Since information technology became a staple in business, there has been a silent conflict between users and infrastructure teams. Both sides share common goals: maintaining availability and ensuring crucial processes function smoothly so users can complete tasks on time. However, each side also harbors unspoken objectives. Users want to retain as much control over their systems as possible, while IT staff envision a day when guardrails are so robust that users couldn’t create an operational or security risk even if they tried.
Personally, I’ve experienced the benefits of both perspectives. When users have the autonomy to install printers or choose software, it reduces the IT support workload and eliminates the frustration of waiting for service. On the other hand, I’ve seen what happens when users have so much control that they avoid contacting IT until they’ve thoroughly compromised their operating environment.
So, how do we bridge this gap?
How do we create a workplace where both users and IT support teams are satisfied?
I believe the root cause lies in workplace culture.
This isn’t a new idea—there are countless articles and even entire books discussing why so many employees hold a negative view of the technology they use every day. However, few address the superiority bias often found among those working in technology. It’s a trap I’ve fallen into myself. I’ve often caught myself thinking, especially after a challenging interaction with someone having a bad day:
The average user is stupid.
Or the 2025 version of this statement
Their job will be the first to go when AI takes over.
Let’s be honest—thoughts like these cross every IT professional’s mind at some point, even if no professional would ever voice them to a user. Yet, the sentiment lingers. It lingers when we make decisions about training, communication, and policy design.
How complex should we make the upcoming training session?
(The average user is stupid.) Keep it short and surface-level—anything more would be a waste.
Should I take the time to explain what happened to a user’s computer, or just fix it?
(The average user is stupid.) Just fix it—it’s not worth the effort.
What should we include in our computer use policy?
(The average user is stupid.) Include every clause imaginable to limit liability and protect the organization from their mistakes.
To be fair, this bias isn’t entirely unfounded. Many users should know more about the technology they rely on daily. Yet, just as often, users seem to dismiss their responsibility to engage with technology. They’ll refuse explanations before you even begin, saying things like, “I’m not a tech person,” or, “What you guys do is magic to me.” Worst of all, they’ll hand over their passwords with a casual, “I’m heading to lunch.”
These interactions perpetuate the cycle of frustration and disengagement between users and IT professionals. However, if we want to bridge the gap, we must confront the biases that shape our approach to communication, training, and support.
The question is why?
This is a multifaceted issue, but I hypothesize that the average user increasingly associates technology with fear. Companies continually emphasize cybersecurity and compliance, with data exposure now being treated—often for the first time—as a fireable offense. Meanwhile, technology professionals push for more frequent updates and sweeping changes in the name of security and productivity. Yet, even with these efforts, budgets are rarely sufficient to ensure full security, and the average ransomware incident now costs over a million dollars.
While technology professionals understand the necessity of these processes, users often experience environments that feel more unstable than ever. When coupled with rising costs, it’s no surprise that we are frequently met with negativity.
In IT, it’s not enough to simply solve problems—we must also demonstrate to users how embracing technology can fundamentally improve their work and lives. This effort starts during onboarding. Users should be trained to effectively use the tools at their disposal, but too often they are left to figure things out on their own. The result is a workforce where few truly understand how software is intended to be used; instead, they only know how they’ve managed to use it.
Technology should be about exploration and empowering people to use incredible tools for complex and creative tasks. Yet, as an industry, we’ve stifled this sense of discovery for modern workers. We’re hesitant to teach out of fear that users will misuse the knowledge—or worse, realize that IT professionals aren’t wizards, but simply people who have taken the time to explore. If we perpetuate a culture where users are afraid to try, we risk fostering a workforce that is afraid to innovate.