Instead of telling them how to do something, tell them why it is done that way. Teach them to fish. While it may not happen right away, teaching people will reduce the number of calls you receive over time. The more time you spend training, the more time you will have for supporting those users who really need it. It may seem like a paradox but making users more self-dependent and knowledgeable is the only way out of the support trap.
Users are our allies.
We can accomplish so much more by working together than by fighting against one another. Douglas E. Welch is a freelance writer and computer consultant in Van Nuys, California.