When working in IT one needs to have a game plan… a road map so to speak with regard to fixing problems. One needs to understand what is happening and look at the problem from a number of different perspectives (Our servers’ hard drives are filling at random intervals… it’s got to be a server problem). One needs to understand what is causing the problem… more often that not… What’s changed in the environment? (Well we installed the new version of Firefox onto everyone’s machine yesterday!) Then how to go about fixing the problem? Remove Firefox from everyone’s machine? But wait… problems within IT often aren’t that straight forward… often times one cannot address the problem directly… “We need to use Firefox because our WebApp requires it” BUT wait… it’s this feature that is causing the problem! “If we turn off that particular feature it will allow most of us to use Firefox although some users could still have other problems”. We’ve provided a fix for the greater good… but is it really a fix? It depends!

Having a game plan as to how you are going to attack the problem and sticking with the game plan can make the difference… finding a workable solution! Understanding what you are looking for (and that can include data that you don’t know is there) and why can only help to keep you focused. The game plan isn’t always the same…certainly the rules are different if you’re working in a corporate environment verses a government organization. They can be different depending on whether it’s a criminal matter. You as the technical expert need to understand that the suspect has rights that cannot be infringed upon or you may find that all your hard work is inadmissible in court. Make sure you have the company’s permission, in writing, before you start poking around on other employees’ computers. Know who is authorized to give the OK to begin your work. Don’t start the work until you have everything in place.

Be Professional! Stick to what you were hired to do! It doesn’t matter whether you’re a salaried employee or a consultant! Be objective! Don’t form opinions until you’ve done your homework. Forming opinions prior to starting your work could lead you down the wrong path and waste valuable time. Keep your mouth shut… you never know what you’re going to find… Confidentiality is often equated to trust. In IT we often have more access to information than our bosses! Don’t sneak a peak and their salary information. You may not like what you find! If people can’t trust you, you’ll find yourself unemployed.