Information technology professionals need to maximize productivity. There is always more to do: The next issue to resolve, the next crisis to fix, the next strategy to contribute to.
But there are certain moves that could be killing your productivity. Here are four of them — and the best ways to avoid them.
1. Neglecting to prioritize strategic projects
Informational technology departments nearly always have too much to do. The key is not to neglect strategic projects crucial to the organization’s growth and development. This can be tougher than it sounds when any given day may include servers going down, urgent calls to trouble shoot, and a neverending series of requests.
As a result, you can put productive time and effort in the service of things that really don’t mean that much to your company’s strategic plan. It’s much better to align your efforts with the strategic plan. Make it a priority.
2. Not growing your network
IT people can be very focused on task completion and daily projects. But we live in a world where professional networks — communicating with people — are key to success. Why? Because they are key to knowing what is going on.
Make an active plan to grow your network. Go to several business conferences every year. Network actively in your community. If given a choice to attend meetings at work or not, choose to attend.
3. Being an “order-taker”
As we mentioned above, IT departments can be subject to continual requests. It’s very easy to equate good service with being an order-taker. The marketing departments asks for an app? You put together an app.
The problem is that simply responding to orders may lead the IT area to ignore potential responses that are better: More in line with the company’s strategic direction, say, or more cost-effective. Moreover, being an order-taker might result in too much focus on patching emergencies, rather than building to avoid them in the future.
4. Not establishing a balance between short- and long-term productivity
Ah, those emergencies and requests, again. It’s difficult not to focus on 24-hour turnarounds, or 48-hour turnarounds. As a result, all your efforts go toward short-term productivity.
That’s why both time and focus on long-term productivity need to be sculpted from your day. Some people like to carve out time very early or later in the day to put toward long-term strategic thinking about productivity. Follow your most productive time, and put that toward long-term productivity.
How a Staffing Agency Can Help
The hiring process is a short-term emergency for some managers. Whether it takes up time and effort in the short term or the long term, a staffing agency like Nesco Resource can help lift the burden in the hiring process.
We have access to highly qualified IT and engineering staff, and can help with multiple aspects of the hiring process. Contact us today.