There’s a great blog post on the Harvard Business Review titled “Here’s How Managers Can Be Replaced by Software” written by Devin Fidler.

The article discussed how a prototype software application automated the decision and delegation process to create a 124-page research report.

The software was named “iCEO”, which I expect to be trademarked by Apple Inc. soon!

The post explained that after spending a few hours configuring iCEO and then setting it to run, iCEO:

routed tasks across 23 people from around the world, including the creation of 60 images and graphs, followed by formatting and preparation.

The processes were so smoothly operated that the team was simply spectators.

We rarely needed to intervene, even to check the quality of individual components of the report as they were submitted to iCEO, or spend time hiring staff, because QA and HR were also automated by iCEO.

In the end, the full report was created in just weeks, compared to a traditional management-employee structure that may have taken months to complete.

This is awesome if you think about it… unless you’re a manager that is.

There’s an especially important point to note here that you may have missed: all of the actual work was outsourced via Elance and Odesk.

So it’s not only the manager’s job that may be at risk, but also the workers under his employ.

The Knowledge Worker at Risk

Automation, since the industrial revolution, has threatened jobs of workers. Manual work replaced with mechanised ones caused jobs to no longer be worthwhile. Now we have thinking work being replaced by computers and software.

In his book, “The Zero Marginal Cost Society“, Jeremy Rifkin mentions that:

Automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence are eliminating human labor quickly in the white-collar and service industries… Secretaries, file clerks, telephone operators, travel agents, bank tellers, cashiers, and countless other white-collar service jobs have all but disappeared in the past 25 years as automation has driven the marginal cost of labor to near zero.

He goes on to later say:

We are in the midst of an epic change (my emphasis) in the nature of work. The First Industrial Revolution ended slave and serf labor. The Second Industrial Revolution dramatically shrank agricultural and craft labor. The Third Industrial Revolution is sunsetting mass wage labor in the manufacturing and service industries and salaried professional labor in large parts of the knowledge sector.

Others are also anticipating this level of disruption to knowledge work.

A 2013 McKinsey Global Institute report predicts that by 2025, the automation of knowledge work would have potentially the greatest economic impact second only to the mobile internet, and exceeding that of the Internet of Things and the Cloud. (See the figure below.)

Time to address the skill gap

As with the industrial revolution, workers have to be ready for the next stage. It means that they need to learn new technologies and new ways of working. Learning skills that can be repetitive, regardless of the complexity, is under threat as they can be replaced with automation.

According to the Institute for the Future, the new worker will be required to have skills such as Social Intelligence, Sense-Making, Novel and Adaptive Thinking, Design Mindset, Computational Thinking, Cognitive Load Management, New Media Literacy, Cross Cultural Competency and Virtual Collaboration.

The challenge we have right now is that the rapid evolution of the Internet, the cloud and automation may change the workplace faster than we can retrain workers to work in this new environment. It means that we have to start training the new workers from the schools.

But this does not mean that we can’t start training for the new era. We can start learning the new skills required, as well as teach it to others before we are out of a job.

What the future holds?

I don’t know what the future holds, but automation offers great opportunities for businesses to function at a far more efficient and economic level than ever before. It means that we can look forward to cheaper and (hopefully) more sustainable goods and services.

It also means that we can let go of mundane and repetitive tasks and focus on creating greater things.

We can choose to fear what the future holds, or look forward to it with excitement and anticipation.

I’m in that latter group.

What about you? What are your thoughts on the future of automation?

Original article: The knowledge worker has a lot to lose if we don't act.'">Will automation eliminate your job? The knowledge worker has a lot to lose if we don't act.

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Before you click away, let me tell you a story…

I went to a conference recently and got a few pens and a couple of Hershey’s chocolate minis. I put it in my pocket and went my merry way.

When I reached home, I pulled out the pens from my pocket only to find some brown stuff on one. My immediate thought was that it was the chocolate melted and leaked out onto the pen.

To test this theory, I licked it, and… let’s leave it at that for now.

I could have just smelt it, or not bother and wipe it off, but I chose to taste it instead.

I say this not to gross you out, but to say, that no matter how smart you may think you are, you do some really stupid things sometimes.

