Contrary to popular opinion, there are three sides to every story – yours, theirs and the truth. Having been an IT manager (the yours side), a network administrator (the theirs side), and an independent consultant (arguably the truth side seen from an unbiased perspective), I’ve experienced and witnessed a lot of mistakes over the years that have caused a great deal of frustration and cost a lot of jobs simply because management was not in tune with what their IT staff needed. Here’s what I’ve seen and what you can try to avoid as much as bureaucratically possible:

1. Lack of tools to get the job done

   Listen to what they’re saying and give them the right tools. By this I mean tangible tools such as hardware and software so they can get their job done right. Items that come to mind are things like a network analyzer that’s easy to use, a security vulnerability assessment tool that doesn’t take an inordinate amount of time to setup, a subscription to the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) that provides the latest and greatest versions of Microsoft software and development tools, a patch management tool that helps eliminate the need to go to each computer every time Microsoft puts out a new software updates, a tape backup system that doesn’t require employees to work late nights and weekends just to change out tapes. I could go on and on. These IT tools are not inexpensive but a necessary part of doing business – especially if the job is to be done efficiently and correctly the first time. Make sure your annual IT budget includes these types of purchases. You won’t have to pay an arm and a leg if you shop smart and make informed purchases.

2. Being made the scapegoat

   We’ve all seen IT projects that struggled or failed in some way or another. There’s always the project that goes out of scope, over budget, or doesn’t meet the deadline. There are also the dreaded server upgrades or migrations that cause everyone’s emails or network files to magically go “poof” into the bit bucket. Many IT projects do go bust due to lack of skill or personal responsibility. However, more of them fail due to proper high-level planning and management, and inevitably, the lower-level worker bees take the heat – even for issues completely out of their control. Instead of pointing fingers – especially publicly – why not learn from the mistake, vow to keep it from happening again, and move on?

3. Lack of training

   So many people in IT are denied professional training year after year. I always hear “there’s no time for it” or “it’s not in the budget.” This is completely inexcusable. Allow them to expose themselves to new information so they can learn every day. It’s their livelihood. Put it into your IT budget – or build it into their compensation packages – and get your employees out of the office to learn and network with their peers. If the proper training classes, seminars, and conferences are chosen, the return will be immeasurable – and, wow, what a morale-booster it can be too!

4. Right person for the wrong position

   I often see network engineers, solutions architects, and even software developers that are clearly in the wrong position. Sometimes it’s a serious lack of technical knowledge or experience and other times it’s a techie that doesn’t interface well with customers. It’s also often due to the person not gelling well with the manager or team, or worse, for ridiculous political reasons. Understand the strengths of your IT staff. Whether it’s great communications with customers, excellent technical abilities, a combination of the two, or more, make sure each person is set up for success. You’ll not only do your employee a favor but you’ll treat yourself and everyone else to one as well.

5. No recognition, no respect

   Perhaps the biggest missing link required for retaining IT employees is the lack of appreciation of their accomplishments. Contrary to typical workplace practices, praise rewarding positive behavior is much more powerful and effective long term than strong words condemning negative behavior. Show interest in the success of your employees and make your appreciation known and highly visible every chance you get. Set a good example and expect them to succeed – they undoubtedly will.

If you incorporate these items into your management style for the long-term, I guarantee the difference in your IT employees’ attitudes and aptitudes will be crystal clear. A neat bonus is that these ideas will help stave off complacency and keep employees around – true benefits you can’t put a price tag on.

Kevin Beaver is founder and principal consultant of Atlanta-based Principle Logic, LLC. He specializes in information security assessments for those who take security seriously and incident response for those who don’t. Kevin is author of the book Hacking For Dummies and co-author of the upcoming book Hacking Wireless For Dummies, both by Wiley Publishing.