“You are a bus driver. The bus, your company, is at a standstill, and it’s your job to get it going. You have to decide where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, and who’s going with you… In fact, leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with “where” but with “who.” They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.” – Jim Collins, Good to Great
One of the many insights that Jim Collins highlights in his book, Good to Great, is the way that impactful leaders guide and support their teams. To effectively advance their organization’s mission, leaders must enlist the right people and ensure they are in the right role. It sounds simple, but in practice, it can be complicated and frustrating.
Regardless of your industry, you must lead a team of individuals through an ever-changing landscape. When you are part of a small IT team, this can mean you’re putting out fires so that your business runs smoothly… while also implementing the latest software to protect your business from the newest iteration of malware… while also inspiring your team to innovate as they create the best outcomes. As we all know, if your business is going to be the best and strongest it can be, there are times when this is necessary, but it’s not a sustainable long-term solution.
Augmenting your in-house IT team with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) could be the answer. With an MSP, you get the benefits of a larger team, with less cost and oversight. Now, when people think of an MSP, some may believe they are the ones who will eventually take over their jobs completely. However, enlisting the assistance of an MSP doesn’t always mean replacing people and moving them off the bus—it allows your team to have the capacity to make sure everyone is in “the right seat on the bus.”
When you engage your business’s mission alongside an external IT provider, you can maximize your team in a variety of ways.
How many times has this happened to you? You and your team strive to achieve goals that will dramatically improve and expand your business, but most of your time is spent completing tasks that merely maintain it. When you have external IT support, you can attack the high-value priorities in your organization with the peace of mind that those software updates or integrations are being taken care of by a highly capable team. This allows you to get more done and save time.
Not only does augmenting your in-house IT team increase your overall productivity, it also ensures that your team members have the bandwidth and time to innovate. When you have an MSP that functions as an extension of your existing IT team, you can rely on them to handle the day-to-day tasks, so that your team can strategize for your business’s future, learn more about the latest tools, and implement creative solutions. Plus, as your business expands, you can lean into your external IT team’s expertise for large-scale projects that require additional knowledge and time.
According to a Deloitte 2020 survey, over 50% of businesses they interviewed cited that the main reason they were augmenting their teams was to reduce costs. The numbers speak for themselves: when you enlist additional IT support, your IT department can save 30% or more on your company’s overall IT budget. In a shaky economy and with the rise of “quiet quitting,” augmenting your IT team is a powerful solution that maximizes your financial strategy while minimizing unforeseen costs.
Whether you’re looking for an extra hour in the day to complete all your tasks, determining methods to implement innovative techniques, or striving to make your business significantly more competitive, an external IT team can help. By utilizing an MSP, you can fill all the seats on the bus with the right people, which maximizes your team, and ultimately, maximizes your business. Who doesn’t want that?
If you are interested in acquiring co-managed MSP support to fill in gaps for your IT team, give us a call! We’re here to support you.
Core12 is an Atlanta-based IT services provider dedicated to helping small businesses improve the way they work. As a specialized IT Support firm, we provide our clients with the personal, detail-oriented service that they deserve but seldom receive.
887 W Marietta Street NW Suite N101Atlanta, GA 30318
