Managing Network Users

Managing network technology is the easiest part of network management. Computer technology can be confusing at first, but computers aren't as confusing as people. The real challenge of managing a network is managing the network's users.

The difference between managing technology and managing users is obvious: You can figure out computers, but who can ever really figure out people? The people who use the network are much less predictable than the network itself. Here are some tips for dealing with users:

• Make user training a key part of the network manager's job. Make sure that everyone who uses the network understands how it works and how to use it. If the network users don't understand how the network works, they may unintentionally do all kinds of weird things to it.

• Treat network users respectfully. If users don't understand how to use the network, it's not their fault. Explain it to them. Offer a class. Buy each one a copy of this book, and tell them to read it during the lunch hour. Hold their hands. Just don't treat them like idiots.

• Create a network cheat sheet. It should contain everything users need to know about using the network-on one page. Everyone needs a copy.

• Be as responsive as possible. If you don't quickly fix a network user's problem, he may try to fix it. You don't want that to happen.

Tip 

The better you understand the psychology of network users, the more prepared you are for the strangeness they often serve up. Toward that end, I recommend that you read the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (also known as DSM-IV) from cover to cover.