Newsletter October 2008
Common Goals, Common Experience
by John Stephens
Well, it’s October. We’re into the homestretch-the fourth quarter. It might sound a little inflated, or perhaps deflating, but 2008 is winding down. Here we are. Just like so many people, I’m sitting here wondering where the year has gone. I watch the news, waiting for the next blurb on the economy or the election or some other blaring headline. It can seem a little overwhelming at times. But, of course, I doubt this is anything new to anyone. We are living in extraordinary times, and while it will give us great stories to tell our grandkids some day, the here and now is filled with concern, doubt, and uncertainty. But, that’s an experience we all share-living in these times-and so it seemed appropriate to talk about that shared experience a little in this month’s newsletter.
Here at Convergence, it would be easy to think we’re all about technology. After all, IT stands for Information Technology, and that’s what we do. We fix computers and networking gear. We install servers and networks, upgrade software and hardware, and basically anything else that allows this Information Age to tool along with nary a hitch (mostly). But, when it comes right down to it, technology is NOT what it’s all about. Fundamentally, technology is simply the means to an end, and that end is actually working with people. Customer service is really what it’s all about at Convergence. We’re people-people who just happen to use techie stuff to bridge the gap. We like to think of our business partners-the companies who hire us-as employers. We are employees of the companies for whom we do support. That means we, just like every one of you banging away on a computer, are coworkers. We’re all on the same team when it comes down to what we’re trying to accomplish, and that goal is simply for our employers to succeed in their respective businesses. While we are generally working remotely, we are indeed all working for the same reason. And, just like you might chat with your fellow employees about what’s going on in the business, the city, the economy, or the world, we’d like to be involved. Since our expertise is IT, that’s usually where we can best provide information, answer questions, or explain how this crazy world is affecting IT and vice-versa. We can’t chat over the water cooler, but we can still connect just like coworkers. It’s all about that sharing of experience-the relationships-as employees and coworkers. If you have a question, we’re here to provide an answer. If something’s not working right, let’s figure it out together.
So, please forgive me if this isn’t the most hard-hitting article. With everything that’s going on, it would be easy to get caught up in conjecture about the economy, the election, or world affairs. But, by the same token, with everything caught up in a whirlwind of chaos and confusion, I found myself considering how the simple things still make sense and don’t require expert analysis or review. Last year our job was helping people do business by fixing their computers. This year, the job is the same, and despite the crazy things going on, it will still be the same next year. We’re here to help people-our coworkers-with technological issues. We’re all in the same boat, and it’s certainly being rocked by the waves of “stuff” out there. But, despite that, we all are sharing that experience, so we’re all in it together. And we’ll all weather the storm together. By just keeping at what we do, we’ll all be able to tell stories about how we all got through.
If you would like to receive more information simply contact us.
What People Are Saying
- “It was awesome to just call and the service tech right there accessed my computer and quickly fixed my printing issue. Within 5 minutes I was back online and going again. Excellent teamwork and support!!”
- Marv Broadbent, DeaMor Associates