Winners seek out conversations rather than avoid conflict.
John Wooden. Absolutely a genius in a tough field. Absolutely a leadership legend. A tech guru? Well, yes.
If you work in IT, there are many reasons to avoid causing trouble. From customer relations to cost reduction, business owners, IT professionals, and MSPs tend to avoid difficult conversations that produce real results. But Wooden himself said it best:
”Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you.”
Smart customers seek out IT partners who will tell them the truth, not what they want to hear. Good MSPs listen to their customers’ ideas, not insist on a standard solution.
Here are some examples of arguments that have value for everyone.
When customers say, “We don’t need great, we need good enough.”
In the IT world, small mistakes can bankrupt a company. If you choose the wrong service level to meet your needs, you could lose data, profits, and even employees to overloaded servers. If you close a hole in your network security system, a hacker attack could cripple your business for days, weeks, or even forever.
No one is perfect, but you can follow a perfect process. MSPs are right to insist that clients outline their needs, provide transparency into the business, and allocate adequate budgets.
An MSP that accepts “good enough” requests may seem easy to deal with… until they put you out of business!
“Pay what we say,” an MSP says. And leave.
n MSP need to complete their assignments. Naturally, that entails making the appropriate suggestion. However, it also entails being open and instructive about their suggestions. Therefore, it’s reasonable to wonder, “Why?” when they tell you that you need “more cloud” or faster PCs.
A competent MSP is aware that you live your business every day, not simply own it. Additionally, you have the chance to confirm that the solution they have suggested meets your goals and makes the most of your set budget.
These are but a few instances.
There are many difficult discussions in the world. Therefore, if you’re a client, pay attention when your MSP or IT staff disagree. (Or beside you!) It indicates that they are prepared to go above and beyond to keep you safe. Additionally, rather than relying just on your knowledge, MSPs should learn to listen and dispute in a productive way.
Compromise is not the game’s name, as John Wooden well aware. It’s winning. Additionally, having polite arguments can assist you ensure that the team works as a unit.
Let’s have the tough conversations that lead to real solutions—contact us today.