Repost: Be kind to your users ❤️

April 30, 2021

Hi admins!

I just read a recent article posted by @Rodrigo Martinez who is a Premier Support Engineer on the Atlassian Team titled Be gentle and kind to your users.

In his post, he talks about the importance of being empathetic to your users and about the responsibility of a Jira admin! I think it's very good, and would love to know your thoughts/tips on how to care for your endusers in the comments below :).

6 comments

I agree with Rodrigo that, as an Admin for these products (Atlassian or otherwise) we have a complex responsibility. The user-facing aspect can make all the difference in how people feel about the product, how willing they are to use it, how likely they are to ask for help, etc.

Here are a few ways that I try to ensure that my Atlassian product users feel well cared for:

I respond as soon as I possibly can to requests for support from users.
I subscribe to status updates on the Atlassian Status hub, and proactively message my users (in an Atlassian-specific Slack channel) about known major problems, and when they are resolved.
I listen to user requests, ask questions, and try hard to understand their need before starting to talk about possible solutions.
I created a one-page, simple "quick start" page in Confluence per Atlassian application, to help new hires self-serve their onboarding as much as possible.
I reach out to new employees to introduce myself, and share just a few key resources:
- the Slack channel previously mentioned (which is open to product Q&A also)
- my name, role, and contact information -- and my eagerness to help them
- links to the appropriate "quick start" pages for the apps they will be using

There's so much more to being an Admin than our user-facing side. But getting that aspect right makes all the difference.

It's kind of cool to be able to maximize the value of these products for our users / teams / organizations. I couldn't succeed at that mission without truly serving each user!

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@Bridget I strongly agree with this thought/practice that any good Atlassian Tools admin should have the traits of being kind and empathetic to their end users, in order to provide them the best support service for these tools in a prioritized and timely fashion.

These traits definitely differentiate a good Atlassian Tools admin in any organization.

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I agree with the article and second that kindness should be really shown all aspect of life.

Sometimes as an Atlassian admin we get blamed for the occurrence and it can be difficult not to redirect the blame back to the user, especially if it is just a mere lack of understanding on their part. However, it is our job and those are usually easy wins for both. The user learned something new and we just helped someone out.

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In between my first and second stints as a (part-time) JIRA Admin, I've been:

A Project Manager JIRA end user
A manager of IT Admins and Business Analysts
A Product Manager JIRA end user
A Product Director with multiple PM JIRA end users

I strongly believe that to be successful in IT, you have to operate in the service of the business and its users. Process, controls, & security are without doubt important, but if you're not helping your users and the business accomplish their goals, you have no place within my Product or IT org.

It's also just a lot more fun and rewarding to 1) be nice and 2) help people do the best work possible.... even if that means giving your "problem" users a little extra love & attention. :)

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I cut my teeth in IT in a traditional Helpdesk call center at the turn of the century (I love saying that.. hahaha). These were Windows XP days where many folks were still learning how to properly use a computer and networked peripherals in an office setting (try walking someone through replacing a greenbar printer's paper feed over the phone!!). The best lesson I took away from those days was taught to me by a Helpdesk veteran... "If you get frustrated with the user, just take a deep breath and engage with them as if they were your sweet sweet granny that needs help". I don't know if it's the image in my head or projecting the feeling of patience that I might feel towards helping my sweet "abuelita", but it works every time.

Over the years, I've learned that kindness and compassion and LISTENING go a long way. I've also learned that IT support roles are not unlike bar tenders or therapists. Folks want to vent a little and feel heard. Even if I know the answer 10 seconds into the call, I let the user go through their story (within reason obviously!).