The same thing happens with emails with seductive subject lines. Or links that promises something good if you click it. Things that lead to only bad things for users, and your data.

You would think that incidents such as these would never happen?

After all, you’ve spent loads of time training users. You’ve handed out lots of information about being safe on-line. You’ve shared instances of breaches due to human error.

But they do.

We should know better. It should be an automatic feeling that clicking that link or opening that attachment is a bad idea.

But we do it anyway.

That is why I say that awareness training is part of an arsenal that you have to stave off malicious attacks. But there’s bound to be some human error sometime, and you have to be ready for that.

So you have to have proper and updated anti-virus and anti-malware software. You need to put in that next generation firewall protection on the corporate network, and more firewall protection on PCs. You must have properly functioning backup systems in place to protect your data.

Technology needs to get better. Law enforcement needs to be stronger.

You still need security awareness training, and if the human being was perfect, then awareness training may be all that was required to protect your data.

But we are not.

As for that brown stuff… it was chocolate. But what if it wasn’t?… EWWW!

Original article: Why we can't totally trust people with information security'">Stupid people and data security Why we can't totally trust people with information security

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I’ll admit that I was once like that too, but I’ve worked hard to eliminate it. Though, very rarely, when I’m really stressed out, you can see that side of me come out.. but that hasn’t happened in a really long time :-).

I’m proof that even those “techie” IT staff can change and become more personable to the users within the business. All they need to do is develop their softer skills.

What are these soft skills that IT staff should develop? And how can you help them?

Communication Skills

This is at the top of the list. The common complaint is that IT staff are unable to communicate effectively. I disagree though. IT staff are able to communicate very well; they are unable to communicate with people who are not their peers.

IT staff need to learn to communicate effectively to the layman, by understanding their audience and thinking about how they may understand the topic that they are trying to communicate.

There are many ways that you can help staff members become better communicators, whether written or verbally.

• Suggest joining Toastmasters, or send them to a Dale Carnegie course.
• Have internal sessions where you give each person a chance to speak about something non-technical that is important to them.
• Give constructive feedback on written works they’ve done.

For a member of IT learning to communicate with users is not always easy, but another skill can help…

Empathy

Empathy is the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions. I’m not at all saying that members of the IT department have no empathy; if they didn’t have empathy they’d all be sociopaths (although some may argue that they are).

What I am saying is that sometimes the IT staff has problems understanding the experiences from the users’ point of view. By helping them to become more empathetic, IT staff can relate to user challenges, and will hopefully treat them better (I make no promises).

You may sometimes hear about this as “Emotional Intelligence” as coined by Daniel Goldman. There are courses on emotional intelligence, although I believe this is something that requires longer term coaching.

Someone needs to point out to the IT person what they did, and simply ask, “How would you feel if so and so happened to you or to a loved one?” or “How do you expect that the other person feels about so and so?”.

You have to get them into the other person’s shoes so they can begin to relate to it.

Of course the person doing the coaching should be empathetic too, otherwise it’d just be a case of the blind leading the blind.

It may take some time, but after a while, the person will show improvement. Granted, they may not be the most compassionate person in the world, but they would certainly be more empathetic than they were before.

Critical Thinking

IT staff tend to be very logical thinkers. We follow a well defined thinking style to resolve issues. It is indeed one of our strengths, and is also found in areas such as engineering and other physical sciences.

However, such thinking style often results in rigid beliefs and thoughts. What we need to grow is our “Critical Thinking” skills.

Critical thinking is the process of critically assessing our thinking, and finding ways to improve it.

A definition I like from the Critical Thinking Community:

Critical thinking is that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it.

Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.

We must therefore revisit our thoughts and beliefs and discover if they are right. Especially in this fast changing field, what we once knew, may not be true anymore or even relevant.

Developing critical thinking is a process, and there are many books and tools out there to help you develop it. One of my favourite books is “Why Didn’t I Think of That? Think the Unthinkable and Achieve Creative Greatness” by Charles McCoy Jr., but there are tons of other books out there, such as “Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius” by Michael Michalko (which I also recommend), that are worth investigating.

The development of critical thinking may work best in a group setting, so set time aside for group activities where you can help your entire team become better thinkers.

