A few years back, in October 2011, I attended the Microsoft Vizija conference in Skopje, North Macedonia, organized by the Microsoft office there. At the time, I was working as a Cisco and Microsoft Coordinator at the Kosovo Telecom JSC Training and Development Center (TDC) in Pristina, Kosovo. My primary responsibility was staying up to date with the latest Microsoft technology and introducing it to my colleagues at the training and testing center.
During the conference, numerous innovations were showcased, but the most notable one was Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype and its integration into their existing product portfolios. The conference spanned two days, and on the second day, during the lunch break, I was invited for a strategic meeting by the Microsoft Business Development Manager for Kosovo and the Leader of the Macedonian .NET User Group.
In that meeting, they explained the concept of Microsoft User Groups, providing practical examples, and they asked me if I would organize the establishment of Microsoft User Groups in Kosovo specifically for Microsoft infrastructure products. Eager to contribute through volunteer work, I gladly accepted the challenge without hesitation.
Later that afternoon, while attending the rest of the conference and pondering setting up the Microsoft User Group in Kosovo, I ran into a friend who happened to run one of the largest IT companies in North Macedonia. He invited me for a tea meeting, and though I was tired from the conference and preoccupied with thoughts of organizing the User Group, I reluctantly agreed to meet.
As we sipped our tea and discussed various IT projects, including the steps in setting up the Microsoft User Group in Kosovo, I noticed my friend looking at me with amazement. Worried that something might be wrong with my conversation, I paused and asked if he didn’t understand what I was saying. However, he didn’t respond immediately, and after observing me for a while, he advised, “Let things flow naturally.”
At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the meaning of his advice and didn’t ask for further clarification. However, his words stuck with me, and in the following days, in addition to my thoughts about the Microsoft User Group, I found myself contemplating the significance of “letting things flow naturally.”
Over the subsequent months, I shared the knowledge I gained from the Microsoft Vizija conference with my TDC colleagues, leading to new training initiatives. Additionally, together with some system administrators from prominent IT companies in Kosovo, we established the Kosovo Microsoft Infrastructure Group (KMIG). We organized various events, focusing on the IT Boot Camp. However, my involvement in these activities was relatively short-lived, as I eventually transitioned from my Cisco and Microsoft Training Coordinator role to a Network Optical Engineer. The responsibilities of teaching and coordinating training had worn me out.
Furthermore, after serving as the leader of KMIG for a year, I chose to step down voluntarily. My many efforts seemed to yield little success, and I felt overwhelmed. Reflecting on this experience, I don’t believe my inability to manage both roles appropriately was solely due to the adage, “You can’t hold two watermelons in one hand.” Instead, I hadn’t employed the methodologies and best practices necessary for success.
In the current context, as I reflect on this experience and the research conducted, I believe that implementing the following approach could have enabled me to handle the tasks mentioned above more effectively without experiencing burnout (adapted from “What is involved in collecting data – six steps to success,” n.d.):
- Identify relevant issues and/or opportunities requiring data collection.
- Select the specific issue(s) and/or opportunity(ies) and establish clear goals.
- Develop a comprehensive plan outlining the approach and methods to be used.
- Conduct the data collection process.
- Analyze and interpret the gathered data.
- Take decisive actions based on the results obtained.
Reference
(n.d.). What is involved in collecting data – six steps to success. Ontario Human Rights Commission. https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/count-me-collecting-human-rights-based-data/6-what-involved-collecting-data-%E2%80%93-six-steps-success
Bekim Dauti is a qualified and experienced computer technology expert specializing in server administration, computer networking, and training, focusing on Cisco, CompTIA, and Microsoft technologies. He earned his bachelor’s in informatics from the University of Tirana, a master’s in information technology from UMGC Europe, and a doctorate in Computer Science from Aspen University.
Bekim has over 20 years of experience as a Cisco Certified Academy Instructor (CCAI) and over 15 years of experience as a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). In addition, he holds several IT certifications from reputable vendors, including ECDL, Certiport, CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, and Sun Microsystems.
As a prolific writer, Bekim has contributed to nearly 20 books and published dozens of articles in renowned publications such as PC World Albanian and CIO Albanian. In addition, he founded InfoTech (Academy) and Dautti and works as a Microsoft Certified Trainer at Elev8. Bekim’s passion for technology extends to maintaining a blog called “Bekim Dauti’s Blog.” Bekim is grateful for his parents’ support.
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