Tech Manager—Fix; Finish
Last month we looked at the process of finding issues and addressing them as they escalate. We explained the process in brief as Find – Fix – Finish.
There are four escalation points that you uncover during the investigations of the Find phase. Each conveyed below by the communication starters that might be:
- I am aware of…
- I am concerned about…
- We have an issue with…
- There is a failure...
You can go back and read about those, but having covered the Find portion, we move on to Fix and Finish.
The Quick Fix
During the Find phase, you probably gathered a good indication as to the scope and impact of the issue. You obviously need to get things back in working order, but if it is widespread and impactful, you need to get things going quick. This may entail a patch or a MacGyver style fix. MacGyver would fix things with whatever was around at the time. It was amazing what he could get done using paper clips, duct tape, or rubber bands. Not to be confused with MacGruber, who would mess things up even more. Sometimes your fixes need to be like MacGyver’s, using whatever you have to get through the pinch and get deliverables out the door or the system working again. You can come back later with the long-term fix, but for now, just get people working again.
The Work Around
It may be a workaround that uses other resources until the thing that failed is back online. You work around the log jam and divert the project flow in a way that returns progress but is not a long-term fix. It might be an export of data from one system and import into another that allows folks to keep going. It might be deploying older hardware that is not as fast, but at least it works.
The Short-term Fix
Quick fixes and workarounds are not meant to stay in place very long, but sometimes the long-term fix will take a while to get up and running. You may have to order new hardware, reconfigure systems, reload/reinstall software or do something that will not get the main systems back up and working right away. That is when you need a bridging fix. One that can last long enough to give you time to get things back to normal. It might call for moving data, restoring a backup to another system, outsourcing some functions or calling in a contractor to get things running.
The Long-term Fix
This is the goal. To get things back to where they were as if it never happened. If the short-term fix is in place and you have some time, think through what is needed and make continuous progress on the long-term. Getting things back to what they used to be is good, but there might even be something better…
The Improvement Fix
There are times when the long-term fix can also include an improvement. I always look for these. I know that I need to get things back to working for the long haul, but if there is a possibility of wedging in an improvement in that fix, then I try to do it. Replacing old hardware, installing an upgrade, or making a change that you knew needed to happen helps everyone. I always have a short list in my head or on paper of things that I would like to do if I had time. It might be something that you want to do but did not want to interrupt the workflow. Well, now may be the time to do that. The workflow has been interrupted and if an improvement can be slotted into a fix, make it happen.
The Post Fix Ask
If things have settled after the disruption, it may be a good time to seek funding. Now is the time to ask for something that you have postponed or have had denied before. If you had put this in place, the break would not have happened. Maybe it was a postponed hardware upgrade, or you have gone too long with some old piece of software. These troubles are not going to get better; we need to make some improvements. Now is the time to ask. Make sure that any frustrations with the break have been alleviated, then make the ask.
The Finish
Prepping for a post fix ask is done by finishing well. When the fix is in place, you need to let everyone know that things are back on track. Let them know what the issue was and how it was fixed. Circle back in a day or two and ask if things are still fine. The finishing touch can perp people for your request if they are thinking about avoiding the next breakdown.
The Find, Fix, Finish cycle comes around again and again. By staying on your toes, you can avoid some of the breakdowns. When they do happen, you can get folks back to being productive quickly.