In Summary

There are other skills that may help, such as presentation skills, but the three I’ve listed would help your team go a long way.

IT staff often see their technical skills as the be all and end all of what they need in order to succeed. But I’ve seen time and time again, where not having the right mix of softer skills truly hampers the growth of very talented people.

These skills just don’t make you a better member of the IT Staff… it makes you a better person.

And it’s never too late to learn to be a better person.

Original article: 3 Soft Skills that every member of IT should have'">The softer side of IT 3 Soft Skills that every member of IT should have

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What does an MSSP do?

MSSPs provide a variety of services, such as:

• Security monitoring – monitoring of firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), system logs, etc.
• Managed Spam Services – scanning of email for Spam and malicious content
• Managed Storage Services – services such as backup/restore, archiving for compliance purposes, or disaster recovery services.
• Threat Intelligent – aggregate warning system based on feedback from multiple end-users.
• Compliance auditing – auditing for compliance with government or other regulations
• Vulnerability assessments and Penetration testing – scanning and testing of systems for vulnerabilities
• Managed Network Services – monitoring of networks for performance and outage issues
• Identity and Access Management – services allowing authentication across heterogeneous systems, while maintaining compliance requirements

MSSPs are growing, and Gartner believes that the Managed Security Services (MSS) market will be worth US$2.1b in 2013, and projected to reach US$3.1b in 2013.

My concerns on IT Security Outsourcing

Firstly, let me mention my concerns about outsourcing the IT security function.

1. Accidental/Intentional leaking or theft of secret information by agents of the MSSP. This is my greatest concern, although it probably has the lowest chances of happening. Contrary to popular belief, few security professionals or agencies are willing to risk their reputations to steal or leak data, but it can happen (think of Edward Snowden). A MSSP may have access to a lot of systems and data, and does pose a risk. Capturing this risk can be difficult, as you can monitor for unauthorised access, but how do you monitor for access to data that the MSSP has to access to perform their duty?
2. The MSSP goes out of business. Don’t think that this can’t happen, because it has happened before, and it will happen again. What happens when your MSSP goes dark, do you have a contingency? Without the experience in-house, and the time it would take to find another MSSP, you will be placed in a very risky situation.
3. The MSSP fails to perform as expected. So you have a breach, and customer data is purloined, while your MSSP was supposed to be monitoring for intrusions. Who is held responsible? You can outsource your activities, but you can’t outsource your responsibilities; you are ultimately accountable for securing your systems.

Are there advantages?

There are several advantages of MSSP.

1. Lower cost. This is often the main advantage cited by enterprises for going with an MSSP, but, I warn you, should not be the only reason for outsourcing. Because of economies of scale, a MSSP can charge a fraction of what it would take to outfit your organisation – hardware, software and people – to provide the services provided by the MSSP.
2. Greater expertise. Because a MSSP may be specialised, they are more likely to have a higher calibre of security professional within their team. Additionally, because they are exposed to the systems of other organisations, they can develop best practices that they could then use for your organisation.
3. Greater intelligence. Again, the MSSP has data coming in from several organisations, and are in a position to capture events before they strike your enterprise. They could even develop new ways of analysing data to improve detection of threats.
4. Greater scalability. The service of an MSSP can be scaled up or down with little effort of the organisation.

Can you have your cake and eat it too?

Now, you have to admit, those are pretty good advantages. So how can you get those advantages while addressing the risks?

Firstly, build your own capabilities. To discover possible leaks or attempts mean that you must have the skills necessary in-house to do that. This team does not have to be big – 1 or 2 persons – as the bulk of the operational work will be performed by the MSSP. The in-house team will be responsible for managing the IT security systems, and ensuring that the MSSP is on the up and up.

Secondly, keep your IT security management in-house. Outsource the monitoring and testing activities such as monitoring of system logs and IDS/IPS systems, and vulnerability and penetration testing, but keep the management and configuration of systems being monitored or testing with your in-house staff.

Thirdly, build a relationship with the MSSP and audit them regularly, to ensure that they have the proper policies in place and that they are following them. Also, check their audited financials to look out for red flags pointing to a failing business model.

