Peer groups are the rage in the IT industry today. Lots of options exist and many people are spending significant resources of time, money, and brain capital to participate. Is it worthwhile? At HTG we believe it has the potential to be the most impactful thing that people can participate in. But the value is very dependent on folks doing a great job as peer coaches. In fact, if groups fail at that core level, it quickly loses value and causes consideration of whether it is a worthwhile investment or not. Harvard Business review wrote a great article on the topic of peer coaching. It was written by Stewart D. Friedman who is Practice Professor of Management at the Wharton School. Following are his thoughts and I encourage you to read and consider how you can hone your skills as a peer coach.
The Directive Approach — Giving Useful Feedback
The essence of directive coaching is providing feedback. Take this approach when your goal as a coach is to instruct others on what they've done well and what they can do to improve.
As a coach, one of the main gifts you have to offer to anyone who you've seen in action is to express to them your observation of that action and its consequences. It's best to present your impressions straightforwardly and with compassion. The quality and sensitivity of a coach's feedback can make a huge difference in spurring growth.
On the other side, to be an effective peer, the primary challenge you face is to remain open and manage your natural tendency to be defensive in reacting to feedback — information about your actions and their consequences — that is in some way inconsistent with how you currently view yourself. Getting good at both giving and receiving directive coaching requires practice. Very few people are naturally gifted in this essential skill.
In providing directive feedback, your main responsibility is to identify strengths and clarify areas for improvement that address your peer's goals, while at the same time finding ways to reduce defensiveness. You produce value as a peer coach when you give feedback that, first and foremost, addresses goals that are a real priority for them, not for you. It's useful, too, for you to push your peers to stretch and go as far as they can in pursuing the goals that matter to them.
I've found that the best way to offer feedback is to prepare what you're going to say in advance and to make sure it's balanced, not overly positive or negative; a mix of both is best, not least because it enhances your credibility and your peer's trust that you're being candid. Be direct and specific about what you've seen and the consequences of your peer's actions. Of course, if you are being constructively critical — pointing out a peer's mistake or area for improvement — you've also got to offer a constructive suggestion or two.
When you give directive feedback, you want to make sure that what you've said is what has actually been heard and understood by your peer. The easiest way to do this is to simply ask your peer to repeat back to you how she took what you said and what it means to her. Finally, it's almost always a good idea to conclude an offering of directive feedback with an expression of your interest in providing follow-up assistance, leaving the door open for future opportunities for you to help.
The Nondirective Approach — Asking Smart Questions
The essence of nondirective coaching is simply asking useful, probing questions. Many people fear change because it forces them into unknown territory, where things are unpredictable and unfamiliar. And yet there are predictable stages people go through when they undertake intentional change. In taking the non-directive approach, your goal is to help others to see and feel the need to create meaningful, sustainable change. Here are the stages and some of the key questions to ask in helping your peers to face the challenges associated with each:
What's the problem?
The first step is identifying the need for change. This can be difficult, as many of us ignore information that disconfirms our current perceptions or threatens the status quo. Coaches can help identify blind spots — by encouraging self-reflection about things that aren't obvious to their peers. As a coach, basic questions to ask to increase awareness are:
-As you think about your goals, what's not working well in your life?
-What are the consequences of this issue for you and for the important people in your life?
-What is the source of the need to change — is it in you or is it external?
Why bother?
The next stage is about the belief that the need to change is urgent enough to take action. Because we naturally tend towards continuing the status quo, if doing something new doesn't feel urgent, it's not likely to occur. Coaches can help raise urgency by asking questions such as these:
-Looking ahead, what will happen if you don't change?
-What will happen if you do change?
What's your decision?
The decision to change is a crucial moment because it marks the point when your mind shifts and you begin to see a different future. It is also a fragile point in planned change processes, fraught with temptations to revert to the way things have always been and distractions away from the focused effort that's required to do something new and make it stick. However, coaches can help peers reach and move beyond this point by asking:
-What have you decided to do differently and why?
-What is the ideal outcome?
-What are your new goals?
What steps exactly?
What are the possible step-by-step actions the peer can take to make this decision real in his or her work and life? Good coaches ask peers to think aloud about what to do differently, how to overcome obstacles, and what skills or sources of support are needed. You can help your peer discover specific ideas for how to better accomplish goals by asking:
-What exactly will you do, and when will you do it?
