By
Mendy Green
July 5, 2024
•
20 min read
Fundamental Skills
Professional Development
Laws for the Practical Technician
Over the years of training and assisting various technicians, I've formed a set of guidelines that I've been known to drill constantly. The other day while talking to a newer technician and working with them I realized that I now have the time I didn't have before to actually write down what I've been ranting about for 14 years. I've dubbed them as the Laws for the Practical Technician.
- Keep an open mind when approaching the problem and avoid falling back into the "End User" mindset
- Read and explore everything on the screen! Pay attention to what's being done and what its telling you
- Understand the problem at least as well as the person asking you for help
- Be intentional in your troubleshooting, closing your eyes and throwing darts at the wall is not helpful
- Question everything you think you know and are being told
- Always have a way out, make sure you can undo anything you do
There's a lot of nuance in each "law" so now that we got the TLDR version out of the way let's dive into the specifics. Note for the purposes of this post, each law has been given a title.
1. The "Technician" Mindset
Keep an open mind when approaching the problem and avoid falling back into the "End User" mindset
If you run around with your eyes closed expecting nothing to get in your way, you're bound to smack into a wall (or something) and fall down. If you keep your eyes open and aware of your surroundings you can navigate the obstacles and overcome them.
End users typically expect systems to work seamlessly and view issues as problems needing external help. Technicians, on the other hand, approach systems with the expectation that things might not work and are prepared to "figure it out" each time.
Key Points:
- Expect Issues: Approach every situation with the mindset that things might not work as expected. This keeps it fresh in your mind and allows you to figure out what should or should not be happening each time, and usually during that process you'll identify the disconnect that's causing the issue.
- Problem-Solving Approach: View issues as challenges to be solved rather than insurmountable problems. This proactive mindset helps in finding creative solutions.
- Context Matters: The difference in mindset is less about the person and more about the context! Everyone (for the most part) handles their own problems for their personal lives daily. The moment it becomes a work or tech issue suddenly its hands-off. Be aware of the context you're in, this affects Clients escalating to IT and IT escalating to a higher tier! Don't fall into the trap.
Example: When dealing with a software bug, an end user might see it as "broken" and wait for a fix. A technician, however, will explore various angles—checking logs, considering recent changes, and testing different scenarios to identify the root cause, or find a viable workaround
2. Read the Entire Screen
Read and explore everything on the screen! Pay attention to what's being done and what its telling you
Computers and software are designed to be used, (it's actually the only way they make money!). Therefore, the information needed to operate or troubleshoot them is generally available on the screen or in logs, (although the language can be context-specific for the industry). To effectively identify and solve issues, it's crucial to explore the interface and ask questions. Thoroughly reading on-screen messages and prompts can provide insights into what might be wrong and how to address it.
When encountering an error message or unexpected behavior, don’t rush to conclusions, AND DO NOT SKIP IT!
Instead, read all the details provided. Error codes, system messages, and even seemingly minor details can offer significant clues. For instance, a message that seems obscure at first glance might make sense when considered within the context of the application or system you're working on. Even comparing against a computer that is working, looking for differences in behavior, or order of operations, screen activity, and so on, can provide clues (for example an error that takes a while to appear is likely caused by a timeout, vs an error that appears immediately is likely caused by an immediate rejection).
Example: If a user reports an issue with a software application crashing, instead of just noting "application crashes," you should read any error messages, logs, or system prompts that appear when the crash occurs. These details can guide you towards understanding the root cause and potential fixes.
3. Understand the Problem
Understand the problem at least as well as the person asking you for help
To effectively troubleshoot, ensure you can recreate the problem and understand its significance. Start by asking the person reporting the issue why it's a problem and why it's important to solve it. Gather as much information as possible to understand all sides of the issue. You should be able to understand the problem at least as well as the person reporting it to you, otherwise how do you expect to fix it? Or even explain it to the next escalation point if you have to reach out for help?
Here are some ways you can work to understand the problem.
- Recreate the Problem: Attempt to replicate the issue in your environment. This step is the best option because it allows you to see the problem firsthand and understand its nuances, at the same time as testing to see if its a problem with their computer only or a wider issue. You can also choose to recreate the problem on a different system, if it requires specific applications or files you don't have on your computer directly.
