It’s Valentine’s Day. The perfect day to express your undying love and appreciation for that special someone…sweetheart, secret crush, classmates and maybe even your kids. But this year, I’d like to request that we remember to show a little love to someone you probably would never normally think about. Somebody who deserves a car-full of candy hearts and sweet nothings: your IT guy.
Seriously, the IT department is charged with keeping your company running and business humming — and in today’s increasingly online and often virtual world, they really are the cement that holds our lives together. Yet they toil in relative obscurity. Even in high profile companies, IT professionals are the unsung heroes who rarely land on the cover of Forbes or Fortune, even if their company’s stock price hits a 52-week high.
So here are seven ways to let them know just how much they mean to us:
Pile on the praise – IT staffers are people too. And most people appreciate genuine praise — in addition to a paycheck! Just a simple, “thanks for everything you do!” would be wonderful. Or give them a shout out on Yammer, Chatter, Jive or whichever social network your company uses internally. Or maybe even let the whole world know via Twitter or Facebook. And while you’re at it, get your coworkers in on the lovefest too.
Honor the inner geek – Let’s face it: IT people are geeks. Celebrate their geekhood with DVDs or digital copies of Blade Runner: The Final Cut or the original Star Wars trilogy. Or maybe a poster of Princess Leia in her gold, Return of the Jedi bikini.
Introduce some energy – Back in the day, sys admins and programmers alike turned to Jolt Cola when they had to pull all-nighters. Today, it’s Red Bull, Rockstar and 5-hour ENERGY. Grab a red bow and give them whatever caffeination gets them through.
Get ‘em really juiced – Most IT pros are confined to a chair at their desktop console or on their feet and constantly in motion. Either way, eating well often takes a backseat to getting the job done. Juicing is one way to ensure that your IT staff has access to healthy food that’s easy to make and easy to take on the go. Set up their break room with a centrifugal juice extractor or cold press juicer and stock it with fresh fruits and vegetables. Or ask your boss to install a juice bar in the company cafeteria.
Turn to technology – IT people love their toys, whether it’s a smartphone or some other new piece of hardware or app for managing desktops (think: launching Angry Birds to relieve some stress). If your company issues corporate-owned mobile devices, ask the IT folks what they’d like to use and give it to them. If you run a BYOD shop, then set device and application policies to support IT choices.
Give ‘em chocolate – Chocolate is hands down the most gifted item on Valentine’s Day. Why not trick out the treat-giving? Buy an economy size Snickers bar or splurge on some really nice dark chocolate, which is tasty and healthy. Dark chocolate is good for your heart, your brain and your blood sugar. Plus it’s chock full of antioxidants, which protect against many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging. And it’s sure to help counteract those countless hours spent sweating in your company’s IT dungeon.
Respect the romance – Believe it or not, some members of your IT department actually do have lives outside of work. Some *gasp* even have spouses or significant others. This year, make a concerted effort to ensure the IT team gets to spend Valentine’s Day with their loved ones too. That means no last-minute calls to the service desk to resolve problems that you create at 5pm. No hardware or software upgrades, no mid-month reports and no other activities that demand IT department involvement if they can wait until February 15.
Of course, there are countless ways to let IT people know they count. If you’ve got a favorite way to express your IT appreciation, please share it in the comments section below. And happy Valentine’s Day!
Raj Sabhlok is the president of Zoho Corp., which is the parent company of Zoho.com and ManageEngine. Follow him @rajsabhlok.