-How will you measure progress?
-What stands in the way, and how will you overcome these barriers?
-How will you generate needed support?
Are you really in?
Generating sufficient commitment to follow through is one of the most challenging aspects of any change process. Because commitment wanes without a sense of urgency, coaches should continually test for this. Coaches can ask:
-What if this is harder than you think?
-What are the first steps — and the next steps — you will take?
-How will you maintain your sense of urgency?
How will you sustain it?
Even if a peer has made it through all of the prior stages, it is crucial that he or she receive reinforcement for the positive outcomes gained. Encouragement at every small step builds momentum, and coaches should provide frequent reinforcement and celebrate their peers' successes to bolster confidence and help peers avoid slippage. The key questions here are:
-What impact has your new behavior had on you and others?
-What accomplishments are you proud of achieving?
-Is there a smarter step that might help you build momentum?
-How can I (as your coach) reinforce your commitment to action?
Get in the Game!
Directive and non-directive peer coaching can make a real difference in helping people change. Try both methods and then find out what works and what doesn't by asking your peers to critique your actions. Like any other skill, practice as a peer coach — with follow-up assessment of what works and what doesn't, along with support from people (that is, your peers) who are dedicated to helping you become more adept at helping them — makes perfect. (end of HBR info)
This is some fantastic guidance on how we can most effectively help each other as we gather and work on our task in HTG of helping each other achieve business and personal growth. It is work – it requires thought – it takes a lot of effort – but the rewards are significant. We need to focus on being better peer coaches for each other! Let’s get after it!
Showing posts with label htg peer groups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label htg peer groups. Show all posts
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
CEO Forum II Focuses on Strategy
This past week we also hosted our second HTG CEO Forum in Denver. Our initial meeting was talked about here. We had 14 companies represented and we had an amazing time together. Our time began with a checkup on goals from the last session. Some work still to be done there, but folks are working hard to make that transition to the CEO role. It is a very big change of mindset and thinking for most of us.
We had a special visit from Colleen Abdullah who is CEO of WOW – an Internet, cable, telephony provider. It was a very engaging hour and a half as she shared her transition into that role and the success she has had as she created a culture of being focused on the customer – both internal and external. That is the secret sauce – paying attention to people. Colleen is a great role model as she took over a company that was doing $9 million and today is doing many times that in revenue – over $500 million as I recall. She has done it by excelling in the people business. She admitted that her products were not all that different or unique – hard to differentiate in a market where everyone pretty much has the same tools and offerings. But where WOW wins is in the hearts of their customers and people as they provide a level of service and caring that is unique to their industry. They “WOW” their employees and end users and win in the markets they serve.
She also challenged us to stay close to customers and our teams. Her approach is to take time monthly to ride in the trucks and be on the phones with her staff. She stays connected to what is happening. She is also active in the association representing smaller cable providers. A great lesson here – we need to be engaged with our industry in watching legislation and other influences that will impact us. Silence is not golden when it comes to lobbying the legislative process.
We shifted gears after that as my son Pete shared about the importance of process. He taught us about Six Sigma and Lean as tools that can be used to help create standardized methodology and take cost out of our businesses. These are enterprise level tools but they contain many facets that will work effectively for us in small business. We just need to learn and understand how to use the things that fit to help keep us competitive in the marketplace. As commoditization ramps in managed services and cloud solutions – efficiency and taking cost out will be the name of the game. These types of skills will be important for us to compete effectively.
Day two was spent with Ryan Morris from MMP. He led us through a full day workshop on strategic planning – one of the key roles a CEO needs to fulfill. Ryan broke things down and helped us understand the basics of strategy. It isn’t necessarily rocket science, but rather a persistent and total focus on a single objective. Not the scatter gun, throw it up on the wall and see what sticks, hope I guessed right, sell to whoever will write a check kind of approach. Those don’t work as you grow a company. He assured us that we will not always get it right, but we need to set and then monitor and change our strategy on an ongoing basis.
