In the world of IT, downtime can feel like a mythical creature—rare, elusive, and often spotted only in the wild imaginations of tech managers. But when it does happen, it’s important for techs to use that time wisely. Instead of twiddling their thumbs or debating the finer points of Star Wars vs. Star Trek, why not channel that energy into something more productive? Here are ten creative ways techs can use their downtime to boost their skills, contribute to the tech community, and maybe even become the office hero.
Picture this: your techs are sitting around, and someone suggests they dive into an open-source project. Before you know it, they’re fixing bugs, writing new code, or improving documentation for a cool project on GitHub. Not only does this sharpen their coding skills, but it also gives them some serious street cred in the developer community. Who doesn’t want to be the tech equivalent of a rock star?
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Set clear guidelines about what can and cannot be shared in open-source contributions. Encourage techs to check with a manager before diving into any major changes. Also, remind them gently (or with a Nerf gun) that their MSP work takes priority.
Your techs are active in forums like Stack Overflow or tech-related subreddits, helping others solve problems, or learning new tricks. It’s like being part of a giant global tech support team—minus the angry customers and panicked phone calls.
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Encourage techs to set boundaries and take breaks. Make sure they know it’s okay to step back from the online fray and focus on their own learning. Also, remind them that while arguing over tabs vs. spaces is fun, it won’t solve the world’s real problems.
Downtime is perfect for studying for that AWS or CompTIA certification. Techs can use quiet moments to dive into online courses or study guides. Bonus: certifications make them look like total pros on LinkedIn.
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Create a balanced study schedule that allows techs to prep for exams without sacrificing their regular work. Offer support and resources like paid courses or practice tests. And maybe keep a stash of energy drinks on hand—studying is hard work!
Imagine your techs taking time to write or update internal documentation and knowledge base articles. This helps streamline processes and ensures that when the next big crisis hits, there’s a handy guide to follow—no more relying on Bill’s “secret” sticky notes.
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Schedule regular reviews of knowledge base content to ensure accuracy. Encourage techs to write in plain English (or as close to it as possible). Remember, if a non-techie can’t understand it, it’s probably too complicated.
Techs use downtime to build their own home lab environments. This might mean setting up virtual machines, experimenting with new software, or even creating their own little “Skynet”—just kidding! (We hope.)
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Provide guidelines on safe experimentation practices and ensure that home labs are isolated from the corporate network. Set a reasonable budget for any equipment needs. And maybe remind them that creating an AI overlord is strictly against company policy.
A tech discovers an online coding challenge or hackathon and decides to join in. They spend a few hours solving puzzles or building mini-projects, sharpening their skills, and maybe even winning a prize or two. Who knew downtime could be so lucrative?
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Encourage techs to participate in moderation and to remember that these activities should be fun and educational, not stress-inducing. Consider organizing an internal hackathon with team prizes to keep the competition friendly.
A tech decides to learn Rust or Go during their downtime, setting up a series of small projects to master the basics. They come out of it not only with new skills but with a newfound confidence in their coding chops.
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Set realistic learning goals and milestones. Make sure techs know they can pace themselves and that it’s okay to take breaks. Also, remind them that slow and steady wins the race (unless it’s an actual race, in which case, go faster).
Techs use their downtime to write blog posts or create video tutorials on topics they are passionate about, sharing their knowledge with a wider audience. This can help establish them as thought leaders—and make them famous among their peers.
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Implement a review process for any external content to ensure it aligns with company policies and standards. Provide resources or templates to help techs create high-quality content. And remember, spell check is your friend.
Techs spend time exploring new software tools or technologies that could benefit the team. Whether it’s a new monitoring tool or the latest AI platform, they’re always on the lookout for something that can make life easier—or at least more interesting.
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Set up a sandbox environment for testing new tools safely. Encourage a balanced approach to tool exploration—new isn’t always better, but it’s worth checking out. And maybe keep a few Nerf darts handy to remind them to stay focused.
Techs take the initiative to join or start a tech meetup group, either locally or virtually. They network with other professionals, share knowledge, and stay motivated by engaging with the wider tech community. Plus, it’s a great excuse to order pizza on a Friday night.
Potential Risks:
How to Mitigate: Set clear expectations about time commitments and encourage techs to participate responsibly. Remind them of the importance of discretion when discussing work-related topics. And, most importantly, make sure they save you a slice of pizza.