledge that it is a possibility).
3. I get along with just about everyone...most of the time.
4. I am perfectly willing to admit when I'm wrong about anything if I am provided the evidence as proof.
5. I'm lucky.
The first four are simple personality traits that just about anyone can develop. The last, however, is more about timing and opportunities than out-and-out Lady Luck.
I'm in my late thirties and, with more of #5, on my way to a fairly good career in IT management. I'm done with the tech stuff, if at all possible. I don't mind the hours or the challenges. I'm just tired of dealing with "tech" and not "people". Too much of IT involves backroom hacking or wizard "click here to continue" crap and not enough honest to goodness merging of technology, people and information. I'm changing that.
This blog...okay, honestly, I hate that word. "Blog" is supposed to be short for "weblog", as most of you are aware. The term became the Word of 2004, with blogs hitting the media during the US election. It hasn't died, sadly. If a word can be both a verb and a noun, it's already doomed to become profanity. Think about that one.
This is a journal of experiences and thoughts. Quite elegant, don't you think? "Blog" sounds like someone is hacking up a lung. Go ahead, say it. I'll wait....see? You sound like you're about to puke. So this one is a journal.
This is a journal of experiences and thoughts. I'm in the process of transitioning from a tech background, with a variety of other job experiences, to a management career. At the moment, I'm finishing up a Bachelor's Degree (8 more classes, thank goodness) and learning the ins and outs of management, both firsthand and through the experiences of others. This is my opportunity to collect my thoughts, share them and see what happens.
It's going to be an interesting ride.
Next: Why I'm Average...
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