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Even though each job location is different, the characteristics of effective and ineffective
technology managers are very similar among locations. Through the incorporation of interviews
and personal work experience, positive and negative qualities of instructional technology (IT)
managers are discussed.
The first interview is from an IT manager at ABC College. The person discussed why
he/she wanted to be in a management position. The person explained that the people in the
department were the real reason for his desire to manage. Also, he/she enjoyed being responsible
for evaluation and building of the networks that supported the colleges technology
infrastructure. Additionally, he/she enjoyed the budgetary responsibilities for procuring
technology equipment. The interviewee was also responsible for conducting research and
determining the technology needs for instructional programs. He/she created a team atmosphere
that allowed for good collaborative efforts for problem solving. The interviewee also promoted
an open approach to allow for great communication.
Through an interview, I found out that computer geeks really do not enjoy being very
social. They like to spend hours and hours looking at a computer screen exploring new ways to
solve problems. They also do not like being told how to fix a technology problem by an
uninformed instructor. My interviewee said most people want to fix a symptom and I want to
fix the root cause of the problem. The person also said that he never listened to the customer
because they were normally wrong. Instructional technologists also do not like to be over
managed and dislike useless meetings just to meet. The technology geeks main objective is to
identify a problem and fix it in a timely fashion. The main course of action that an effective
manager can do is not micromanage his direct reports. They must have the freedom to be self-
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directed and motivated to complete tasks. One other attribute of an effective technology manager
is to create a competitive environment that supports timely tasks completions.
I also determined through an interview the traits of an ineffective manager. The person
explained that he had a manager that was always micromanaging his group. This created
resentment within the ranks of his/her department. He/she was also a dictator to people and never
accepted any criticism about his own faults. The person was not a team player; he/she created an
atmosphere that promoted unhappiness. The person subordinates eventually did not want to
come to work and this showed in their daily production. Another bad attribute this person
displayed was unresponsiveness to peoples needs. He/she rarely responded to any emails. This
inefficiency created a feeling of stress due to not knowing the expectations of the manager.
Unanswered questions created workers who did not feel knowledgeable about what they were
doing and eventually took less ownership of the output. The next person taking the job had a
mess to clean up and morale to build within the department. He/she found he had to build trust
from the very bottom.
The next person interviewed was the lead instructional technology person from ABC
High School, who manages the network infrastructure. She is solely responsible for the operation
and troubleshooting of all the computing systems throughout the high school. Her skills to
manage the network are tied directly to her own abilities and knowledge. She is focused on
providing great customer service to all of the high schools personnel. Her management skills
are self-directed in nature. This is evident through her usage of time management strategies to
effectively diagnose and troubleshoot computer systems. She also directs her attention to
answering all of the helpdesk related issues. This shows here management skills to complete
work orders without any supervision. This does generate issues with obtaining help on
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problematic system issues. She, as the manager, evaluates situations and utilizes the proper
methods for isolating the problems. Her troubleshooting process consists of utilizing internet
websites to help her identify possible causes to remediate the issues. Her self-reliance also helps
her focus her time on providing answers to all the various technology questions.
One characteristic that it takes to become an effective instructional technology manager is
to be self-reliant. Great background knowledge in the Novell and basics in CompTIA A+ is a
necessary component to her job. This demonstrates her abilities and knowledge in all of the
network and computer systems throughout the high school. She is also in charge of maintaining
and evaluating the technology software and hardware that the high school utilizes. This includes
close to one hundred Promethean boards, three hundred fifty desktop computers, two hundred
and fifty IPads, and many servers/switches throughout the high school. Additional, she helps
instructors with troubleshooting various Novell network issues. This helps support the students
technology needs in the classroom environment. One of the main problems is having the time to
efficiently fix all of the problems. This can difficult on your own with a hundred plus staff and
faculty members.
The main problem with being a manager alone in a work environment is the lack of
collaboration. This creates and issue with having a team to help support you during trying times.
Also, this creates a dilemma with being out of work with sickness or for training. Another
problem with being a manager is the overwhelming pressure of being accountable for everything
related to the job. The buck also stops with the leader. Also, being a manager of one does not
allow for delegation of responsibilities. All of the management and troubleshooting is tied to her
daily job functions. Although this can seem stressful at time, she stated that it also creates a
feeling of pride when she is able to handle all the problems throughout the school by herself.
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Through these interviews, several qualities of effective and ineffective managerial skills
have been discussed. A key characteristic in being effective is to be a good communicator and a
team player that is responsive to others. No manager knows all the information to fix problems
and the manager needs to be able to delegate responsibilities and trust subordinates.
Collaboration is essential to creating a community environment within the workplace that
supports positive attitudes and productivity. It is also important to be extremely organized, be
able to prioritize problems, and to manage budgetary responsibilities. A good manager also
provides professional development opportunities to enrich the knowledge base of all employees.

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