I am known both as an Educator and as IT support staff. I hop from one side of the fence to the other always looking for and trying to build a path/bridge between the 2 worlds. I found this article about building relationships in the work place which I have adapted for my role.
Adapted from a posting by by Gerald Aungston his blog Quisitivity
There is a scene in The Little Prince that reminds me of the always-complex, sometimes-awkward relationship between educational technologists and the educators they service, particularly when it comes to determining what is best for a student.
In the play, the Little Prince meets a fox in the Sahara desert. The Prince is cautious of the fox, but is also curious. Then the fox makes an unusual request: for the Prince to tame him.
“What does that mean — ‘tame’?”
“It is an act too often neglected,” said the fox. “It means to establish ties.”
“‘To establish ties’?”
“Just that,” said the fox. “To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world…”
In our ordinary existence, men and foxes are enemies. But this fox and this boy are different, and their relationship grows from an open mind and willingness to listen to each other.
“Please — tame me!” he said.
“I want to, very much,” the little prince replied. “But I have not much time. I have friends to discover, and a great many things to understand.”
“One only understands the things that one tames,” said the fox. “Men have no more time to understand anything….”
“What must I do, to tame you?” asked the little prince.
“You must be very patient,” replied the fox.
We can learn some things from this story about how to effectively collaborate and build the trust that a lot of educators lack in regards to new technologies. Here are a few things to remember when you interact with colleges that will help you make progress. You may even find in the end that you’ve tamed one or two.
- IT professionals are human beings. This is both a positive and a negative. We are imperfect. We have feelings, strengths, and limitations. We need to learn and grow, just as you do. We get anxious and tired and frustrated just like you do.
- IT and Educators are not the enemy. We have a different perspective and possibly a different solution to a problem does not mean we are opponents. Entering the process with the assumption we are looking forward to putting up roadblocks and launching counterattacks just invites anxiety.
- This is not a contract negotiation. A corollary to #2 is to remember the objective of any meeting. The goal is not for one “side” or the other to “win,” and if either party enters the situation with the sole purpose of getting what they want, then the only loser will be the student. There are no sides, or rather there is one side: the needs of the student. Enter instead with the intention of agreeing together first about the problem, then to work as a team to create a solution that works for everyone.
- We have the same goal as you…. We want our students to learn, grow, and succeed. As the fox advises the Prince to do, a wise technologist will spend a great deal of time patiently listening to a teacher in order to understand and visa versa.
- …but our context is different. Please remember that IT knows the school’s ‘systems’ far better than you do. It is also our job to ensure that school resources are used equitably and responsibly, and we are often forced to make difficult compromises. A little time invested in trying to comprehend our world will go a long way in building a good working relationship.
Just like the fox and the Prince grow to need each other, so do the technologist and the faculty. None of us can do our jobs well without the support and collaboration of the other.
You may feel intimidated or defensive when meeting with faculty or IT and this leads to meetings where the individual comes in “armed for bear” (or perhaps foxes) and anticipating a fight. Try instead to tame your co-worker with a little patience and understanding. Steven Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, includes this as Habit 5: Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood.
One last tip: Unless you happen to know that they are fans of The Little Prince, it may not be a good idea to actually tell a co-worker that you are trying to tame them. Let that just be between us.