SA skills training level still poor

[rpm]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/General/813.html

 

[Skeptik]

Attrill says many specialists are: “Intellectually exceptionally astute but often have very narrow outlooks on life and dealing with people. IT people are among the most aloof, they do not want to emerge from their oyster. For bosses to appoint such people as managers can be problematic if the expert continues to operate from the frame of reference that they are the solution and provider of everything, they then battle to work with a team of people until they acknowledge the wealth of expertise around them.”

How true is that! I wish I could send this to a particular person as wordly advice.

 

[XCentricdave]

So very true...

In pretty much all of the companies that I deal with there is a split between 'Business' and 'IT'. Surely IT is a core part of any business - its no more complex than accountancy or a manufacturing plant - its just as essential.

So all we need is for the IT people to climb out of their oyster and join the rest of the enterprise in delivering what they do... And had the rest of the business to let the seafood in...

 

[TiredOfWaiting]

This is rubbish. IT people were not made to integrate with the others, we're a unique group with unique interests for the most part. They should just develop formal ways of dealing with the IT people that doesn't involve any social interaction.

Personally I would love to have my own office, I hate being in the same building as all these other rugby-loving jocks and boere that work here.

 

[BobbyMac]

This is rubbish. IT people were not made to integrate with the others, we're a unique group with unique interests for the most part. They should just develop formal ways of dealing with the IT people that doesn't involve any social interaction.

Personally I would love to have my own office, I hate being in the same building as all these other rugby-loving jocks and boere that work here.

Being a geek was never and will never be cool.

 

[TiredOfWaiting]

Being a geek was never and will never be cool.

That's the point, I don't want to be cool! I just want to walk into my office and lock the door. My project plan should tell me all I need to know and keep me busy for at least the next 3 months...

But this would be the perfect world, here in the real world I have to permanently extract information from useless co-workers!

 

[Page]

As the IT Manager at my firm my major hang-up with my "users" (urgh) is the mentality that I am the cause of all their problems. If email goes down its my fault. If our ADSL dies its my fault (damn you telkom!). Etc, etc etc.

Personally I think the main reason IT pros stay in their "shells" is because of the mentality amongst users that the IT guy is the bad guy.

We're there to fix things, not break 'em.
I don't expect to get applauded everytime I rush to a crisis, but getting verbally abused everytime makes it a bit difficult to motivate myself (and helpers) to do anything.

Just my 2c

 

[BobbyMac]

As the IT Manager at my firm my major hang-up with my "users" (urgh) is the mentality that I am the cause of all their problems. If email goes down its my fault. If our ADSL dies its my fault (damn you telkom!). Etc, etc etc.

Personally I think the main reason IT pros stay in their "shells" is because of the mentality amongst users that the IT guy is the bad guy.

We're there to fix things, not break 'em.
I don't expect to get applauded everytime I rush to a crisis, but getting verbally abused everytime makes it a bit difficult to motivate myself (and helpers) to do anything.

Just my 2c

So change it! I find that since I've made it company policy that my IT managers will NOT speak in IT jargon when engaging with the 'users', but instead try and present everything in layman's terms, the issues are dealt with professionally and good relationships have since been nurtured. IT people can be good businessmen. Heck, some of the worlds top CEO's and Managers are IT people. One can learn people skills - it's not impossible.

 

[ToxicBunny]

I prefer the BOFH style of management.. its more effective and fun.

Things stay working, and lusers only bring real problems to my door

 

[AdLo]

Yet research by the World Bank’s Investment Climate Survey shows that SA trains only 44,6% of skilled workers, compared to 77,3% of skilled workers receiving ongoing training in Brazil, 69,1% in China, 55% in India and 78,9% in Poland.

The Department of Home Affairs shouldn't moan about IT workers having to be imported unless they use those same countries in statistics to compare bandwdith costs with South Africa.

 

[Cara]

The Department of Home Affairs shouldn't moan about IT workers having to be imported unless they use those same countries in statistics to compare bandwdith costs with South Africa.

I second that motion