Posted by: TAZ Networks on March 13, 2018 at 8:00 am
March Madness is here for 2018! We’re resurrecting this fun post Tavis wrote a couple years ago. Enjoy!
March Madness and IT support might be more similar than you think.
March Madness is upon us and most of us love the thought of filling in our brackets. Here in Michigan we definitely hope that Michigan State and University of Michigan go far in the tourney. As I thought about it, there are at least 6 reasons why March Madness is like IT support. (There probably are lots of other reasons as well). Let’s do a David Letterman and reverse the order:
#6 – Everybody Thinks They Know The Winner (they think they know computers too!)
When it comes to the bracket, everyone just knows they have the winner. In IT support, it can be the same for a lot of companies. “Why spend money on that? I can have my brother’s son’s nephew do it.” However what do most companies quickly find out? That person doesn’t have the qualifications and probably won’t do a great job of standardization or documentation. We find out those are the guys that fill out 30 brackets and don’t know which one is the real one.
#5 – Teenage Kids Fighting To Move On To The Next Round
When it comes to March Madness, we love that a bunch of 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds are fighting with everything they have to move on another day. We feel for them when they are tearing up at the end of the game knowing they won’t be putting on their beloved jersey anymore. Hey, IT support is the same (“THERE’S NO CRYING IN IT SUPPORT!”). Hopefully your IT support staff is giving it their all. Staying late if needed. Calling you after hours when you call in to report a critical issue that needs helping fast. I know our clients are always thankful when our dedicated team gives it their all.
#4 – Great Coaching
There are a ton of great coaches in the NCAA tournament. Izzo from down the street comes to mind. With great IT support too you need great coaching. You need older, more experienced folks telling and instructing your younger, less experienced staff what to do. Why does a senior-laden team usually outperform a full freshmen team? They know how to work together and get the job done. Here’s to great leadership!
#3 – Mascots
Hey, we’re nerds in IT support. Don’t forget that. We love mascots even if we don’t know what they are. (What the heck is a WuShock anyway?) Although probably most of us would rather have a mascot from Star Wars.
#2 – Buzzer Beaters
An awkward 30 foot shot falling away from the basket falls through with a swoosh. Who doesn’t love that! We all do. It gets the blood pumping, and we all stand and shout. Hey in IT support when we fix that crazy old application you’ve been using and finally figure out why it stopped… you don’t see it, but we all stand up and shout. It’s a rush of adrenaline and makes us feel like we can take on the world. Yep I know, NERD!
#1 – UPSETS! (Your underdog business can win!)
We all love a good upset. You love saying “You know… I did pick Arkansas Little Rock.” Yeah, sure you did! But that’s what March madness is all about. A great upset and seeing how far the little guy can get. In IT support we’re happy to help so that your underdog business feels like a champ everyday. We are rooting for you. Frankly, if you grow then you’ll need us more. And every day we are thinking about how we can help you grow your revenue and put a beat down on the competition. Yep, we all love it when our clients move on and do the impossible.