I’ve been going over some of the key pitfalls and mistakes Church-IT should be sure to avoid. These are certainly not things that needed to be committed to memory, but they are certainly things that may help you notice blind spots and become more mindful of common IT mistakes. All in all, I hope these are things that will help you become a better and more dynamic Church-IT member.
As always, be sure to weigh-in with your own insights and experiences!
Here are 5 Church-IT mistakes you should try to avoid:
1. Being Stubborn
Learn to recognize when an initiative or project is doomed. Don’t be stubborn! Admit defeat and move along. Most Church-IT force their plans for one main reason: No exit strategy.
I recently tried migrating to a new server, and after I found the new host to have less than stellar support, I easily and quickly hopped back to my original host. If I hadn’t have had a good exit strategy (aka: Backup plan), who knows how much time I would have wasted or how much Advil I would have taken. The fraction of time you save by not planning ahead is easily lost if it blows up in your face.
2. Unrealistic Project Timetables
This is makes you feel like a hero at the beginning of a project, but could be your ruin in the end. Make sure you leave plenty of margins. Margin for error. Margin for flexibility. Margin for change of plans. Margin for the unforeseen.
I stand-by the cliché: Under promise, over deliver.
3. Have A Good Grip on When to Outsource
These are the two dark sides of outsourcing:
Side A – Outsourcing functions to avoid having to learn something new, only to find that it’s too expensive to do the simplest thing.
Side B – Not outsourcing functions to avoid spending the money, only to be left in a serious lurch.
Knowing when and what to outsource is mission critical.
4. Worshiping or Condemning Open Source
This can be as polarizing as Apple vs. Microsoft. Personally, I don’t have patience for it. Go over your pros and cons and use what fits best. I like metric wrenches, but if my car’s lug nuts aren’t in metric, do I insist on using metric wrenches? I don’t think so. Weigh your options. Good Church-IT has no fanboi’s.
5. You Get What You Pay For
What else can be said, really? To others, it may look like you’re paying for a “brand name,” but what about tech support? I know Church-IT guys are suppose to know everything, but I can’t tell you how much time I’ve saved by using good tech support that comes behind a product. Never under estimate good product support (example: 8BIT).
Want to add to the list?
Have I missed something from the last time or two?
Please, weigh-in!
[via InfoWorld | Image via Matt Newman]
Dave says
Apple vs. Mac, huh?
Eric Dye says
EPIC mistake. When I say, “Mac” it actually means “Microsoft” — LOL! Thanks, Dave.
Eleanor says
Great list – and I’ll be honest, I think these can apply to just about MANY departments, and different types of organizations.
Eric Dye says
Very true. 🙂