Philosophies

Before you read this blog, it’s probably important to share some of my philosophies. These are the general guidelines or principles which bias my thinking, my approach to work and how I interact with others:

Lifelong learning

I enjoy learning about new subjects, different perspectives and new ways to resolve problems. Being in IT, there is always something new you can learn or a new skill you can use to be more effective. Having this growth mindset means you are always receptive to new ideas and an acceptance that you never know it all.

Be replaceable

When designing or building any IT system, I’m trying to make sure that system can be run and maintained without my involvement. This may mean minimising nerd knobs, producing accurate documentation, having clear processes, in conjunction with training others to use that system.

I believe that you are of greater value if you can have other people run your systems, rather than being the only one who can do it. You make yourself an inherit dependency to the operation of that system, which most likely means you won’t get to try or learn new things.

Don’t pull the ladder up

I wouldn’t be where I am today unless others:

• Showed me how things work
• Gave me some career advice or mentoring
• Took a gamble on giving me an opportunity to prove myself
• Showed me how to navigate political situations

Whenever I can I try to help others, particularly if they’re in new territory or are navigating a problem which I may be of help.

Proactive is best

If given the opportunity, I prefer to be proactive when approaching problems. I will spend some extra effort up front in trying to address the root cause of an issue, rather than applying quick fixes.

Being reactive often results in rework or being inefficient and I like to avoid that where possible.

Failure provides opportunity

Whenever I attempt something and it fails, it’s provides a lesson to review my tools, thinking and processes.

Failure is unavoidable, but I can always improve and be better next time around.