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The resolution of any technical problem begins with communication between the help desk agent (HDA) and the user with the problem. They're equally responsible in seeing a problem through until a positive outcome is achieved. Users, like patients going to a doctor, must be able to describe their aliments and symptoms so that the doctor can know what tests to run, make a diagnosis, and prescribe a treatment.

In part 1 of this series, It's Not About the Byte: Creating a Human Help Desk, I highlighted the importance of creating a human help desk, and the soft-skills required to guide users through technical problems in a human fashion. But before HDAs can help others, they must be able to manage their own thoughts and actions -- sometimes under intense stress. If HDAs are unable to handle nerve-wracking situations, how are they supposed to help those in technical distress? In fact, the HDA might even add to the problem.

Recent Paul Chin articles

It's Not About the Byte: Creating a Human Help Desk When the Intranet Going Gets Tough (Leadership, Part 4) The Importance of Intranet Leadership, Part 1 Resolving Conflicts on Intranet Teams (Leadership, Part 3)

We can't control the behavior of others, but we can control our own responses to their behavior. To best serve the user community, HDAs should heed an ancient Greek aphorism: gnothi seauton, know thyself.

Taking Control of the Situation

Although both parties need to cooperate and communicate with the other during technical problem resolution, the circumstances surrounding these situations is decidedly lopsided. HDAs handle all manner of technical problems on a daily basis, but users don't -- and for users, the problem hits a lot closer to home. They're the ones who aren't able to access an application with a crucial deadline looming; they're the ones whose computer went up in a plume of smoke on the eve of a big presentation; they're the ones who had a virus cripple their laptop on the way to a business trip.

Experienced HDAs are in a controlled environment and have most likely seen it all. Technical problems, regardless of size and complexity, are just part of a normal day for them. Users, on the other hand, are in exceptional circumstances. For them, the sky is falling. As a result of this, it's the HDAs responsibility to take control of these situations -- and they must do it within the first few minutes of initial contact with the user. When users are too rattled or stressed

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