The Ed Norman Syndrome
Unfortunately, I must say I have indeed experienced this sort of situation in which having top-notch computer equipment is rendered useless by the over-zealous Manager of Information Systems (MIS); for his mission in life, is to prevent or slow you down as much as he can in order to protect the equipment and ensure that no one breaks the rigid rules he has placed on technology usage. Lord MIS rules in his technology kingdom. You must bow to his wishes and desires if you remotely expect to be able to utilize his equipment with some degree of efficiency.
On the other hand, I have also had the opportunity to witness the complete opposite scenario. I have worked at companies where equipment usage rules are virtually non-existent. In this case, the results are pretty similar to the anecdote I described in the previous paragraph. The technology system is running amok, and the environment resembles the wild west: chaos can and will emerge at any moment. In such environment, people are not able to perform their tasks, because law and order are absent. Lack of leadership and organization, sets the stage for horrible things to take place with software and hardware as well. The result is the inability for anyone to make any significant, efficient use of the available technology.
From my personal experience with these two extreme styles of technology maintenance and management, I concluded that moderation is the way to go. On the one hand, one would like to have someone who is in charge of safeguarding the technology for maintenance-related reasons and to prevent abuse from individuals who lack common sense. On the other hand, one must also ensure that the person who has been vested with the responsibility of managing such technology, does not become imperialistic to the point that he now becomes everyone's abuser. I believe that moderate overseeing of technology is the best compromise, for it benefits the manager as well as the user. In summary, moderation brings the most efficiency out of the technology being discussed, while it also allows the technology manager the highest degree of safeguarding without encroaching into effective, efficient use of technology.
WEEKLY ACTIVITY LOG
- Downloaded and listened to Session 7 blog
- Formulated response to Session 7 blog
- Posted response to Session 7 blog
- Continued working on projects 2 and 3
- Read scholar's blog postings
- Posted comments on scholar's postings
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- RFLORES
- Fontana, California, U.S. Electronics Technician and occassional technical instructor for a world-wide professional audio equipment manufacturer. I have been in the field of electronics all my life (thirty years). Times have changed, resulting in practically all manufacturing jobs migrating to China, I am currently in the process of "Re-tooling" to another career; namely, teaching in the Technical Education area. My participation in the electronics field has given me many times the opportunity to "wear different hats". Sometimes I might act out the role of manager, sometimes leader, sometimes that of an instructor. I believe these assets will come in handy, once I begin teaching in a full time basis. I believe education is a dynamic field; once I obtain the Masters degree, I will be able to focus in securing a position within the educational field. I am looking forward to the opportunities the field might bring.
4 comments:
Robert,
You make a real strong case for moderation here. I agree that running amuck is no better than bowing on bended knee. Structure in moderation is the best way to go. Seems like most of us agree on that.
Davena
Robert,
I also believe that moderation is the better than either extreme. I haven't worked at a place yet where there aren't any rules, but I can imagine that work would not be very productive because of lack of rules and order. I believe that each person should be responsible for their own rules on the use of technology.
James
Hi Robert,
I like your first anecdote about the “Lord MIS.” I can relate to it. It can be argued that an extreme for any issue is likely to be unproductive. It is moderation or the “middle of the road” approach that seems to fit better when it comes to managing assets. With flexibility and knowledge, the situational manager can adjust to any extreme and accommodate the environment as it changes. Unfortunately reality is not usually the most sensible thing. It is up to the individuals in that environment to adjust, adapt and cause the changes necessary.
Balance is indeed essential! It is interesting to hear from someone who has seen both sides.
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