SysAdmins and other IT pros don’t have to binge watch Stranger Things — because they see strange things every day at work! And that’s why for July’s poll question, we asked you to think back to some of the strangest things that end users have ever requested…or sometimes demanded.
As usual, the responses were amazing (in a “oh wow, did that really happen?” kind of way). If you haven’t had a chance to read them all, then you really should. You’ll smile, you’ll cry, you’ll shake your head, you’ll look up to the sky and scream WHY!?! So basically, it’ll be like watching the Game of Thrones series finale all over again.
Your Responses
When we ask a poll question like, “do you prefer Apple or Android” or “what’s your go-to social media platform”, it’s easy to classify the responses since it’s basically just about adding things up — 10 votes for Apple, 15 votes for Android, and so on.
However, when we ask a poll question as open-ended as this one, things are a little different — because every response is so unique. There are no neat and tidy categories to fit everything into. With this in mind, we did notice the responses as a whole illustrated some interesting themes. These include:
- When it’s possible to accommodate a request, IT pros always get the job done — even when the requests are a bit on the unusual side, or they flat out don’t make sense. As long as they are not harmful or dangerous, IT pros will make it happen (and they won’t make end users feel bad for making such a strange request!).
- When it’s not possible to accommodate a request, IT pros do their best to try and help end users understand why. Sometimes this is easy, and sometimes this is very challenging. Many end users don’t like being told ‘no’, and they can incorrectly believe that IT pros are unwilling to help, when in fact they are simply unable to help because the request is not possible.
- IT pros don’t expect end users to thank them, but when it happens it’s meaningful and memorable. So, if you’re a non-technical end user reading this and you haven’t thanked your IT pros lately (or maybe ever), then now is your chance!
Overall, the big takeaway is that being an IT pro is about MUCH MORE than working with technology. Often, that’s the easy part of the job. The more challenging and time-consuming part is working with internal and external end users. That means IT pros need to be a techie, a teacher, a coach, and a politician (to balance competing requests and priorities) all at the same time. It’s not an easy job, but someone has to do it, right?
The Winners Are…
First, you’re all winners because, as IT pros, you’re the life-giving veins of your company. So please take a bow and pat yourself on the back. Now, let’s turn our attention to the randomly-selected winners of a $25 Amazon gift card. Congratulations to Tommy Boucher and Daniele Comelli! Please email me to claim your prize.
Thank you to everyone for participating in July’s poll. It was one of the most enjoyable we’ve ever had. And please stay tuned for the August poll, which is coming soon!