Tech heroes who work in office environments tend to be severely outnumbered by tech users, devices, and tech issues. Like so many superheroes throughout history, we will never run out of problems, tough decisions, or “bad guys.”
(The “bad guys” here are malicious folks who want to steal your data
Many tech users seem to believe that we tech heroes are just sitting at a desk, waiting for their bat signals (or phone calls) to call us into action. What they don’t seem to realize is that our “off hours” are spent “on the lookout” – examining security practices, maintaining infrastructure, upgrading old technology, researching new “bad guy” trends, and any-other-project-as-assigned.
When a tech user bypasses all communication processes to drop by and chit chat about their issues, they may be welcomed – or they may meet a very frazzled tech hero. (That usually means we really can’t talk.)
When you’re digging through thousands of lines of code or convoluted documentation about a very complex new system that your organization would like to adapt, an interruption can be a major setback. (It’d be like saying “Hey Mr. Spiderman – can you stop jumping through the air for a moment so I can ask you a question?”)
Interruptions can be a major setback for anyone, really. According to a study from the University of California in Irvine, after an examination of interruptions in the workplace.
You have to completely shift your thinking, it takes you a while to get into it and it takes you a while to get back and remember where you were…We found about 82 percent of all interrupted work is resumed on the same day. But here’s the bad news — it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task.
The life of a tech hero requires multitasking, hyper-awareness, and a whole lot of focus – even in the moments we are at our desk. We love to help when we can, but if we answer your question with “Now’s not a good time”, please find a less intrusive way to communicate your issue so we can remain on track with our project.
Respect your tech heroes (and all of your co-workers, really). We may all have different missions, but we’re on the same team.