I dare you to ask your IT for all of your documentation. It just takes 1.5 minutes of your time, so no excuses. Details below.
Documentation is the cornerstone to everything. If your IT is really good, then they should be documenting EVERYTHING. For an easy and foolproof litmus test to see if your IT has your back, just do this:
- Ask for a copy of all your documentation and look for these 3 things:
- How quickly did they get it to you? If it took longer than a few days, then I would start worrying since there is a good chance they do not have much.
- If/When you do get back some documentation, how much did you get? A few pages are not nearly enough. You should have a lot of documentation. Even companies with only a few employees should have 50 or more pieces of documentation. Larger firms will have hundreds.
- What makes up all the documentation? You should see the usual usernames/passwords and alike, but more importantly, there should be documentation for your key business applications (troubleshooting, installing, upgrading, etc.). This should be the bulk of your documentation along with process documents like new hire and termination check off lists.
So how did it go? My experience has been that most people who take the challenge get results that make them uncomfortable at best. Or they just do not care enough to take the challenge and opt for ignorance which is not in any way how I would want to run a business or work with as a client.
I dare you to take the challenge and I double dog dare you to share the results with me!