- Understand the Impact: Determine why the issue is significant. Is it causing data loss, preventing critical operations, or just a minor inconvenience? Understanding the impact helps prioritize the issue and communicate its importance to others.
- Gather Detailed Information: Ask the user detailed questions about the problem. When did it start? What were they doing when it occurred? Has anything changed recently (e.g., new software, updates, hardware changes)? What's normally supposed to happen?
- Prepare for Escalation: If you cannot resolve the issue, you might need to escalate it to a vendor or higher-level support. Having detailed information and a clear understanding of the problem will make this process smoother and more effective.
Example: If a user cannot access a shared network drive, ask them about any recent changes to their system, any specific error messages they receive, and how critical this access is to their work. Look at what the shared drive is mapped to, and if other people have access to it that are working. Identify the network the user who is complaining about is on and if it has connectivity to the shared drive host. This comprehensive understanding allows you to troubleshoot more effectively and escalate if needed.
4. Be Intentional
Be intentional in your troubleshooting, closing your eyes and throwing darts at the wall is not helpful
Being intentional in your actions means making deliberate, thoughtful decisions rather than taking random stabs at fixing an issue. This approach prevents exacerbating the problem and leads to more efficient troubleshooting. Most technicians below Tier 3 will perform troubleshooting by way of "trying different thing to see what works", this is essentially closing your eyes and trying to pin the tail on the donkey, make sure you understand what is going on, and the logical reason why what you're attempting will affect (either negatively or positively) the current outcome so that you can make progress with every step.
Expand on This:
- Map out the "Attack" Chain: Before diving into fixing an issue, outline the Chain that exists to allow the system you're troubleshooting to work during normal behavior. What are the potential areas for disconnect? What steps will you take to test that the chain is working throughout?
- Progress is Progress (both good and bad): Any change in outcome is desired, as it'll help provide information about the underlying behavior that we don't have visibility into. Look for error messages, success messages, timers, lags and so on. No detail is too small.
- Evaluate and Adjust: After each step, evaluate whether it has brought you closer to resolving the issue. Adjust your approach based on these evaluations.
Example: If a printer isn’t working, don’t randomly try different fixes like restarting the printer, reinstalling drivers, or changing settings. Instead, follow a logical sequence—check for error messages to help point you towards a connection issue or a driver issue.
5. Question Assumptions
Question everything you think you know and are being told.
Always be prepared to reassess what you know. Technology and systems evolve, and what was true yesterday might not hold today. Keeping an open mind and questioning assumptions can lead to discovering the true cause of an issue.
Expand on This:
- Expect to be wrong all the time: When you're right about something there's no reason to go back and check because you know you're right. If you're wrong about something then you'll be looking to validate that you are wrong, or what the right answer is. This mindset helps keep your knowledge fresh and reminds you to double check everything you think you know or are being told.
- Seek Out Information: Be proactive in seeking out new information and learning from others. Forums, user groups, and official documentation can offer insights you might not have considered. Often times all it takes to help find the answer is asking the question, not to the person next to you, but even to yourself! Use the Rubber Duck method if you need to.
Example: If a network issue arises, don’t assume it’s due to the same cause as last time. Reevaluate the situation - start the troubleshooting process from scratch everytime until you've identified the root cause to the be the same as last time.
6. Never Do Something You Can't Undo
Always have a way out, make sure you can undo anything you do
Always have a contingency plan before making changes. Ensure that any action you take can be reversed if it doesn’t resolve the issue or causes new problems.
Expand on This:
- Backup First: Before making destructive changes, find a way to keep a good copy of what you're changing. This ensures that you can revert back if needed.
- Test Changes: Where possible, test changes in a controlled environment before applying them to the live system.
- Document Reversible Steps: Ensure that every action you take can be undone. Document the steps if necessary so you can revert configurations and settings.
Example: Before modifying a system registry, backup the registry or export the key in question. Rename something instead of deleting it, or cut/paste it somewhere else. This way, if the change has unintended consequences, you can easily revert to the previous state.
