Running a help desk—whether in-house or outsourced—can sometimes feel like a bad marriage. And Help Desk can be a really fickle, unforgiving spouse…
With constant demands and stress, it’s difficult not to buckle under the strain and find yourself looking for a way out. With great courage or blind ambition, some will stay the course and try to work things out, while others may find themselves with a wandering eye (it happens and we’re not here to judge…)
From great hope and best intentions to “how did we even get here?”Let’s take a moment to reflect on your history and the possible challenges that drove that big wedge in the relationship.
1. Life Changes
Over time both you and your help desk are going to go through changes, and as you each grow and mature your needs are going to change. This can be hard on any relationship and, if one partner outpaces the other or challenges are not met as a united front, the consequences can be disastrous difficult to overcome. When you fall out of step, resentment and spite can seep into the relationship.
2. A Lack of Communication
If you and your help desk are not communicating, clearly, regularly and often, it’s going to be a huge problem! It’s natural for some couples to slip into a rut and assume one should naturally know what the other is thinking and doing. However, married life is never stagnant, and neither are you and your help desk. Without proactive communication you may find yourself growing more and more distant, and losing sight of one another’s goals and objectives. Which brings us to the next common challenge.
3. Needs and Feelings
Did you forget to take out the trash or has your help desk missed that special day? What do you do when your help desk is demanding “Quality Time” and you are busy with meeting deadlines? Often the needs and feelings of both parties can be lost in the shuffle and that wedge digs in just a little deeper.
4. Money Troubles
Budgets get tighter and tighter year after year, yet your help desk may seem like all they want to do is spend your hard earned money like it grows on some magical tree. Between coverage and staffing, training, tools and special projects, it’s hard to make the numbers work, let alone that have confidence that your dollars are spent wisely.
5. In-laws and Outlaws
What do you do when the help desk’s family comes calling? Customers, vendors, and let’s not forget “THE BUSINESS”, each have their own agenda and can add to the stresses when you’re married to a help desk. Do you find yourself pondering the realities of the joke about “mixed emotions” when an in-law drives off a cliff in your new car? It is hard to find the balance necessary to nurture your relationship with all of these external forces trying their hardest to come between you.
6. Personality Differences
Do you even recognize your help desk anymore? The people you are now aren’t the same people you were a few years ago. It can be hard to find yourself drifting further away from your help desk, especially if you have put so much time and effort into it. Without the willingness to grow and change together, life can become almost unbearable, and irreconcilable.
What Am I Really Looking For?
So how does one go about finding that perfect help desk? Without a clear understanding of your goals in a relationship, you may find yourself repeating the same mistakes further down the road. Here are a few things you should look for in a help desk.
1. Someone Who Understands Me
Having a partner that cares, who can relate to the problems you face day to day, and is willing to more to help you overcome them is critical to any relationship. Your help desk play an active role in understanding your goals and needs. A commitment to face business life together and support one another is key. It takes communication, time and effort, but it is well worth the work.
2. Someone who can grow with me
As you grow and mature, you’ll want a help desk that is able to grow with you. When changes come, will they be adaptable and flexible enough to meet the corresponding challenges? This resilience is critical to maintaining a healthy relationship.
3. Someone who is fiscally secure and spends wisely
When you have a help desk that can bring value to you and your marriage, it can make all the difference in the world. You want a partner that understands the value of a dollar and can help you to spend it wisely—one that will help you understand where money can be saved, without sacrificing the things you need to keep the business running.
4. Someone who will share the fame, and accept the blame
Maintaining a healthy marriage with your desk should help you face the stresses of everyday business life instead of adding to them. When you’re both willing to put the time and effort into your relationship, you can do great things together. Especially when that help desk is the “Right One” for you.
We invite you to download our complimentary eBook, "10 Common Help Desk Challenges & Concerns that Impact Companies Today". You can also click here to speak to our team of help desk experts.