The reality is that strategy is really only effective with about a 3 year look forward. Beyond that it is more of a general goal. His guidance is a detailed 6 month plan, followed by an 18 month set of objectives that point to a three year strategy. It must be evaluated and tweaked every quarter and is not failure if it needs adjustment. We learned that key factors that impact our strategic plan – like resources and external factors – are outside our control and will change. Sometimes that change will require us to tweak our strategy and we need to be on top of it so we get that done.
It was a great combination – discussion around strategy and process – as those are the two keys to running a successful long term organization. Both need to be on the radar of the CEO. They both are a lot of hard work, so job security is built in. But as we listened to our trainers, and to our guest expert, we had to have heard those words a few hundred times. Success is not accidental. Luck and timing can play a part for sure – but success happens when leaders plan and execute and tweak and execute and revise and execute. If things are not going well in your company – time to go look in the mirror. You may need to have a talk with yourself!
We had a special visit from Colleen Abdullah who is CEO of WOW – an Internet, cable, telephony provider. It was a very engaging hour and a half as she shared her transition into that role and the success she has had as she created a culture of being focused on the customer – both internal and external. That is the secret sauce – paying attention to people. Colleen is a great role model as she took over a company that was doing $9 million and today is doing many times that in revenue – over $500 million as I recall. She has done it by excelling in the people business. She admitted that her products were not all that different or unique – hard to differentiate in a market where everyone pretty much has the same tools and offerings. But where WOW wins is in the hearts of their customers and people as they provide a level of service and caring that is unique to their industry. They “WOW” their employees and end users and win in the markets they serve.
She also challenged us to stay close to customers and our teams. Her approach is to take time monthly to ride in the trucks and be on the phones with her staff. She stays connected to what is happening. She is also active in the association representing smaller cable providers. A great lesson here – we need to be engaged with our industry in watching legislation and other influences that will impact us. Silence is not golden when it comes to lobbying the legislative process.
We shifted gears after that as my son Pete shared about the importance of process. He taught us about Six Sigma and Lean as tools that can be used to help create standardized methodology and take cost out of our businesses. These are enterprise level tools but they contain many facets that will work effectively for us in small business. We just need to learn and understand how to use the things that fit to help keep us competitive in the marketplace. As commoditization ramps in managed services and cloud solutions – efficiency and taking cost out will be the name of the game. These types of skills will be important for us to compete effectively.
Day two was spent with Ryan Morris from MMP. He led us through a full day workshop on strategic planning – one of the key roles a CEO needs to fulfill. Ryan broke things down and helped us understand the basics of strategy. It isn’t necessarily rocket science, but rather a persistent and total focus on a single objective. Not the scatter gun, throw it up on the wall and see what sticks, hope I guessed right, sell to whoever will write a check kind of approach. Those don’t work as you grow a company. He assured us that we will not always get it right, but we need to set and then monitor and change our strategy on an ongoing basis.
The reality is that strategy is really only effective with about a 3 year look forward. Beyond that it is more of a general goal. His guidance is a detailed 6 month plan, followed by an 18 month set of objectives that point to a three year strategy. It must be evaluated and tweaked every quarter and is not failure if it needs adjustment. We learned that key factors that impact our strategic plan – like resources and external factors – are outside our control and will change. Sometimes that change will require us to tweak our strategy and we need to be on top of it so we get that done.
It was a great combination – discussion around strategy and process – as those are the two keys to running a successful long term organization. Both need to be on the radar of the CEO. They both are a lot of hard work, so job security is built in. But as we listened to our trainers, and to our guest expert, we had to have heard those words a few hundred times. Success is not accidental. Luck and timing can play a part for sure – but success happens when leaders plan and execute and tweak and execute and revise and execute. If things are not going well in your company – time to go look in the mirror. You may need to have a talk with yourself!
Monday, June 14, 2010
HTG Vendor Peer Groups Kick Off Successfully
As announced by The Var Guy a week or two ago, this past week we hosted our inaugural vendor peer group. Seven of our HTG sponsor vendors answered the bell and we had a great couple days together in Denver. A special shout out for IBM, SonicWALL, CA ArcServe, Great America Leasing, ConnectWise, E-Folder and Xerox. Lisa Jenkins from Xerox won the best practice contest. Each company had two participants in the room, and we gave them as much of the HTG experience as possible. It was a very exciting couple of days.
