Working in IT is not just a technical job — it is a human job.
Every day, I face clients, colleagues, and users with different emotions, expectations, and levels of understanding. Over time, I’ve learned that solving technical issues is only half the work.
The other half is teaching, guiding, and empowering without making anyone feel smaller in the process.
Because teaching — especially in IT — is not simply about explaining.
It is about navigating identity, ego, dignity, and readiness.
Teaching Can Threaten Identity — Even When You Mean Well
When you teach someone in the middle of a technical issue, they are already vulnerable.
Their system isn’t working. Their routine is broken. Their confidence is shaken.
And when you step in to help, they might feel:
“I should have known this.”
“He is smarter than me.”
“I’m the weak link.”
It’s rarely spoken aloud, but I’ve seen it:
A helpful explanation can feel like criticism.
A simple correction can be misinterpreted as judgment.
A step-by-step guide can make someone feel exposed.
That’s when I realized that teaching in IT isn’t just about the what — it’s about the how.
Empowerment Is as Important as the Fix
I’ve reached a point in my career where I understand that empowering a user is just as valuable as solving their problem.
So yes, I fix the issue.
But afterwards, I also:
show them the root cause
give the WHY behind the problem
teach the prevention strategy
offer tools for future confidence
Because an empowered user is a sustainable user.
And sustainable users strengthen the entire organization.
Transparency Over Gatekeeping
I also apply this philosophy with my colleagues — other IT support staff.
I share everything I know:
the shortcuts, the diagnoses, the scripts, the logic, the long-term patterns I’ve refined for years.
I don’t gatekeep.
I don’t use knowledge as currency.
I don’t hide behind jargon to maintain superiority.
I speak directly, clearly, and openly because I trust that they, too, are driven by solutions, not ego.
And in doing so, we build a culture where competence is communal, not competitive.
Matching the User’s Emotional Direction
Teaching IT is not a one-size-fits-all action.
It requires emotional calibration.
I’ve learned to “speak proportionally to the user’s emotion and receptiveness.”
This means:
If they’re overwhelmed, I simplify.
If they’re curious, I expand.
If they’re tense, I lighten the tone.
If they’re experienced, I give deeper insight.
The goal is always the same:
Make them feel empowered, not inadequate.
Some users genuinely enjoy learning IT concepts.
They light up when understanding a new command or process.
But sometimes, giving them a powerful tool too early creates a funny pattern:
They start seeing every issue as something the tool can fix.
It’s the classic:
“When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
I laugh with them, but I also remind them gently:
“With great power comes great responsibility.
Not every error is a nail, even if you now have a very good hammer.”
I encourage them to take notes, observe patterns, and understand which tools fit which situations.
Because brute forcing solutions on stubborn errors usually makes a small problem mature into a catastrophic one.
The Highest Art: Teaching Without Making Someone Feel Taught
In the end, the heart of teaching in IT — or in any profession — lies in this:
To give someone knowledge without making them feel small.
To offer expertise without making them feel exposed.
To guide them toward sustainability without overshadowing them.
The real art is when:
They walk away feeling like they solved it.
They understood it.
They grew.
Because when teaching becomes empowerment, everyone becomes stronger — the user, the colleague, the organization, and even the teacher.
