In order for system administrators to do their job well, particularly in a tech company, they need to know a lot of what is going on. This is because just about everything is done on the systems we control.

Lets look at some of examples of things system administrators probably need to know, and why they need to know them:

Example 1: Upcoming projects

In order to make sure we have enough capacity in servers, network, backups, etc we need to know what is incoming. If we don’t, it can be a lot more difficult to be prepared and that can slow things down.

Example 2: How a service or code works

System administrators are generally the first line of troubleshooting. In order to troubleshoot a problem, we need to know what is being done before we can trying to figure out why it isn’t working. We also need to monitor and backup the system, knowing how it works tells us what details to monitor and what data needs to be backed up.

Example 3: How important something is to the company

Resources are always limited. Although you want minimum standards of things like monitoring and backing up, time and money is limited — system administrators need some context for setting priorities. This can also help with figuring out an appropriate level of security.

Example 4: What people do

System administrators control access, so we need to have an idea of what sort of access people should have. We also need to know the best people to talk to when their is a problem or there is maintenance to do.

Knowing without Being Nosey

If we accept that system administrators really do need to know quite a bit of what is going on, then system administrators need to figure out how to do this without being nosey:

Definition of NOSY
: of prying or inquisitive disposition or quality : intrusive

The challenge is to have a good handle on what is going on, without prying or being intrusive. Part of the difficulty is that this is a two step process:

  1. Find a way to sincerely not be nosey
  2. Don’t come off as being nosey

These two steps are not easy, and require constant vigilance. If you have mastered them, then you probably don’t have to ask for information most of the time — information will be given to you and you will be invited to be part of the process.

Getting to that point is tricky, and I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers. In part it requires the cooperation of the other people in your company, but if we hold up our end of the bargain it goes a long way.

So what can system administrators do?

  1. Don’t be nosey. Make it clear that knowing this information is not for your entertainment or to make you feel special, rather it is to enable you to better do your job.

  2. Make things easier. Although sometimes doing your job requires you to get in the way, you should strive to add requirements because it makes things for everyone easier in the long run, not to exert power or justify your existence. If you don’t need to actually add a process or make things more difficult — then don’t. In many companies you want to be conservative with how much process you add.

  3. Be consistent. Telling one person on the system administration team should be as good as telling everyone. Once you get involved, document, backup, and monitor everything. If your team is consistent it goes towards developing a reputation of making things easier for everyone.

  4. Be respectful. If you work with great people, making sure things are good on the system side should be about being thorough. It is an SA’s job to think about that side of things full time, but it doesn’t mean the people you work with didn’t already think about it, or are being dumb if they didn’t.

  5. Know your place. If you are invited into the process of a new project, keep in mind why you are there. If you have a really good idea out of your area of expertise try to share it tactfully. But if you are there mostly to listen, then try to mostly just listen.

In the end I think knowing everything that is going on, without being nosey, is pretty difficult. Most of us at some time or another have probably failed at some of the things I listed — it takes some honest self evaluation to find where you are falling short. Any readers have ideas for how to stay apprised of everything without being nosey?

«
»
  • Bill Hill

    Without reading executive emails (ha!), I try and stay apprised of what is going on without being nosy by: 1) Keeping eyes and ears open – Don’t resort to eavesdropping by any means, but don’t always operate with headphones on. So many time, little nuggets of info make it over those cube walls. They can help shape some level of direction for the company. 2) Personality – Establishing a relationship with other people is critical for determining what is going on. If you come into the relationship with an approachable personality, people are going to be more willing to share information with you. If you’re not fun to be around, you’re going to get the bare minumum… if you’re lucky. 3) Networking – Establish a network of individuals in your company. Grab lunch with them, shoot the sh** at the water cooler, whatever… It is amazing what you’ll learn.

  • Bryan

    Absolutely stellar post, Kyle. Thanks!

    • Jordan Weinstein

      “Stellar” – really? I think it’s a kind of “eh” post. Not meant to be mean but I feel this is mostly very obvious stuff everyone already knows.

  • Johnq

    ok, just write a post about accumulating info from various companies over the years so when your jobless you have access to tons of people’s personal bank accounts and companies source code, gateways, etc.

  • I was looking for an article about this subject and this one is just the most informative I’ve ever found.

  • rasoolii