When our help desk had a vacancy, I had a decision to make. I could immediately redistribute the workload, or I could use it as an opportunity to learn.
I chose the second option.
For a period of time, every new help desk ticket was assigned to me first. Not because I intended to resolve every issue myself. My goal was to triage each request before assigning it to the appropriate member of my team.
What surprised me wasn't the volume of tickets. It was everything I learned from them.
I started seeing patterns in the types of requests coming in, which systems created the most frustration, where additional training could reduce repeat issues, and which problems deserved more attention than I had realized.
The experience also gave me a chance to interact directly with faculty and staff. Those conversations provided a better pulse of the college and helped me understand how our IT department was perceived. A ticket can tell you what happened. A conversation often tells you why.
As leaders, it's easy to become consumed by budgets, meetings, and strategic planning. Those responsibilities are important, but they can also create distance from the people we serve.
Sometimes an unexpected challenge, like a staffing vacancy, becomes an opportunity to reconnect with your customers and gain insights you wouldn't have found sitting behind a dashboard.
Have you ever turned an operational challenge into a leadership opportunity?