As is always the case, everyone was a bit tentative leading up to the meeting. The first time a new group meets is like going on a first date. People start out with some tentative positioning and want to make sure it all comes across the way they want. After all, this is far from the way their day jobs have been – sitting in a room over two days with folks who at some level could be considered competitors. Not what most are accustomed to. But after we did introductions and people began to share a little about life – important facts like being on the hunt for a husband or having 13,000 emails in their inbox – the laughter broke down the walls and people moved past their fears and the ideas and sharing began to flow.
We tackled issues that were specific to their roles in working with partners. How do you engage and activate partners? How should they communicate effectively without overloading our inboxes? What does a good partner program look like? It was great learning as ideas were shared and best practices exchanged. Everyone came prepared and ready to share – homework was done – which already sets this group apart from their solution provider peers. We struggle to get HTG members to get that homework done and posted – so thanks to our vendor group members for keeping that bar high.
It was enlightening to me to be able to facilitate and be part of the idea exchange. I was able to interject the voice of the partner and offer some tips and ideas that will hopefully help share the landscape for these companies as they interact with the partner community. That is part of the value – we all learn from each other when we spend time together – and I certainly learned much from this group.
Some may be wondering why we would create a peer group for vendors. One of the things we find about our HTG peer groups is that unless you experience them, it is extremely difficult to understand the value of a close knit community that becomes invested in each other. So we decided to create this group to help deliver that experience for our vendor sponsors – to let them be part of what we do every quarter – and to create the same kind of close community that can share life together. We are using most of the same objectives and goals as we have for HTG – planning and goals and execution and accountability – it is all part of this program.
So what was the outcome of the two days? The feedback was extremely positive and everyone who attended is ready to proceed and meet in Q3. But the best way to share how things went is to hear from one of the attendees himself. Ted Hulsy from SonicWALL shared this: “Ever since my first ‘seat at the table’ with an HTG group, I realized that working with peers is one of the best ways to learn and change. Now that I am in HTG, I feel so fortunate to be working with peers who have passion for their work, are trusting, and are willing to share the secrets of their success.”
That is what it is all about. Becoming part of a community that you can share with and help one another achieve more than you can do on your own. We believe in our mission. Get involved in a community – be it in your industry, your church, your community – just find one and get involved. It will change your life if you let it!
As is always the case, everyone was a bit tentative leading up to the meeting. The first time a new group meets is like going on a first date. People start out with some tentative positioning and want to make sure it all comes across the way they want. After all, this is far from the way their day jobs have been – sitting in a room over two days with folks who at some level could be considered competitors. Not what most are accustomed to. But after we did introductions and people began to share a little about life – important facts like being on the hunt for a husband or having 13,000 emails in their inbox – the laughter broke down the walls and people moved past their fears and the ideas and sharing began to flow.
We tackled issues that were specific to their roles in working with partners. How do you engage and activate partners? How should they communicate effectively without overloading our inboxes? What does a good partner program look like? It was great learning as ideas were shared and best practices exchanged. Everyone came prepared and ready to share – homework was done – which already sets this group apart from their solution provider peers. We struggle to get HTG members to get that homework done and posted – so thanks to our vendor group members for keeping that bar high.
It was enlightening to me to be able to facilitate and be part of the idea exchange. I was able to interject the voice of the partner and offer some tips and ideas that will hopefully help share the landscape for these companies as they interact with the partner community. That is part of the value – we all learn from each other when we spend time together – and I certainly learned much from this group.
Some may be wondering why we would create a peer group for vendors. One of the things we find about our HTG peer groups is that unless you experience them, it is extremely difficult to understand the value of a close knit community that becomes invested in each other. So we decided to create this group to help deliver that experience for our vendor sponsors – to let them be part of what we do every quarter – and to create the same kind of close community that can share life together. We are using most of the same objectives and goals as we have for HTG – planning and goals and execution and accountability – it is all part of this program.
So what was the outcome of the two days? The feedback was extremely positive and everyone who attended is ready to proceed and meet in Q3. But the best way to share how things went is to hear from one of the attendees himself. Ted Hulsy from SonicWALL shared this: “Ever since my first ‘seat at the table’ with an HTG group, I realized that working with peers is one of the best ways to learn and change. Now that I am in HTG, I feel so fortunate to be working with peers who have passion for their work, are trusting, and are willing to share the secrets of their success.”
