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CentOS Dojo - Good User Mojo

Matt Simmons
Matt Simmons

Presented at the CentOS Dojo at #LISA14, a discussion on how to manage your users so that you can live a happy, productive life.

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Leveraging Good User 珂看逮看
About Me: Matt Simmons Northeastern University in Boston @standaloneSA Standalone SysAdmin Blog
Customers are everywhere
Identifying Customers Lines on an Org Chart Service consumers People who ask you for things
Users == Customers All of the things I said about customers apply to users, too
Customer Service Isnt (just) a Job Title Having customers isnt an insult Treating them well isnt demeaning Establishing positive relationships with them will pay off for years You can be the difference between a great experience and misery
The Basics
Use a Ticketing System Anything is better than nothing Just make sure you use it Even if your customers wont
Keep Communicating Maintain a status page Make it automatic if possible Make service window updates part of your process Send Update and Completion Emails Request Feedback
Establish Relationships Get to know your users At the very least, get to know what they do Encourage them to let you know when things are broken Reward them when they do.
Computers are Easy People are Hard
Have a Self-Service Portal Make it helpful & informative Automate IT processes if possible Use off-the-shell software if you can Pre-link to it on users desktop shortcuts
Be Active Doctors make rounds. Why shouldnt you? Take an interest in what your users are doing with your machines Anticipate their needs It doesnt hurt to be sociable. Not much, anyway.
Build Two-Way Trust Dont dictate policy from on high. Explain reasoning, even if you dont think theyll understand it. When someone exhibits responsibility, give them more. Work to earn your users trust by being honest. Even if it makes you look bad. If you let them down, make sure they know you know
Building Trust: Find Your Canary Contrast with: the squeaky wheel The importance of people who work by rote
Ignorance and Stupidity
Ignorance Is NOT stupidity IS a temporary state of being Should not be punished or mocked You were (and are) ignorant, too. So am I.
Stupidity Should be criminalized Until that happens: Route around it Avoid it Dont get it on you
Egos Theyre GREAT! Get one today!
Egos Theyre great! Have one! Sorry, I meant Eggos. Eggos are great. Have one of those instead.
Egos WILL get you into trouble Impede progress Lead to the Dark Side
Butcant I take pride in my work? Absolutely Disassociate your sense of worth from your work People are irrational meatbags
Dealing with complaints Dont read the comments Differentiate between constructive and deconstructive criticism They are criticizing your work, not you Unless they are
Treat Problems Once Learn from Aviation and Medicine Documentation Shall Set You Free Automate, Automate, Automate
Engineer for (Human) Failure People (and the machines they make) are imperfect People (and the machines they make) fail Assuming things have worked right is wrong Failure is inevitable, so dont treat it as exceptional
Documentation Common Questions: Who am I documenting for? One set of docs, or two? How to maintain up-to-date documentation More importantly: Just do it.
Never do today what you could have a machine do tomorrow Users love automation Admins love automation You dont have to be an amazing programmer
Avoid unnecessary technical debt Technical debt pays compound interest The longer it sits, the more there is (obviously?), but the increase is exponential, rather than linear
Technical Debt Suggestions Identify the priorities of your boss and users See if that can mesh with your priorities If not, convince your boss that youre right Establish a timeline for your users Stick to it
Use Technical Debt as a Tool -Borrow against it- Dont leave your users without a solution Establish a timeline Build in parallel Test with one, some, many Provide rollback for user data, but roll-forward with the migration Shoot the engineer and ship The borrowed debt is your new highest priority
Technical Debt Suggestions The easiest work is the work you dont have to do
Questions?

More Related Content

CentOS Dojo - Good User Mojo

  • 1. Leveraging Good User 珂看逮看
  • 2. About Me: Matt Simmons Northeastern University in Boston @standaloneSA Standalone SysAdmin Blog
  • 4. Identifying Customers Lines on an Org Chart Service consumers People who ask you for things
  • 5. Users == Customers All of the things I said about customers apply to users, too
  • 6. Customer Service Isnt (just) a Job Title Having customers isnt an insult Treating them well isnt demeaning Establishing positive relationships with them will pay off for years You can be the difference between a great experience and misery
  • 8. Use a Ticketing System Anything is better than nothing Just make sure you use it Even if your customers wont
  • 9. Keep Communicating Maintain a status page Make it automatic if possible Make service window updates part of your process Send Update and Completion Emails Request Feedback
  • 10. Establish Relationships Get to know your users At the very least, get to know what they do Encourage them to let you know when things are broken Reward them when they do.
  • 11. Computers are Easy People are Hard
  • 12. Have a Self-Service Portal Make it helpful & informative Automate IT processes if possible Use off-the-shell software if you can Pre-link to it on users desktop shortcuts
  • 13. Be Active Doctors make rounds. Why shouldnt you? Take an interest in what your users are doing with your machines Anticipate their needs It doesnt hurt to be sociable. Not much, anyway.
  • 14. Build Two-Way Trust Dont dictate policy from on high. Explain reasoning, even if you dont think theyll understand it. When someone exhibits responsibility, give them more. Work to earn your users trust by being honest. Even if it makes you look bad. If you let them down, make sure they know you know
  • 15. Building Trust: Find Your Canary Contrast with: the squeaky wheel The importance of people who work by rote
  • 17. Ignorance Is NOT stupidity IS a temporary state of being Should not be punished or mocked You were (and are) ignorant, too. So am I.
  • 18. Stupidity Should be criminalized Until that happens: Route around it Avoid it Dont get it on you
  • 19. Egos Theyre GREAT! Get one today!
  • 20. Egos Theyre great! Have one! Sorry, I meant Eggos. Eggos are great. Have one of those instead.
  • 21. Egos WILL get you into trouble Impede progress Lead to the Dark Side
  • 22. Butcant I take pride in my work? Absolutely Disassociate your sense of worth from your work People are irrational meatbags
  • 23. Dealing with complaints Dont read the comments Differentiate between constructive and deconstructive criticism They are criticizing your work, not you Unless they are
  • 24. Treat Problems Once Learn from Aviation and Medicine Documentation Shall Set You Free Automate, Automate, Automate
  • 25. Engineer for (Human) Failure People (and the machines they make) are imperfect People (and the machines they make) fail Assuming things have worked right is wrong Failure is inevitable, so dont treat it as exceptional
  • 26. Documentation Common Questions: Who am I documenting for? One set of docs, or two? How to maintain up-to-date documentation More importantly: Just do it.
  • 27. Never do today what you could have a machine do tomorrow Users love automation Admins love automation You dont have to be an amazing programmer
  • 28. Avoid unnecessary technical debt Technical debt pays compound interest The longer it sits, the more there is (obviously?), but the increase is exponential, rather than linear
  • 29. Technical Debt Suggestions Identify the priorities of your boss and users See if that can mesh with your priorities If not, convince your boss that youre right Establish a timeline for your users Stick to it
  • 30. Use Technical Debt as a Tool -Borrow against it- Dont leave your users without a solution Establish a timeline Build in parallel Test with one, some, many Provide rollback for user data, but roll-forward with the migration Shoot the engineer and ship The borrowed debt is your new highest priority
  • 31. Technical Debt Suggestions The easiest work is the work you dont have to do