Lastly, build your service level agreements and payment contracts based on performance. That is, that your MSSP must perform to a certain standard to get remunerated for their services. These standards must be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Related – and reasonable. Remember, that when negotiating with an MSSP, that this is a partnership, not a battle; always aim for win-win.

So…

At first I was extremely wary of outsourcing IT security functions. I still take the position that if an organisation is able to, then it is preferable to have an in-house IT security team for all aspects of IT security. But the more that I look at the services that MSSPs provide, and the benefits that enterprises can obtain, there is a strong case for outsourcing some aspects that an organisation is unable to undertake.

Original article: There may be advantages to be had after all!'">Should you outsource your IT Security? There may be advantages to be had after all!

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These same reports put lack of user involvement and stakeholder engagement as one of the top obstacles that these IT projects face.

I think that IT departments sometimes forget that they’re there to help end-users do their job; IT is a tool for the business, but users are treated as secondary to the operations. This is particularly so with IT projects. I suppose it’s because it’s easy for IT teams to get absorbed and giddy with new technologies.

Users are consulted, but at the beginning of the project, and only to get the “user requirements”. The IT department then goes off to work to create the next big thing. They return later with the finished product and the users hate it. Tony Collins once said, “Users are likely to reject any system that gives them what they asked for. Better… to understand what users do rather than what they say they do.”

You can increase the chances of success of IT projects by collaborating and getting buy-in from users. Even projects that are on the brink of failure can be recovered and go on to be successful, as the PM Solutions report shows.

Here are some ways to work with your users to increase project success rates.

• Truly engage your users. Don’t just put them in a meeting and tell them what you are doing, but listen to them. Ask about their thoughts; tell them your difficulties and ask for their input on how you may solve them. You might be amazed at what you may get.
• Start training them from the start. If you have an exam in the next couple of months, you don’t wait until the last minute to study (ok, maybe some of you do, but you don’t do that well, and you forget everything by the next day); instead you study and practice a bit before the exam so you can ace it. So why does the IT department expect users to suddenly adopt the new IT system when it goes live with little or no training? Instead start training them once you have a minimum viable product. The feedback you get would also be very valuable.
• Be consistent. Have you ever gone on a diet and achieved your target weight? If you’re like most people, a few months later you’ve gained it all back, or at least a few pounds (sometimes a few more than when you started). People have a tendency to go back to the status quo if you have not put systems in place to keep the change effective. Keep on top of the users, getting their feedback, and incorporating it into continuous improvement.

Original article: Your users hold the key!'">Improve the Success Rates of your IT Projects with these Simple Ideas Your users hold the key!

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The recent call by Grenada’s Prime Minister for the unification of the region via ICT is an opportunity for Caribbean countries to explore the seemingly endless potential of technological advancements, to create a powerhouse of our own. If we were to redefine the IT department into a fully functional business unit, focused on business areas and business value, this marketing-type perspective can allow the delivery of competitive services rather than just support services.

The technology already exists that can give Caribbean businesses an edge in the global market. Some of these include –

• Pervasive Computing – used by mobile apps to automatically “find the user” based on the situation. Now this is exciting for Caribbean mobile users as 12 out of 16 countries surveyed in 2013 show mobile/cellular subscriptions densities over 100%
• Seamless Collaboration – it is easier than ever for people almost anywhere to work together in this digital age. Employees are expected to take advantage of the ever increasing popularity of social media without any formal training. By adjusting the work and processes to be more social-driven and collaborative, the organization can become more productive, efficient and innovative.
• Cloud – there is no question about using the Cloud, just “how” to use it. This will be determined by the organization’s proactive approach to the growth of hybrid cloud, especially in equipping the relevant staff with the skills required to allow the components to work seamlessly.
• Active Defence – breaches in security can pose risks to business operations during disruptions; the reputation of the organization becomes sullied should customer information be compromised; and of course the financial impact of either of these can be crippling. No longer can IT security be about monitoring and prevention alone but pre-emptive action must be taken to stay flexible, adaptable and always one step ahead of the potential danger.

There are many more innovations available to us here in the Caribbean but one aspect of implementing and using new technology that is overlooked or given little attention is the human aspect. It is not always possible to engage all employees in the decision making process but consultation with staff most impacted can allay fears of the impending changes. Rumours are often believed before any real communication occurs and this is where the IT unit can be used as the internal change agent group to facilitate the communication process between management and staff.