That is what it is all about. Becoming part of a community that you can share with and help one another achieve more than you can do on your own. We believe in our mission. Get involved in a community – be it in your industry, your church, your community – just find one and get involved. It will change your life if you let it!
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Power of Community Shines
Nancy and I are in Washington this week to meet with folks at Microsoft. As part of our trips, we often try and have dinner with the HTG members from the area, and tonight we met with a dozen or so HTG member companies in Redmond for some food, fellowship and sharing. We have built into our peer groups non competitive membership within each group. So inside our small communities of 10-12 companies, we work to make sure there are no conflicts from competing in the same market. But since we now have 22 groups, we have many markets that have numerous companies that serve that market. Seattle is one of the places we have a large concentration of HTG members.
A few years ago there was a lot of concern about having folks from the same market belong to HTG. Some were upset believing they owned a market and could serve all million or two or ten million people. But as our members have caught the Go Giver mentality and see the value of working together, there is a lot less concern about the other HTG members in their market. We see more and more members that were once competitors working together to help grow their companies. Tonight in Redmond we had a dozen HTG member companies from the same geography spending time sharing and learning from each other. They weren't sharing financials, but they were sharing things about their businesses and comparing notes on how they serve their customers. It wasn't panic about letting the silver bullet out of the bag. HTG members have figured out there really aren't any secrets in our business any more, and it is better to build relationships with those you can learn from than to isolate oneself from the world and try to go it alone. The power of community will always win out.
There was also some sharing of life which is part of our HTG values. I won't rat on the guys who stayed a little long so they could escape some parenting duties - that isn't part of life-work balance. But it is amazing how the sharing goes as friends sitting around the table. We find that not only are we facing the same issues with business, we are facing them at home too. Kids are kids everywhere, just like employees and customers are the same for all of us too. There are far more similarities than differences as we run small IT companies and live life. That is why HTG works. People helping people - giving and sharing life together - as we serve each other in community. It was a great night of sharing, laughter and life. Thanks to all the folks here in the Seattle area for some hospitality and making us feel at home.
We also had one of our newest sponsors, Quosal join us for dinner. A few of us spent some time this afternoon at their office reviewing their product and plans for helping us build the HTG community. It was great to have time with Kent and see his vision for Go Giving align with the HTG mission of sharing and building community. How wonderful when there is tight alignment between all facets of the program. Great days are ahead for all of us when we take on the challenges as part of the community!
A few years ago there was a lot of concern about having folks from the same market belong to HTG. Some were upset believing they owned a market and could serve all million or two or ten million people. But as our members have caught the Go Giver mentality and see the value of working together, there is a lot less concern about the other HTG members in their market. We see more and more members that were once competitors working together to help grow their companies. Tonight in Redmond we had a dozen HTG member companies from the same geography spending time sharing and learning from each other. They weren't sharing financials, but they were sharing things about their businesses and comparing notes on how they serve their customers. It wasn't panic about letting the silver bullet out of the bag. HTG members have figured out there really aren't any secrets in our business any more, and it is better to build relationships with those you can learn from than to isolate oneself from the world and try to go it alone. The power of community will always win out.
There was also some sharing of life which is part of our HTG values. I won't rat on the guys who stayed a little long so they could escape some parenting duties - that isn't part of life-work balance. But it is amazing how the sharing goes as friends sitting around the table. We find that not only are we facing the same issues with business, we are facing them at home too. Kids are kids everywhere, just like employees and customers are the same for all of us too. There are far more similarities than differences as we run small IT companies and live life. That is why HTG works. People helping people - giving and sharing life together - as we serve each other in community. It was a great night of sharing, laughter and life. Thanks to all the folks here in the Seattle area for some hospitality and making us feel at home.