----
Edit 2024/11/13 | This article has been presented and recorded at The IT Nation Connect 2024 in Orlando, Florida! You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/ZJqhT48pnLU
I'm passionate about IT, driven by a dual love for solving complex problems and a commitment to transforming the stereotype of technical support into a positive and enjoyable user experience. For over 13 years, I've been deeply involved in the MSPGeek community, lending my expertise to various Managed Service Providers (MSPs), while also serving as the CTO at IntelliComp Technologies.
My journey in the tech world is fueled by a passion for teaching others. I find great satisfaction in imparting problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and offering practical guidance during the troubleshooting process. It's this enthusiasm for mentorship and improvement that led me to my current venture.
Today, as the founder of Rising Tide, I'm focusing on the MSP industry, dedicating my time to coaching and assisting both individuals and businesses. At Rising Tide, we're not just about providing solutions; we're about nurturing growth, fostering innovation, and building a community where everyone can rise together. Whether it's through hands-on problem solving or strategic planning, my goal is to make the IT experience not just efficient, but also empowering and enjoyable
See some more of our most recent posts...
Rising Tide Book Club: Think Naked - Week 2
In Chapter 2 of Think Naked, Marco Marsan argues that adults don’t lose creativity: they’re conditioned out of it. This Rising Tide book club discussion explores fear, conformity, unexamined rules, and why real learning requires play, safety, and curiosity in modern organizations.
Read post
About this Series
This discussion guide is part of Rising Tide’s Winter 2026 book club, where we’re reading Think Naked by Marco Marsan.
If you’re just joining us, here are a few pages you’ll likely benefit from:
- Book Clubs, Conversations, and Curiosity for why we started a book club for a technical team here
Chapter Summary
“If you want to be more creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society” - Jean Piaget
In Chapter 2, You Lost Your Marbles, Marco Marsan explores how people don’t simply “grow out” of creativity — they are systematically conditioned out of it. The chapter argues that over time, fear, rigid rules, institutional norms, and social conformity slowly strip away curiosity, playfulness, and experimentation.
Marsan frames this loss through several forces:
- Fear: mistakes become costly as adults (financially, socially, professionally)
- Senseless rules: norms persist long after their original context or usefulness
- Institutionalized regurgitation: being rewarded for having the “right answer” rather than learning how to think
- Tough-it-out culture: endurance replaces reflection
- Numbness: accumulated stress and responsibility dull engagement
The chapter opens with a consulting story where a leader dismisses Marsan outright, using it as a framing device to explore how organizations often reject discomfort, challenge, and unconventional thinking — even when they claim to want innovation.
Discussion Questions
Use these open-ended prompts to guide reflection and conversation. Remember, there are no right answers!
- What does “losing your marbles” mean to you — and what might you have lost that still matters?
- 'Lose Your Marbles' Saying - Meaning & Context
- Rather than meaning “you’ve gone crazy,” the group explored the older meaning: marbles as something valuable children possessed — and something adults may have lost, not gained, over time.
- Where have fear or consequences made curiosity feel unsafe? How do power and authority shape how you show up creatively?
- How often do you ask why a rule exists, rather than whether you’re allowed to challenge it?
- Where have institutions (school, work, industry norms) rewarded compliance over thinking?
- What would play look like in your work if you weren’t worried about being wrong?
Rising Tide Input for your Consideration
- Your brain is capable of great creativity and capacity. How you use it matters. Here is some research behind some of the concepts Marsan mentions.
- Creativity and Learning require play — and play requires safety.
- We discussed Montessori education, language learning, or professional growth, the group emphasized that playfulness, repetition, and “looking silly” are critical to learning and are exactly what adults are trained to avoid.
- Conformity isn’t safety, it’s a creativity suppressor.
- The group referenced classic psychology experiments (Stanford Prison Experiment, Milgram Experiment) to explore how authority, group pressure, and institutional roles can override personal judgment and moral reasoning. Stanford prison experiment - Wikipedia
- Dead Poets Society - Conformity Scene (1989) HD w/ Subtitles
- https://youtu.be/GDWAKvQemlU?si=AVbkNGLEhC8vn7KV
- Organizational Culture and the 5 Monkeys Experiment | Intersol
- Are rules ever useful?
- Rules are not inherently bad, but we propose that unexamined rules are dangerous. There are rules that deliver shared value and coordination, but there are also rules that persist simply because “that’s how it’s done”
- A recurring Rising Tide pattern emerged: looking for the rule beneath the rule (the underlying reason a rule exists) rather than accepting it at face value.
