How can you get an IT department fully engaged and passionate about technology (and their job)?

In one of my entries a couple of weeks ago, I asked what do you do with people who are putting off learning .Net. Larry O'Brian, Scoble, Julie Lerman, Darrell Norton and several other people got in on the conversation. After thinking about this question for a couple of weeks, I think I now need to rephrase it. After reading Joseph Cooney's blog entry yesterday, I think the problem in my company goes a little deeper than .Net or technology in general. The people who are putting off learning .Net aren't in to it, or should I say aren't fully engaged and aren't passionate about what they do.

I (like alot of other developers) would love to work at Microsoft, but right now I would have no idea where I would fit in over there... so I am trying instead to figure out how to make my current environment a little more like an environement I would really like to be in (ie. Microsoft). So I guess a better questions about the people I was referring to in a previous post would be: How can you get your IT department fully engaged and passionate about technology?

Pat Hyndes was one of the speakers at DevDays Boston, he says he has passed 55 Microsoft Certification Exams! and of course claims to not have a life ... that is passion about learning technology. Pat is at the far end of the spectrum of engagement and passion about technology and my department is basically at the other end. How can I get them to move at least a little closer to Pat's end?

posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 7:23 AM

Feedback

# re: How can you get an IT department fully engaged and passionate about technology (and their job)?

Since the IT department is comprised of individuals, unless the individuals are motivated by the company (e.g. bonuses based on learning) or themselves, you're not going to be able to change the whole department overnight.

A better solution would be to get so passionate about technology and learning that your enthusiasm would be so contagious and others would jump on the bandwagon.
3/20/2004 3:23 AM | Rick Ross

# re: How can you get an IT department fully engaged and passionate about technology (and their job)?

I wish I knew the answer to this one too. I think being passionat e and enthusiastic yourself helps with a certain group of people. Some people are into software development, some people are into gardening. Some people like sitting at home drinking beer and watching t.v. while their mind rots. It is hard to say that what you're into is "right". and for those people who enjoy those other pasttimes your passion for software will seem just as strange and alien as the enjoyment they derive from their recreational activities seems to you.
3/21/2004 4:43 AM | JosephCooney

# Take Outs for 21 March 2004.

Take Outs for 21 March 2004.
3/21/2004 11:23 AM | Enjoy Every Sandwich

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