Your life’s networks: Part 2 — Support Systems
The importance of support systems
During my graduate studies I had to take several courses where we had to analyze information systems including using different modelling techniques, two of which were the i* (i-star) and the Value Network Analysis (VNA).
While the traditional BPMN and DFD mapped out architecture, workflow, and processes, i* and VNA mapped out relationships. I found these to be the most interesting. You mapped out the tangible (e.g. money, time, human resources) and intangible (e.g. trust, support) of each relationship, and while they were taught in class to map out the relationship/hierarchies between different data elements/architectures/teams involved, I found these methods to be very applicable to real life, human interactions/relationships as well. Knowing what you give to whom, and what you receive from whom is so important.
While I still believe having confidants are important, as you always need a method to vent, but having a support system is even more important. A support system not only listens (what a confidant does), but they also need to have the power to help resolve issues. They work with you to identify the issues, and strategize with you to best plan the next steps to make sure moving forward this doesn’t happen again.
Having support is really important, but having a support system is even more important.
The difference between the two is having support can be 1 person, but having a system means you have a network.
While I’m still quite early in my career, I noticed that my experiences and how happy I was at each organization was vastly different. While the work that I do now is not much simpler or easier, or are the people better or worse, but I am generally much more happy, despite the workload is pretty full at most times. I asked myself what’s different compared to the other places that I’ve worked at? What’s different towards the Managers that I truly enjoyed working with as a friend, colleague, and reporting staff? What did the “good” managers do that the “bad” ones didn’t? The answer was support.
Every manager will always say they support their staff, and they even get hired and trained to be a people leader and to be a mentor. But not everyone can fill those shoes. Just because you were good at your work as an analyst, it doesn’t mean you will be good as a people leader.
I think the reason why I’m generally more happy now is because of the support. Despite having to work with similar personalities in the past, the other people around me here have supported me day in and day out, and always lending a hand:
- My managers come towards me and proactively asks me if there are any problems, and whether if there’s anything they can address.
- My managers and I strategize together on how to bring something forward, so that things can be addressed in unison.
This is something that I’ve never had before at my previous jobs. While past managers have always asked during performance reviews if I am happy or if there’s anything that can be changed, when I brought issues up they were listened but never addressed. They think what they “did” to address the issues was enough to satisfy me — but it wasn’t. My feelings were still there and it was stronger than ever. As time went on this snowballed into a mass ball of negative emotions for me. The only people that supported me were my friends at work, but none of them had the ability to help solve my problems. They were there to listen, they were there to help me rationalize, and they were there to help me plan my next steps. But in the end, while I had confidants at work, there was never a support system in place to tackle these problems.
Finding a smart manager is important, and finding a job with work that you enjoy is also important, but what I’ve learnt from experience is that having managers who can also be your support system is the utmost important.
While having a support system is important, this should not downplay the importance of confidants. Having confidants are still important. People who are usually in the support system must have the power to resolve issues, and because of this, it often means they are superior to you. While confidants might not have the power to help resolve your issues, they can be lateral or beneath your ranking. Because of this, there are less boundaries to consider when speaking to a confidant than to your support system. There may be things where you say to your confidant that you cannot say to your support system.
