IT Service Providers are Here to Help

Asking for help is not always easy. Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, in his Harvard Business Review article, Why It’s So Hard to Ask for Help, points out that, “Although humans are social creatures, ready to both give and accept help, many of us struggle to actually ask for it.” Manfred is a management scholar, a psychoanalyst, and an executive coach. He identifies six reasons why people have a hard time asking for help, impacting both their personal and work lives.

As much as we tell ourselves that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness—that it can make us more productive, knowledgeable, and valuable to the organization—internal IT managers are often tempted to go it alone. Maybe you see yourself in these common mindsets:

Fear of being vulnerable. Some people are concerned that asking for help will make them look less competent. If they’re asked to do something within their (often vague) job description, they ought to be able to do it—or somehow figure it out.

The need to be independent. High performers take pride in self-sufficiency, leading them to believe they should be capable of handling things on their own. Getting other people involved can seem like a waste of time.

Fear of losing control. People who have issues with trust may fear turning over some of their work to others if it could mean they don’t have enough oversight. They may fear being blamed if something doesn’t go right.

Fear of rejection. Even though ‘teamwork’ is the watchword of a modern organization, many people are still worried that a request for help will be denied. This can feel personal, even if it’s more likely just a matter of priorities.

Over-empathizing with others. A person who is overwhelmed may project that feeling onto others and not want to burden them with additional requests. They may not have considered the simple phrase, “you won’t know until you ask.”

A sense of victimhood. Some people have internalized a feeling that they’re not worthy of getting help. This can lead them to suffer in silence, with poor results for the organization. Tasks can end up being neglected or given short shrift. Not asking for help can also deny a project the level of expertise needed to get it done well.

Getting Help From an MSP—You Deserve it

Managed service providers (MSPs) offer a wide range of IT support services. They can be an extra set of hands, or they can handle the full implementation of a strategic initiative. Still, sometimes internal IT teams are hesitant to get their help. The support MSPs provide includes:

Day-to-day support. A managed IT service provider can provide ongoing IT support and helpdesk services for users, cybersecurity threat detection, network and cloud management, and software application updates.

IT consulting. Changes in organizational structure will often necessitate a look at the supporting IT strategy. Depending on their size and capabilities, a managed service provider can advise on infrastructure configuration, application selection, cybersecurity strategy, or change management.

Special projects. Only the largest in-house IT teams have the personnel and expertise to take on one-off projects like a merger or divestiture, platform conversion, or development of a business continuity plan. And even though BitTitan has built MigrationWiz for ease of use, large or complex migrations are the kind of special projects that benefit from an experienced MSP.

Changing the Mindset—Go Ahead, Ask for Help

Plugging the right managed service provider into your organization can turn you into an IT hero (although we suggest you only wear your cape on weekends). You can get IT projects done more efficiently, leverage an experienced team, increase security, and have eyes on your infrastructure 24/7. Turn those negative mindsets into empowerment:

Expand your competencies. Feeling vulnerable? Identifying a managed service provider that’s a good fit for your organization can help you increase your professional value. It’s an opportunity to learn from experts who have broad experience, and flex your expertise about the needs of your organization. Be sure to assess each provider’s experience with your industry and their track record in delivering similar services.

Spread the work. Sure, you could try to do everything yourself. But getting help from an MSP gives you a chance to handle more projects and responsibilities. With tasks taken off your plate, you have more time to add value to your organization.

Assuage your fear. Calm those trust issues by doing your homework on what different MSPs can offer for your organization. BitTitan works with MSPs of all sizes and specialties. Your account manager can give you a list of trusted partners who have experience to match your needs. You’ll also want to ask for customer references to gain insights into the MSP’s performance, reliability, and service.

Don’t be denied. Nobody likes to hear ‘no.’ Your request to work with a managed service provider is less likely to be turned down if you put together a solid business case to present to decision makers. Be sure to provide well-vetted options, a rationale for IT outsourcing, and an analysis showing how this will help you do more with the allocated budget.

Just ask. If your team is overwhelmed, find out what tasks they need to focus on and which ones they think can be outsourced. Avoiding the conversation can result in burnout, frustration, and distrust. When talking to an MSP, you’ll want to clearly understand their response times, resolution times, and scope of services offered. These are often referred to as SLAs (service level agreements).

You are worthy. Don’t suffer in silence. But don’t just complain. If you think internal IT needs help, you’re probably right. Getting the right kind of help will alleviate problems down the road. Because those problems can become serious, leading to project delays, security vulnerabilities, and lower organizational productivity.

It turns out that asking for help isn’t that scary after all. A great place to start is with BitTitan. We love to help! Whether you need immediate help with a migration, you want to learn more about using MigrationWiz, or you have questions about working with an MSP, contact our team or your preferred distributor today.