Dont just do Onsite or Offshoring. Do Walk Around !

Walking around does helps. Tom Peters recommends it. HP has lived it, has its history.

Walking around means getting out of comfort zones, reaching out to your people, clients, vendors – on ground. It mostly means leaving family behind. It means, being emphatic to the clients, concentrating and immersing into the issue at hand which is important for the client. One can talk about an issue over phone, but nothing replaces being in the same room or floor, getting sleeves rolled up and saying “OK, let’s do it”.

Unknowingly, we already do a lot of walking around. For clients, we go onsite, within or across countries and continents. For clients, we get work off-shored.

We do onsite for many reasons – in name of understanding requirements; to (re)negotiate contracts; to earn more money when it comes to individuals. We do offshoring for a combination of reasons which include price, quality, time zone differences, skills. And in both cases, walking around does fit just right in, at centre. If there is an issue, choose to walk in (and not walk out).

For on-sites, understand what’s important for the client, rather than asking what job you would do. Understand how your current task fit into the complete picture. When you are at client site, don’t look at their organization politics (if any), don’t worry about how your delivery engine is working (if troubled or questioned), concentrate and be clear on – what you are here for and how soon you can resolve it! If you understood something incorrectly initially:

• accept it,
• apologize,
• correct it,
• validate its correct this time,
• and, apologize again for discomfort caused.

For offshoring, understand why it should be off shored. If its money only and involve a lot of client interaction, say no to it. Offshore markets stand and compete with an unique quality-price proposition – stay away from it if you don’t understand it. Understand how offshore fits into overall delivery engine. If there are problems offshore, walk in (if you are client end person). Sort it before it becomes a delivery issue. Talk to people. Understand and accept their constraints. But remember – what you are here for and how soon you can resolve it! If you are a Manager, remember that you are here to serve and grow. You serve and grow – your people and your clients – and your business grows alongside.

Walking around might cost you on this project, but it will do better for you in long run. You might be saving $800 ticket right now, but you are bound to be losing $800,000 prospective work.
Walking Around does work! Walking Around does help!

What System and Database Admins can learn from Tom Peters?

Tom Peters is a testimony of Management and its Teachings.
In a recently shared online presentation, he concluded and raised a thought provoking question:
“Would you please exchange places…”
No : “Sales and Service”
Yes: “Service and Sales”

Its rooted in how a business flourishes on back of repeated business.
Who causes repeated business? Sales? Or the actual delivery and Support function of what has been sold at first instance?
It’s the latter.
Support.
In IT, that’s Us. System and Database Admins and Analysts.

Though generally it’s an afterthought. Sales takes the lead even for repeated business. Though rightly said by Tom, it shall be other way round, with Sales taking the back seat for repeated business. In ideal scenario, repeated business only involve Client Exec and Delivery Managers meeting, agreeing for pricing variations, and sign the contracts. Period. But alas, Sales starts with it, and generally in its own world. Imagine why the companies like Infosys, TCS are growing and gaining leaps for Repeated Business they do (in majority of cases). I have a pointer. Understand their post-delivery support systems.

But seldom it work that ways. Isn’t it.

If you are a Support Function Manager, understand why your team isn’t delivering right level of Service to clients (and I don’t mean just resolving client tickets in x number of days or hours – I mean THE Service). Are they getting everything in return that they deserve – do they understand importance of what they are doing?

If you are Support Member, understand why you want to just execute the job, and don’t want to service the clients to make them say: “WOW, you know it all and best”. If you are worried of results, then your Manager is not serving you well (yes, Leaders and Managers are to serve you, not the other way round – again an excellent view from Tom Peters). Be Smart. Take the Lead, in rightful manner. Bring it on table with your Manager. Help him understand why it’s important for clients to be served – and whets your observation on why teams aren’t doing it.

Remember: YOU form the Support function, YOU are the backbone of repeated business for your company.