We also had one of our newest sponsors, Quosal join us for dinner. A few of us spent some time this afternoon at their office reviewing their product and plans for helping us build the HTG community. It was great to have time with Kent and see his vision for Go Giving align with the HTG mission of sharing and building community. How wonderful when there is tight alignment between all facets of the program. Great days are ahead for all of us when we take on the challenges as part of the community!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
SMBA Keynote - Community is Important
Ingram’s SMB Alliance group just ended their annual event in Charlotte. It was a very well executed and valuable event for the couple hundred partners who attended, and in that mix were a number of HTG members who took advantage of the membership they have in SMBA because of the HTG-Ingram relationship and partnership. I was honored to deliver a keynote on Friday morning as part of the event, and would like to share a bit of the content I shared since many were not in attendance. I would encourage you now to put a hold on August 29-31, 2010 for the next event to be held in Orlando.
The first topic is the value of community.
HTS (our VAR reseller company) has grown to our present state because of our participation in community. We have been active in Ingram’s VTN, HTG, Exchange, CompTIA and others. Community gives us a lot of value and has been key to our growth. So what kinds of things do we get from spending time with our peers?
Community has provided perspective. Without it you don’t know what “good” is. So many partners operate their organizations in a vacuum and have no way to know if they are doing well or not. Both SMBA and HTG offer benchmarking opportunities provided by Service Leadership for members to be able to compare how they are doing with their peers. That information is critical to be able to make adjustments in how you run your business. Without it, you are guessing at best. The opportunity goes further in a peer group when you really “get naked” with each other and openly disclose and discuss those numbers and benchmarks in complete and total detail.
Community has provided relationships. Because of our participation in channel communities, we have been able to build deep and valuable relationships with key executives and staff at our distributors, vendors, peer organizations, subject matter experts and media folks. We would never have had the opportunity to even meet many of these people if it weren’t for the opportunity to connect through community.
Community has provided guidance. Without it the ability to stay relevant is more difficult. Through community we have been able to share and receive many best practices from companies that have already figured out the problems we were facing. There is no reason for anyone to figure out every mistake on their own. We need to learn from one another. In HTG we talk about the go giver version of SWIPE – share with intent and purpose every day.
Community has provided growth for us at HTS. We have completed 5 M&A’s as a result of relationships in communities we participate in. Good things happen when you spend time with others. It allows for sharing of values and life, and provides the opportunity to get acquainted with other business owners and find those compatible and interested in working together or even joining forces. The risk goes way down because there is a great trust level and deeper understanding of each other.
Community has provided success. That is the bottom line. Our company would be nowhere close to where it is today if we had not got involved in community. It takes work. It requires time. It costs money. But all things that matter do. And the more you invest, the more you will receive. Community is where the Go Giver mentality really works best. But thinking about getting involved, wishing you would take the step, pondering what it might do for your company – none of that matters. You have to take the time and be part of community to gain the benefits. Thinking about it doesn’t count.
The first topic is the value of community.
HTS (our VAR reseller company) has grown to our present state because of our participation in community. We have been active in Ingram’s VTN, HTG, Exchange, CompTIA and others. Community gives us a lot of value and has been key to our growth. So what kinds of things do we get from spending time with our peers?
Community has provided perspective. Without it you don’t know what “good” is. So many partners operate their organizations in a vacuum and have no way to know if they are doing well or not. Both SMBA and HTG offer benchmarking opportunities provided by Service Leadership for members to be able to compare how they are doing with their peers. That information is critical to be able to make adjustments in how you run your business. Without it, you are guessing at best. The opportunity goes further in a peer group when you really “get naked” with each other and openly disclose and discuss those numbers and benchmarks in complete and total detail.
Community has provided relationships. Because of our participation in channel communities, we have been able to build deep and valuable relationships with key executives and staff at our distributors, vendors, peer organizations, subject matter experts and media folks. We would never have had the opportunity to even meet many of these people if it weren’t for the opportunity to connect through community.
Community has provided guidance. Without it the ability to stay relevant is more difficult. Through community we have been able to share and receive many best practices from companies that have already figured out the problems we were facing. There is no reason for anyone to figure out every mistake on their own. We need to learn from one another. In HTG we talk about the go giver version of SWIPE – share with intent and purpose every day.
Community has provided growth for us at HTS. We have completed 5 M&A’s as a result of relationships in communities we participate in. Good things happen when you spend time with others. It allows for sharing of values and life, and provides the opportunity to get acquainted with other business owners and find those compatible and interested in working together or even joining forces. The risk goes way down because there is a great trust level and deeper understanding of each other.