- As Marsan suggests, “Any Rule represents, at best, the latest thinking on a subject,” but we also considered that a rule represents what was left over from an unfinished discussion, and not even the best answer. It just reflects the last time someone argued about something and not a timeless truth.
- Rules are not inherently bad, but we propose that unexamined rules are dangerous. There are rules that deliver shared value and coordination, but there are also rules that persist simply because “that’s how it’s done”
- Learning is experiential, not transactional.
- We discussed how conformity, rote memorization, and “teaching for the test” suppress critical thinking and actual learning in many modern educational systems.
- True learning involves play, repetition, discomfort, and curiosity, all of which feel inefficient or risky in adult systems optimized for output.
About Rising Tide and our Book Club
Rising Tide helps MSPs and service-focused teams build better systems: the kind that align people with purpose.
Every Friday at 9:30 AM ET, we host Rising Tide Fridays as an open conversation for MSP owners, consultants, and service professionals who want to grow both professionally, technically, and emotionally. In Winter/Spring 2026, we’re walking through Think Naked.
If that sounds like your kind of crowd, reach out to partners@risingtidegroup.net for the Teams link. Bring your coffee and curiosity…no prep required.
Rising Tide Book Club: Think Naked - Week 1
In Rising Tide’s Winter 2026 Book Club, we explore Think Naked by Marco Marsan and challenge the idea that creativity fades with age. Instead, we examine how risk, labels, and permission shape curiosity — and what it looks like to think more like a kid in modern technical work.
Read post
About this Series
This discussion guide is part of Rising Tide’s Winter 2026 book club, where we’re reading Think Naked by Marco Marsan.
If you’re just joining us, here are a few pages you’ll likely benefit from:
- Book Clubs, Conversations, and Curiosity for why we started a book club for a technical team here
Chapter Summary
In the introduction and first chapter, Marco Marsan proposes to the readers that creativity is not lost as we age — it is trained out of us. He cites research suggesting that young children test at very high “genius” or creative problem-solving levels, and that this capacity sharply declines by adulthood.
To return to this childlike, “genius” mindset, Marsan introduces five “rules” that mirror how children naturally engage with problems:
- Wear your cape (be fearless)
- Blockbuster (question defaults and conventions)
- Look at Your Neighbor’s Paper (learn by copying and remixing)
- Show-N-Tell (learn publicly and collaboratively)
- I’m the boss of me (take ownership and agency)
Discussion Questions
Use these open-ended prompts to guide reflection and conversation. Remember, there are no right answers!
- What did you agree with in these chapters?
- What did you disagree with in these chapters?
- Do you agree that creativity declines because of conditioning rather than capability? Why or why not?
- Who or what defines a genius?
- Do any of the five lessons intrigue you more than the others? Which of the five principles feels most uncomfortable to you right now?
- Where do you avoid experimentation because the cost of being wrong feels too high?
- Where in your work do you default to “this is how it’s always been done”?
- What would “thinking more like a kid” actually look like in one small, real decision this week?
Rising Tide Input for your Consideration
- What causes us to lose our creativity?
- The team proposed that people don’t lose creativity as they age, but rather they close off the permission rather than the capability because creativity becomes risky. As adults, mistakes have consequences: reputational, financial, professional. Most environments reward predictability over curiosity, so people adapt accordingly.
- Are children actually ‘geniuses’?
- Evidence that children become less creative over time (and how to fix it) - Idea to Value
- As a team, we felt that the label “genius,” isn’t particularly useful. It’s poorly defined, and even more poorly measured. What matters is not intelligence labels, but how people approach problems: curiosity, iteration, and willingness to engage with uncertainty.
- In fact, as a team we consistently seem to pushback on: Labels (“genius,” “best practice,” or “industry standard”), Claims without sources, and Metrics without definitions.
- Children also don’t ask if they’re allowed to participate, they assume they are. Adults often operate transactionally, constantly checking for permission. That hesitation suppresses experimentation and ownership.
- How does technology factor into creativity loss?
- Convenience is a trade. Offloading is good if the saved energy is reinvested into higher-order problem-solving. As a result, technology can either dull skills or enable deeper thinking depending on how we use it as a tool.
