This month has been both a defeat and a triumph as an instructor; as soon as you think you know it all, there is something that will knock you back and bring on a dose of humility back.  Fortunately,  the feedback from the class participants provided the realization that it is not about me but about the community that I am serving!  This realization was also made evident last spring when I felt that I had deserved to win a service award.  I experienced disappointment and yes, bitterness afterwards.  Again, in reflection, there was conviction in my attitude towards the work that I do here-I needed to have a heart check and make sure of the reason I am here.  Is it just for myself and my own satisfcation or am I here to serve...

A new frontier

This month was a watershed mark for me as a trainer-The new ERP project was in place and the training began to introduce the system to a waiting community. I felt a little unsure of the effectiveness I could bring to training staff and faculty in the new system but after two sessions, I realized that those staff and faculty facing me needed someone to help them transition into the new Banner system. At that moment, all of my own insecurities fell away as I felt a great opportunity to demonstrate the mission that I had vowed to uphold-to be that human link to technology and to do what was necessary to give them a sense of confidence in the new frontier...

Keeping in touch

I have found in my years that not only do we need to treat the users humanely, but also our fellow staff. It is not the perks and goodies that keep a ship tight but the respect and communication that we accord each other. I have found this invaluable as I have been able to develop relationships not only with our group but Networking, systems administrators, programmers, telecommunications and desktop engineering. I have brought that philosophy to my new position and will continue to maintain those relationships. more later...

Keep Humanity in Technology!

As a help desk professional, I have found that there are times when technology seemed to overshadow the humanity that help desks need to maintain to assist the end user. Procedure and policy simply must not replace the human skills that are sorely needed to provide great service to a user community. Listening and observational skills as well as a good dose of empathy goes a long way to providing solutions as well as getting the user to work with you in the situation. Now as a development and trainer of technology in education, I can see the importance of these skills in even greater clarity for any level of technology support and service. Enough for a start-more later...