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Self-Management
A great manager starts by managing themselves, in the sense of working in an organised and rigid way. At my workplace I consistently stick to the SOPs. Apart from that, organising my data not only increases efficiency, but also contributes to lean management by reducing confusion and errors. I strongly believe that self-discipline is a must for a great manager.
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Ownership of Work
Corporate work is treated as it was a personal matter, in the sense that it has to be processed with care and responsibly. Pending tasks are kept under watch, and archived for future reference when completed.
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A Whole Picture
When conducting related tasks, they are constantly cross-checked to avoid conflicts and enable harmonisation. This is possible by having a good memory, where elements that could affect others are taken note of, and made reference to in the future.
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Corrective Action
Nobody is perfect and mistakes occur from time to time. The difference is how such imperfections are dealt with from my end, whereby these are analysed to identify what went wrong. Hence, Hence, caution is applied to prevent re-occuring scenarios. In my opinion, being proactive is essential as having to learn from mistakes could lead to lack of trust and obtain a poor image amongst co-workers.
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Environmental Analysis
The operation and direction of the IT department is conducted vis-à-vis on-going projects within other departments of the organisation, to support them accordingly. Environmental Analysis extends to the external environment of the organisation, especially social media where IT-related information can be obtained. This can be either new technologies, surveys amongst users, reviews, and more.
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Quality Management
Every job that goes through me is handled with a quality-first approach. This is where a 'Do it once, do it right' mentality is applied. Quick fixes are only sought in conditions of emergency only, such as a network downtime scenario. For example, shortcuts like poor network rack cable management, and lack of labelling are avoided. Therefore, less confusion and increased efficiency are possible during any future reference on such network rack. Quality management has higher benefits in larger projects & scenarios.
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Multi-Tasking
At my current role, several IT projects are dealt with on a daily basis, having tight deadlines. One reason is the severe understaffing of a department made up of just two employees, and a student. Priority is given to the most important projects, while dealing with several loose-ends. This is where no choice is given but to provide more than my 100% of work effort.
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Delegation of Work
Students are allocated with specific tasks to assist in the operation of the department. This ranges from basic IT support, documentation, and manual work such as RJ45 internet cable crimping. During each assignment, students' ability is studied to see what works best against their skills, and what does not work.
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Training
Students are trained with different approaches, from illustrations, to supervised hands-on experience. They are provided with the necessary knowledge on the functioning of the organisation, IT department, technical knowledge, and most importantly health & safety. Training is complimented with tips and tricks to facilitate their work, and on how to learn by experimenting with technology to gain independence. This practice is important to enhance their problem-solving skills, which is a must in an IT environment.
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Pressure Tests
Despite being in a government authority, students are provided with the opportunity to work under pressure. This opportunity is essential to simulate working for a private organisation, and introduce the element of discipline. Students are pushed outside their comfort zone to increase their potential.
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Support
Feedback and support are provided to students when required. This includes, but not limited to guidance on their career path according to their performance and preferences. Given their approval, students are also supported on personal matters, such as the death of a family member which could leave several impacts on their work-life experience.
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Decision-Making
Whenever it comes to important or tough decisions, I am available to provide assistance to my manager with my views regarding the matter. Possible consequences that can occur with each option are analysed and discussed.
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Constructive Criticism
Acting as a co-pilot to my manager, I provide him with opinions and positive criticism to currently in-place work practices. These are areas where issues can occur in the future if no action is taken.
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Enhancements
As an employee aspiring to become a manager, it is the norm to suggest areas for enhancements. These include but are not limited to; department processes, documentation & IT forms, hardware & equipment, and the use of new software tools.