So here is another entry based on the Infoworld article: 12 Effective Habits of Indispensable IT Pros – Ditch the slackers, take on dirty work, do it with data — here’s how to get the inside track on a highly rewarding career in IT – written by Dan Tynan
So when I see the word “Jerk”, I can’t help but think of Steve Martin. You can’t help but love the heartwarming story about the life of Navin R. Johnson. But I don’t think that Navin is the type of jerk Mr. Tynan is talking about as he presents Habit # 9.
Effective IT habit No. 9: Don’t be a jerk
You might be the world’s most brilliant coder or the industry’s leading expert on user interface design. But if nobody likes you, your head is on the chopping block. Given the often challenging personality types drawn to technology, this is especially true for IT.
“Personality goes a long way when it comes time to make cuts in an organization,” notes Nathan Letourneau, director of marketing for PowerWise USA, makers of PC power management software. “Companies prefer people with positive attitudes and a good work ethic, even if they aren’t as highly skilled as another. Don’t be a pain in the butt or overly negative. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t speak your mind, but just make sure you’re respectful when doing it.”
Ultimately, managers like to get rid of the troublemakers and malcontents first, says Engel: “At the end of the day, it’s the person that makes the work environment of the other coworkers better that gets promoted and is the last to leave in a layoff.”
RN Commentary: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. find out what it means to me.
That is not just the opening line to Aretha Franklin’s 1967 smash hit song; Respect is the cornerstone for how we should treat each other in the work place. You don’t have to like every single person you work with and you certainly don’t have to be best friends with all your co-workers. However, you should engage everyone around you (co-workers, vendors, customers) with a basic level of respect. You can be firm with people, disagree on things, even have lively arguments without breaking the basic tenets of respect. You should carry forth your daily activities with respect for others and you should expect the same coming back at you from others.
I also think maintaining a positive attitude is important. There is a constant stream of negative news coming at us from all angles. Media outlets give us constant bad news – wars, murders, weak economic indicators, potential collapse of the Euro, bad earnings reports from all kinds of companies. You even hear bad news at work – unhappy customers, lost customers, budget cuts, missed OI targets. It is very easy to slip into a “woe is me” attitude where everything is negative and you begin thinking that things will never get better. But we can’t fall into that trap – we need to see the problems we are facing at work (or outside of work) as Opportunities. Opportunities for us to make things better. Opportunities for us to excel professionally and personally by being the ones to solve the problems. That takes maintaining a positive outlook and turning that negative energy into trying to make things better.
So I guess my take is a little softer than “Don’t be a Jerk”, but yeah that too: Don’t Be a Jerk!!
Robert Not Bob 