The possibilities IT present are endless to businesses serious about enhancing the customer and employee experience while positioning themselves to be more responsive to opportunities and threats.

Original article: ICT can help!'">Taking Caribbean Businesses Forward ICT can help!

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I’m sure you’ve also seen it happen at the department level – power plays between employees. I’ve seen it before where staff members will not do certain tasks, see issues but will not resolve it, or worst, sabotage efforts of another to make them seem incompetent.

Such negative activities reduce the capability and productivity of the department. And in the IT department, it can be hazardous for your data, which can become pawns in this dangerous game of chess play.

So what can you do about it?

1. Do not get involved

Often the manager or team supervisor will get involved with the gossip and negativity with the intention of being “friends”, but this just adds fuel to the flames. Don’t do that! Nothing demoralises a department or business more than the leadership getting involved in the politics, even if done behind closed doors.

So what to do instead?

2. Listen and Be Open

When there is conflict or negativity, listen carefully to your staff and team. Do not interject or offer advice, no matter how much you want to. Get the person talking about what is going on. Why do they feel the way they do? What do they think cause it? What do they want to happen? What would they like the environment to feel like?

Do not judge. Just listen and take notes (after asking if it is okay to do so first).

3. Mirror and empathise

This is a very tricky area here. You do not want to make light of anyone’s issues, but also you do not want to agree that they are right (unless for sure they are). Instead empathise with the way they feel saying something, “and this whole situation has you feeling… angry? Disappointed?” or “I understand that you may be feeling frustrated”. The idea here is to let the other person feel felt.

4. Formulate an action plan

Once the person is talking and is open to dialog, formulate an action plan as to what needs to happen next. It might be tempting to bring the other person in, but I suggest that you talk to the other person in private first to get them open to dialog as well. Once that happens, then you can have both in the room with you as a mediator. Mediation is another skill that I will address in another article, but for now, know that it is something that may be required.

Ensure to set deadlines to when certain things are to happen so that there is not another issue of unmet expectations.

Issues addressed, what next?

Once major issues have been addresses and things have settled down, it may be beneficial to do the following.

Understand the informal organisational structure

Not all power and influence comes from position and job title. Many people have influence outside of position or may have the ears of people in high positions. There may be cliques and groups, and others who seem dead set to put one against another. By understanding these linkages, you will be in a better position to head-off potential problems.

Keep your ears to the ground

Listen out for grumblings among employees and staff, and be ready to address any rumour circulating before they become uncontrollable. In the absence of open dialogue, presumptions run wild. Keep friendships with people who are always in tune to the grape vine; this is usually the receptionist, but could also be admin staff.

Build relationships at all levels

By building relationships at all levels of the business, you can have greater resources at your disposal to address issues that come along. You can also learn from others how best to approach certain issues so you can benefit from that knowledge and handle the politics more effectively.
Learn to recognise and treat all peers and employees fairly.

You may never be able to eliminate office politics from the work environment, but you can work to minimise the negative effects. And if you can minimise office politics within the IT department, you have one less thing affecting your data to worry about.

Do you have a story to share about how you handled your internal politics? Or how do you feel about the advice that I’ve given? Please leave your comments below.

Be sure to sign up for our e-mail list where we plan to send out regular tips on how you can improve IT and your business along with it.

Original article: Here's what you can do about it...'">Office Politics can hurt your IT Here's what you can do about it...

©2025 Interxect Services Limited. All Rights Reserved.

I mentioned before that too much technology can be detrimental to your information security goals. In the insurance industry, there is something called moral hazard. Moral hazard is where an insured person takes more risks because the potential costs of such risks are taken care of by another party.

This also happens with IT security. Think about yourselves for a moment. You feel safer with anti-virus software and personal firewalls installed on your PC, and as such you may browse more “freely” on the Internet. Yes, your risks have decreased, but the additional risky behaviour – unsafe browsing in this case – may now increase your risk of being affected by malicious software.

