If you took on the task of being the information technology expert at your work place, a lot is expected of you. Unfortunately the stigma of “IT Guy” has always been that they are grumpy middle aged men that don’t really want to help. But the truth is, they do. You just have to break that mold and be sure that you’re there to help people when they need it. After all, that’s why you were hired. You may have more knowledge about computers and get frustrated by the simplicity of the some of problems you’re presented with. Don’t sweat it. Sit down and take the problem step by step with the person you’re helping and hopefully they’ll learn from their mishaps and be able to save you some time in the future by solving their own problems.

So where do you begin when you want to help someone solve their computer woes?

• Diagnose the Problem: Obviously the first thing you have to do is figure out where the problem is coming from. Ask them in a polite way what they were doing when it happened, had they done anything prior to that, any funny noises? Work your way down the list until you’ve figured out what exactly is wrong.
• Troubleshoot: Here comes the fun part. Now that you’ve figured what’s wrong, you have to figure out how to fix it. As an IT professional you should know where to begin. So work your way down the list of troubleshooting tricks. But instead of just running through your normal list and leaving your coworker in the dark, if they’re up to it, let them know what you’re doing. “OK so right now I think the problem is XYZ, which means that I’m going to have to try ABC to fix it.” This way they’ll feel more involved and they may be able to fix their own email woes next time around.
• Questions: Once you’ve shown them what it is you’re doing so they understand your thought process behind the whole thing, ask them if they understand. I know it can get frustrating when non-computer techies try to understand what it is you’re doing but you’d be surprised at how many people have a thirst for learning. If you can make sure they understand what went wrong and how to fix it by answering their questions, they’ll be a whole lot better off.

• Build a relationship: By guiding them through the fix you can build a relationship with your clients or coworkers. This can pay huge dividends in the long run if you’re ever worried about your job security. Unfortunately IT Professionals are a dime a dozen so it’s best to try and make yourself stand out of the pack by providing quality service and care to the office. If you’re the regular IT guy who’s grumpy and irritable at fixing problems, you can’t guarantee your job security in the slightest.