- Automation is welcomed after understanding exists. Technology should support people who know why, not replace them.
About Rising Tide and our Book Club
Rising Tide helps MSPs and service-focused teams build better systems: the kind that align people with purpose.
Every Friday at 9:30 AM ET, we host Rising Tide Fridays as an open conversation for MSP owners, consultants, and service professionals who want to grow both professionally, technically, and emotionally. In Winter/Spring 2026, we’re walking through Think Naked.
If that sounds like your kind of crowd, reach out to partners@risingtidegroup.net for the Teams link. Bring your coffee and curiosity…no prep required.
Chapter-by-Chapter Discussion Questions for The Go-Giver by Bob Burg: Chapter Fourteen: The Go-Giver
Chapter 14 ties The Go-Giver up neatly, and our team's conversation unpacked whether or not Joe’s ending was a success, and if it was relatable to anyone else.
Read post
About this Series
This discussion guide is part of Rising Tide’s Fall 2025 book club, where we’re reading The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann.
If you’re just joining us, here are a few pages you’ll likely benefit from:
- Chapter One – The Go-Getter for an introduction on how to use these Discussion Questions
- Book Clubs, Conversations, and Curiosity for why we started a book club for a technical team here
Chapter Summary
In the final chapter of The Go-Giver, we meet Claire, who is on her way to meet the partners behind an amazingly (even stratospherically) successful new business: Rachel’s Famous Coffee. Chapter 14 ties up the story of The Go-Giver in a neat little bow, showcasing the stratospheric success possible, and encouraging us to share the secret with others along the way.
Discussion Questions
Use these open-ended prompts to guide reflection and conversation. Remember, there are no right answers!
- Joe ends the book in a completely different role than he started. Did that feel like success to you?
- How has your own definition of success changed over time?
- How do you tell the difference between quitting, failing, and evolving? Would this ending feel different if Joe were less financially secure?
- What did you learn from this book? What do you think your key takeaway will be?
Rising Tide Input for your Consideration
- Joe didn’t land the sale, he completely changed his trajectory. What does that mean for you? Sometimes success isn’t what we imagine or set out to accomplish, sometimes it’s adjacent.
- Joe isn’t keeping the secret or the process to himself, he’s actively sharing it with others and using the same framework Pindar gave him.
- As a team, we didn’t really like this book and wouldn’t recommend it to peers who already have practical experience in business or leadership.
- The parable format wasn’t great for our team. It was a good basic overview, but it didn’t go as deep as we felt some of these concepts deserved. While we get that it’s a book with a story that needed to be simplified to get the author’s key ideas across, seven days isn’t enough time for meaningful personal or professional change, and we felt the timeline and simplicity undercut the book’s credibility. Many felt the book oversold its lesson without adequately showing how it applies in complex, real-world situations, added to the fact that since Joe doesn’t apply the lessons over time and he’s rewarded through proximity to power, it made the ending feel uncomfortably like access solves everything.
- The main character wasn’t relatable or aspirational. The team generally struggled with Joe! He started unlikable and never quite crossed into someone the team wanted to root for or become, in fact, as a result, the story ended up feeling like it was more about “who you know.” and being in the right place at the right time. While generosity mattered, only once the right people were involved, which ignores how uneven access to networks really is.
- There are possibly better books out there that communicate similar ideas more effectively. Here are a few of our favorites:
- We hope you’ll join us in 2026 for our next book: Think Naked: Childlike Brilliance in the Rough Adult World by Peter Lloyd Marco Marsan | Goodreads. Get a copy of the book and mark your calendar for January 09, 2026 to talk through the cover and reading plan.
About Rising Tide and our Book Club
Rising Tide helps MSPs and service-focused teams build better systems: the kind that align people with purpose.
Every Friday at 9:30 AM ET, we host Rising Tide Fridays as an open conversation for MSP owners, consultants, and service professionals who want to grow both professionally, technically, and emotionally. Our book for 2026 Quarter 1 is Think Naked: Childlike Brilliance in the Rough Adult World by Marco Marsan.
If that sounds like your kind of crowd, reach out to partners@risingtidegroup.net for the Teams link.
Bring your coffee and curiosity…no prep required.