The Confident Computer User

It amazes me how many successful people I know have no confidence in their computer skills.

They are afraid to take on some of the simplest efforts to maintain or understand the computer….

A piece of technology that most of them are literally attached to every day.

Most of us have no problem navigating basics tasks of composing and sending an email, surfing the web or typing up a memo and sending it to the printer.

But, toss in anything out of the routine and the even the most successful CEO comes apart at the seams.

This leaves them not working, unproductive and yelling at their administrative assistant who then yells for someone in the IT department or service company to come running NOW!

Often… in fact most of the time, the problem is something relatively simple.

Something like an advertising window that pops-up flashing a warning that you may have a virus.

Of course the user doesn't… it is just a pop-up ad.

The computer user is petrified to do anything as they are convinced they will launch a virus.. or that they have a virus… they don't know for sure they just fear being without their computer for the rest of the day.

So instead of simply clicking the X in the upper right hand corner of the pop-up window, a code red alert is put out to the company and the CEO and 2 or three staffers stop all productive work for the next half hour to close out a simple pop-up ad.

Why do people lack such confidence in resolving a simple problem with a computer?

As with anything it all comes down to confidence.

These professionals that shut down over a simple computer issue don't lack for any confidence when addressing a board meeting, preparing  business plans, or other activities because they are completely confident in their abilities to carry these things out.

It should be no different with their computer.

Why does someone lack confidence in their ability to resolve a simple computer problem even when they may already know what to do?

It comes down to repetition.

As my hockey coaches and teachers back in school always told me practice makes perfect.

The more times you experience something, the more confident you become in your ability to do that thing.

We don't have daily repetition of computer problems unless your are computer technician who is dealing with everyone's computers in the company or on service calls.

These folks see the problem over and over again and quickly resolve it because they are confident.

So how do others become as confident as the IT guy when it comes to simple issues they don't see every day?

Developing this confidence among computer users is often the initial responsibility of the help desk or IT department.

As problems occur they must educate user about what causes the problem.

They must also conduct regular training and provide resources such as an Intranet site which addresses company specific computer issues.

If you are a small company or a one man operation, you may need to engage the services of an IT consultant, attend training courses, buy computer guides and use online resources.

The more you know, the more confident you will become the next time a computer problem pops up and the quicker you can get back to business.