Enablers, Resistors, and Obstacles: What Stands In the Way of Your MPS Success?
The fax machine was simply novel by itself, but was more valuable as a pair. As more and more fax machines became available, they not only became infinitely more valuable as a communication method but allowed the fax to become a ubiquitous standard. To this day, it still has itself wrapped around the psyche of our governmental and legal systems as a de facto standard. More importantly, each additional fax machine amplified the effect of the community, enabling another on-ramp and off-ramp of information to the medium.
At our core, each of us is an enabler or obstacle; we either provide the means or opportunity for someone else to achieve a goal or stand in their way – actively or passively. However, don’t think of obstacles as resistive; instead, think of them as counter-productive. Resistors, on the other hand, are a biproduct of either a lack of understanding or lack of trust. This state is generally transitive as we all move in and out of being a resistor to either an enabler or obstacle.
While enablers can often be thought of individually, it is collectively that these enablers help us reach a tipping point for our own goal. We ultimately want each of our customers being enablers – spreading the good word, buying our product or service, and advising us about what to sell them next. In fact, the more customers enable us and what we provide, the better the opportunity for us and our offering to become the proverbial gold standard.
On the other hand, resistors are often undervalued. As customers, resistors are often encountered and mistook for obstacles. How often have you heard, or heard yourself say, “That customer just doesn’t get it,” in a frustrated tone? When thinking about what’s missing, perhaps our insights into the situation are misaligned with our customer’s expectations, and now we have created a risk of turning a customer into an obstacle. Instead, we must openly embrace resistors by not reacting emotionally; if we stop and ask ourselves, “What if there is a different way of rephrasing?” We may discover that the communication gap becomes a great opportunity to sell our customer on how much we care to hear, understand and act upon their concerns.
As you take a look around the landscape you call your MPS program, ask yourself if you are able to quickly categorize enablers, obstacles and resistors. If you are honest with yourself, and you have the trust of your team to provide candid feedback, you will quickly begin to see areas of focus quickly emerge: Obstacles needing to be bulldozed, resistors in of need attention, and enablers in need of nurturing.
Ken Stewart offers observations from the field of managed print services in his weekly column on MPS Insights every Tuesday. As a senior consultant with the Photizo Group, he comes from and works directly with channel providers in the managed services space, developing educational tools and resources to promote lasting business transformation.
Ken Stewart’s website, ChangeForge, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology in an information-centric world. Get the latest industry news, and follow ChangeForge on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
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