SNP Communications

Interesting Times

By Renn Vara

I think I can speak for all SNPers and say we truly love what we do. We get to work with some very cool people within the technology industry and we get to have impact. But sometimes we don’t. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it makes me want to just walk away and get a “real job.”

This came up this week because of two events; 1) a long-term customer has new leadership and 2) we’re thinking of combining with a company that does something like what we do.

Our big customer first. It happens. We work with a team for a number of years, do great work, develop a true partnership, see sales grow, and enjoy the fruits of our labors. They do too. Then people move on and new leadership comes in. In this case, the new leadership is very old school; kingdom builders, majoring on bureaucracy and procedure. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for making things run smoothly and realize it takes a machine. But when the machine trumps success or worse, undermines it, then it’s not only a problem, it’s destructive. So here are my top five tips for corporate leaders:

1. Be sure what you’re doing is about the company and not you and your career.
2. Focus on success of the whole team and company even if it means you lose.
3. Be sure you keep hardworking, innovative, and challenging people at the table – selfishly, vendors too.
4. Constantly talk to your internal customer and listen – particular sales.
5. Adopt the service philosophy of management vs. being served.

There are many more things to consider but if you do just these five, you, your team and company should excel and prosper.

Now the merger, takeover, partnership, call it what you will. As I get to know this company, I’m amazed at how investors and leaders can waste not only money but precious time. And I’m even more amazed how rank and file staff – knowing they are being wrongly lead – hang in there and fight to make things right. This company has experienced some very tough times, made some hard decisions and are now focused on their customers thanks to some hard driving sales people and staff. It reminds me that even insurmountable problems can be fixed.

I’ll let you know how it all goes. In the meantime, stop for a moment and think about all those hardworking folks around you. Like soldiers in wartime, it’s really about them. So let’s get out there and build some healthy, customer focused products and services. What do you say? And the rest of you, please do us a favor and get out of the way.

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