Community has provided success. That is the bottom line. Our company would be nowhere close to where it is today if we had not got involved in community. It takes work. It requires time. It costs money. But all things that matter do. And the more you invest, the more you will receive. Community is where the Go Giver mentality really works best. But thinking about getting involved, wishing you would take the step, pondering what it might do for your company – none of that matters. You have to take the time and be part of community to gain the benefits. Thinking about it doesn’t count.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Heartland Tech Group Partners with ConnectWise
Here is the official press release about the HTG strategic alliance with ConnectWise. This is great news and the phone and email have been running hot with calls and mail grateful for this move. While no one really likes change, everyone who has called acknowledges that it is needed to move us to the next level. We can't just continue on the path we have been on and achieve the ultimate goal of helping our members succeed. So this is fantastic news for all involved.
MSPMentor has also captured a podcast that you can check out to hear the interaction between Joe, Arnie and myself regarding this strategic alliance. That podcast may answer some of your questions and should certainly give you something to be excited about. Check it out at: http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/06/30/connectwise-htg-peer-groups-ink-strategic-alliance/
One other note while we are announcing things: Christy Sacco has joined HTG as a full time staff member. We are really excited about her addition and know she will continue to make a significant impact on our members and HTG as a whole. Welcome her when you have a minute!
Here is the official press release:
HTG Peer Group members standardize on ConnectWise PSA platform to more accurately compare and measure operational data, performance and efficiency
HARLAN, Ia. – June 30, 2009 – Savvy IT service providers appreciate how critical it is to streamline their business operations and rely more than ever on their peers to develop, share and implement industry best practices. Today, the leading IT peer group network, Heartland Tech Group (HTG), and ConnectWise, the worldwide leader of IT professional services automation software, announced a strategic alliance that will further the insight and analysis available to HTG members through ConnectWise’s capabilities.
Through the partnership, HTG members will use ConnectWise as their business operating system and use ConnectWise-developed education as part of their peer group process. This common experience will enable HTG members to share expertise and quickly implement and measure business process improvements.
“Joining HTG and making the investment in ConnectWise both rank up there with the best business decisions we have made,” commented Dan Shundoff, President and CEO of Kearney, Neb., based Intellicom. “We are excited to see these two mission critical organizations work hand-in-hand to enhance our peer group interaction and our business. This move just confirms those decisions even further.”
ConnectWise, the worldwide industry-leading publisher of professional services automation (PSA) software, is investing over $3 million in the development of educational content for its partners during 2009. The alliance with HTG builds on the company’s commitment to deliver practical and actionable business process education to the solution provider community.
“As HTG has evolved, we realized that our members needed an efficient way to transform ideas into operational improvements,” said HTG CEO and Founder Arlin Sorensen. “We can now not only focus on what should be done to enhance our members’ operations, we can talk very specifically about how to do it. This strategic alliance will allow us to move from theoretical to tactical and increase the impact on member companies exponentially. ConnectWise is uniquely positioned to deliver the industry insight and software capabilities HTG members need to create business success.”
ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini said that the HTG partnership is one more way for his company to support the solution provider industry’s success: “HTG has clearly established the industry’s leading peer group community. We’re committed to helping organizations like HTG develop their members’ expertise and improve their business results. With our online university, regional user groups, Learning Center, Mastery sessions and Partner Summit, HTG members have access to the industry’s leading educational content and can select the delivery method that works best for them.”
About Heartland Tech Group
Heartland Tech Group (HTG) is an international peer group organization focused on business improvement, member accountability, and work-life excellence among leading IT solution providers. HTG has over 225 member companies throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom spread over 20 groups of 12 non-competing member companies. Peer groups meets quarterly for a confidential two-day event that focuses on sharing best practices, benchmarking, process improvement and member business review. HTG was founded in 2000 by Arlin Sorensen to provide solution providers a community to foster business and personal growth driven by execution. Visit www.htgpeergroups.com or call 712-744-3619 for more information.
About ConnectWise
ConnectWise is the leading Web-based professional service automation (PSA) software application designed exclusively for technology consultants, integrators and developers. More than 29,000 IT solution providers rely on ConnectWise to more efficiently integrate key business operations across their enterprises, from business development and project management, to client services and billing. ConnectWise technology enables IT companies to drive greater accountability, operational efficiency, profitability, and tighter systems integration. Visit www.connectwise.com for more information or call 813-463-4760.
