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Ask Slashdot: Best Practices For Leaving an IT Admin Position?
An anonymous reader writes "I've been the server admin at a university for the past five years. Recently, I was given the chance to move from servers to networking, and I jumped at it. I now find myself typing up all my open-ended projects, removing certain scripts and stopping others. What would the community recommend as best practices for passing on administration of some servers? I am trying to avoid a phone call that results in me having to remote in, explain something, jog to the other side of campus to access the machine, etc. Essentially, I'm trying to cover all my bases so any excuse my replacement has to call me is seen as nothing but laziness or incompetence. I am required to give him a day of training to show him where everything is on the servers (web and database), and during that day I'm going to have him change all the passwords. But aside from locking myself out and knowing what is where, what else should I be doing?"
Ah, the old "Screw you morons, I quit" tactic.
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
Don't forget the "in case of emergency" glass case equipped with a suicide pill.
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
Basically the same as "screw your mortgage and family moron, you are fired".
Na, use two letters.
You know, when they forced Khruschev out, he sat down and wrote two letters to his successor. He said - "When you get yourself into a situation you can't get out of, open the first letter, and you'll be safe. When you get yourself into another situation you can't get out of, open the second letter". Well, soon enough, this guy found himself into a tight place, so he opened the first letter. Which said - "Blame everything on me". So he blames the old man, it worked like a charm. He got himself into a second situation he couldn't get out of, he opened the second letter. It said - "Sit down, and write two letters".
Wait for the first phone call.
Grab flash gun, keep it hidden.
Disappear behind server rack, muttering "I'm so lucky Health and Safety never came back here...."
Discharge flash gun.
Scream, swear loudly, and wave hand as if burnt.
Wait for "It's OK, we've got this."
Relax.
I'm sorry dave, but the CEO really wants another Yacht and we cant afford to keep you. Yes we know that you do 12 jobs and are critical to our operation, but we are going to hire some kid right out of college for $28,900 and save a shitload of money and abuse the snot nosed brat by making him work 120 hours a week with only 40 hours of pay. You are just too old for us to screw like that anymore.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
GP is projecting so hard he should be pointed at a wall in the board room.
Thankfully, unlike in politics(where we call them "culture" or "institutions" or "traditions") everybody in IT fucking hates legacy systems.
Do your successor the favor-he-won't-immediately-recognize-as-such by employing a fire-axe to allow him the room to build the systems according to his own vision from day one.
Sure, the first week or two will be rather stressful; but he'll thank you in the end.