How to Keep IT Team Boredom From Killing Productivity

A bored IT team is also an unproductive IT team. Here's how to keep your staff motivated and energetic.

1 Min Read
bored employee at his desk
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Boredom is easy to detect, yet difficult to define and even tougher to address. Boredom indicates that a current activity or situation isn't providing sufficient engagement or meaning. An IT leader's goal should be to help bored individuals — even entire teams — shift their attention to tasks and activities that are fulfilling and enriching. 

IT team boredom often stems from mind-numbing repetitive tasks that drain creativity and engagement, observes Carl Herberger, CEO of Corero Network Security, a threat intelligence insights and analysis firm. "The irony is that the very efficiency IT seeks to create can trap teams in a cycle of monotony," he says in an email interview. 

It all comes down to engagement, says Orla Daly, CIO with workforce development firm Skillsoft. "IT teams may lack engagement because the work isn't considered sufficiently challenging or feels repetitive," she explains in an online interview. Many tech professionals want the opportunity to become familiar with new technologies and to keep their skills up to date. "When organizations fail to provide a good balance of opportunities, team members can become disengaged," Daly notes. 

Yet engagement isn't just about gaining access to new technologies. If team members attempt to try a new task without enough skills and support resources to be successful, they may become disengaged, Daly cautions. "It's important to couple access with the right support frameworks." 

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About the Authors

John Edwards

Technology Journalist & Author, InformationWeek

John Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.

InformationWeek

InformationWeek, a sister site to ITPro Today, is a trusted source for CIOs and IT leaders seeking comprehensive and authentic coverage of the constantly evolving world of technology and its impact on business. Our experienced and ethical journalists conduct in-depth examinations of crucial issues and the impact of global events on IT operations and strategies, helping forward-thinking executives stay at the forefront of their industries. InformationWeek also provides a platform for enterprise IT leaders and leading tech companies to share their insights and experiences through exclusive interviews, opinion pieces, and events, offering firsthand accounts of strategies, trends, and innovations.

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