If you want to be a successful manager in an IT company, you need to think fast, work on your feet, and be able to perform under pressure. With your ever-growing list of responsibilities, that include security, analysis, and development-related tasks other than management, it’s no wonder that you’re always swamped and stressed.
This job can be fulfilling, but it’s practically impossible to properly do it if you’re unfamiliar with handy tools and time-saving tricks. Without these aids, you might as well move to your office and start sleeping there.
The following list contains highly useful tricks that can help you gain control over your workload and get on top of every situation.
Don’t Micromanage
Micromanagement is a waste of time, regardless of whether you’re working in a large company or a small team.
If you spend most of your day breathing down the necks of your subordinates and asking for progress statutes, you’re losing valuable time you could otherwise have spent on tasks that require your expertise. Besides, you’re also decreasing the overall productivity in the office – with constant interruptions, your employees are unable to focus.
Therefore, you should lean on your project management tool. Whether you’re using Trello, Planbox, Asana, or something completely different, you can use project management tools to monitor both individual and collective progress.
Get Your Mails in Order
An IT manager doesn’t have enough time to log in and log out of different emails and check to see if there’s unread mail. By doing so, chances are that you’re going to miss an important mail.
To minimize the room for these unnecessary mistakes, you should get a tool that syncs together all your inboxes and that regularly notifies you. For example, Mailswipe showcases your mail notifications in the form of cards. You can simply swipe through your mail without having to switch accounts.
Connect Your Calendars
Most managers have a tendency to build different calendars for every project. That is a mistake waiting to happen, and it’s probably the reason your team has trouble meeting deadlines.
With a tool like Calendly, you synchronize calendars of all your employees, regardless of the platform they are using. Therefore, everyone in your office can update their own schedule, they will be notified of every change you make, and you can collectively be on top of your deadlines.
Gain Control Over All Devices
Since you’re in the IT industry, your employees probably use several devices for work. In these conditions, it can be challenging to manage the network.
Every IT manager who uses SpiceWorks will tell you that they can’t imagine their professional life without it now. This is a multifunctional software that not only provides you with a clear overview of all active devices, but also enables you to manage your inventory, troubleshoot issues, and provide support to your customers.
Collaborate with Your Remote Team
Many contemporary IT teams employ remote professionals. When things around the office become hectic, it’s difficult to keep remote employees updated.
TeamViewer is a tool that can simultaneously connect up to an amazing three hundred people. Your remote workers can access your desktop and you can revolutionize your meetings.
Automate Mechanical Processes
Manual repetitive activities are part of every business model, and they are the main reason not only managers but all employees are overworked. You will save a lot of time that you can direct to developing creative solutions if you limit the number of manual tasks your workers have to perform.
WorkFusion is a company that offers intelligent, self-learning software that can unburden your office from redundant processes. They can provide you with process automation bots, cognitive bots, analytics tools and more – everything you need to build a self-sufficient system.
Keep Your Notes Neat
An IT manager needs to be a source of precise information. Everything goes through you, which is why you need to keep your notes neat. A simple yet effective piece of software like Evernote will do the trick.
With tools that we;ve listed above, you can simplify your job and simultaneously increase the overall efficiency in your office. None of the tools mentioned here have a demanding learning curve, so you’ll experience their full benefits as soon as you start using them.