# # #
Contact for More Information:
Christy Sacco, Heartland Tech Group
813-785-8571 / lcgoodwin@tampabay.rr.com
Lynette Bohanan, CommCentric Solutions
813-727-0196 / lbohanan@commcentricsolutions.com
MSPMentor has also captured a podcast that you can check out to hear the interaction between Joe, Arnie and myself regarding this strategic alliance. That podcast may answer some of your questions and should certainly give you something to be excited about. Check it out at: http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/06/30/connectwise-htg-peer-groups-ink-strategic-alliance/
One other note while we are announcing things: Christy Sacco has joined HTG as a full time staff member. We are really excited about her addition and know she will continue to make a significant impact on our members and HTG as a whole. Welcome her when you have a minute!
Here is the official press release:
HTG Peer Group members standardize on ConnectWise PSA platform to more accurately compare and measure operational data, performance and efficiency
HARLAN, Ia. – June 30, 2009 – Savvy IT service providers appreciate how critical it is to streamline their business operations and rely more than ever on their peers to develop, share and implement industry best practices. Today, the leading IT peer group network, Heartland Tech Group (HTG), and ConnectWise, the worldwide leader of IT professional services automation software, announced a strategic alliance that will further the insight and analysis available to HTG members through ConnectWise’s capabilities.
Through the partnership, HTG members will use ConnectWise as their business operating system and use ConnectWise-developed education as part of their peer group process. This common experience will enable HTG members to share expertise and quickly implement and measure business process improvements.
“Joining HTG and making the investment in ConnectWise both rank up there with the best business decisions we have made,” commented Dan Shundoff, President and CEO of Kearney, Neb., based Intellicom. “We are excited to see these two mission critical organizations work hand-in-hand to enhance our peer group interaction and our business. This move just confirms those decisions even further.”
ConnectWise, the worldwide industry-leading publisher of professional services automation (PSA) software, is investing over $3 million in the development of educational content for its partners during 2009. The alliance with HTG builds on the company’s commitment to deliver practical and actionable business process education to the solution provider community.
“As HTG has evolved, we realized that our members needed an efficient way to transform ideas into operational improvements,” said HTG CEO and Founder Arlin Sorensen. “We can now not only focus on what should be done to enhance our members’ operations, we can talk very specifically about how to do it. This strategic alliance will allow us to move from theoretical to tactical and increase the impact on member companies exponentially. ConnectWise is uniquely positioned to deliver the industry insight and software capabilities HTG members need to create business success.”
ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini said that the HTG partnership is one more way for his company to support the solution provider industry’s success: “HTG has clearly established the industry’s leading peer group community. We’re committed to helping organizations like HTG develop their members’ expertise and improve their business results. With our online university, regional user groups, Learning Center, Mastery sessions and Partner Summit, HTG members have access to the industry’s leading educational content and can select the delivery method that works best for them.”
About Heartland Tech Group
Heartland Tech Group (HTG) is an international peer group organization focused on business improvement, member accountability, and work-life excellence among leading IT solution providers. HTG has over 225 member companies throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom spread over 20 groups of 12 non-competing member companies. Peer groups meets quarterly for a confidential two-day event that focuses on sharing best practices, benchmarking, process improvement and member business review. HTG was founded in 2000 by Arlin Sorensen to provide solution providers a community to foster business and personal growth driven by execution. Visit www.htgpeergroups.com or call 712-744-3619 for more information.
About ConnectWise
ConnectWise is the leading Web-based professional service automation (PSA) software application designed exclusively for technology consultants, integrators and developers. More than 29,000 IT solution providers rely on ConnectWise to more efficiently integrate key business operations across their enterprises, from business development and project management, to client services and billing. ConnectWise technology enables IT companies to drive greater accountability, operational efficiency, profitability, and tighter systems integration. Visit www.connectwise.com for more information or call 813-463-4760.
# # #
Contact for More Information:
Christy Sacco, Heartland Tech Group
813-785-8571 / lcgoodwin@tampabay.rr.com
Lynette Bohanan, CommCentric Solutions
813-727-0196 / lbohanan@commcentricsolutions.com
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