I’ve seen this with many organisations. They’ve implemented some of the best security, but still have security breaches, by sometimes the simplest infections. This often causes them to doubt the effectiveness of the products and to then get more security products to address the perceived weaknesses. What had instead happened was the users had come to expect that they were protected from such risks. Even the IT department is sometimes lulled into a sense of security that they don’t consistently follow the required practices to keep their network secure.

So do you have a technology problem? Are you so dependent on technology that you have put yourself and your organisation at risk?

Consider the following statements:

• You think that technology is the only way that you can protect your information assets.
• You constantly purchase the newest and latest security technologies to protect your network without reviewing whether the risks they address are relevant to you, or have already been addressed.
• You have multiple technology tools that perform the same type of task, e.g. multiple anti-virus products, because “one may detect malware that the other didn’t pick up”.
• You are unaware of what your IT and business risks are and/or you cannot identify what your critical servers and services are.
• You think that as long as you are compliant to regulatory frameworks or standards your network is protected and your information is secure.
• You and your users expect technology to do it all for you.

If you’ve answered “true” to even a few of these statements, then you may have a technology problem. You should reassess your mindset and beliefs about information security before you have yourself, a moral hazard.

Original article: How more may be less!'">Is Your Data Security Technology a Moral Hazard? How more may be less!

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The insurance industry is based on risk and a person purchasing insurance does so based on all of the possible costs that may be incurred based on the probability of the risk occurring. So someone may spend the $50 to buy some accident insurance that has a probability of 1 in 100 happening that can may incur a cost of $1000.

Now securing IT is also based around the cost that may be incurred based on risk of an incident occurring. So for example if I have a piece of equipment that costs $500 that holds data that is worth $500, then I may spend $50 to secure that $1000 worth of equipment and data from a risk that has a 1 in 100 chance of happening.

Do you notice any similarities? Of course!

I may have oversimplified a few things, but the concept is basically the same.

The only thing to consider is that in insurance, they only insure you against the risk of something happening; IT security on the other hand puts mechanisms in place to minimize the risk of something happening.

With insurance you must take appropriate steps to prevent what to avoid it particular accident from happening, while with IT security, you’re spending money to reduce the risk of a particular threat happening.

The thing with IT security, as with insurance, is that you may never eliminate a risk. You may spend thousands and millions of dollars and still a risk may remain. But if you look at the similarities of IT security and insurance it doesn’t stop there.

Another way in which they are very similar is the way that they are sold. Have you ever been sold insurance before? I have, and I personally hate insurance agents! Insurance agents sell and fear uncertainty and doubt – FUD. They sell with statements such as, “You must think about your family,” or, “What would happen if you are sick or an accident happens and you are unable to work; how are you going to support them?”
They play on fears and appeal to your darkest emotions.

IT security vendors play a similar game. They also use FUD to put buyers in an uneasy and uncomfortable position where they believe that their risk is much greater than they may perceive it to be. This is one of the reasons that I hate sales pitches from IT security vendors.

Now don’t get me wrong, I believe that IT security devices are an important part of protecting an enterprise environment. But what I also believe is that a lot of people overestimate what is required to protect their environment and, in some instances, underestimate what they should be protecting.

IT Security is not as simple as just throwing technology in there and thinking that you are protected.

IT Security involves a full holistic approach with technology, your people and executive management to bring a certain level of awareness and behaviour that will ensure a secure environment. However many businesses don’t look at the people aspect and use too much technology for their IT security needs, often based on the advice of the same IT security vendors.

Take my advice and take everything that IT Security vendors say with a tablespoonful of salt.

I understand that having a lot of IT Security systems in place helps you feel comfortable and secure. But just as you can have too much insurance, you can have too much IT Security systems.

And too much IT Security systems can have the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve. More on that point in another article.

Original article: Two sides of the same coin'">IT Security and Insurance Two sides of the same coin

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One company, Company A, opened in the late 1970’s, and the other, Company B, opened in the mid 1980’s – about seven years apart.

Company A is a thriving, growing business that has diversified itself in different areas, while Company B is stagnated (even shrinking) and struggling. Although Company A had a seven year head start over Company B, the place where Company B is now is nowhere close to where Company A was seven years ago.

I had the opportunity to speak to both owners about how they run their business (not at the same time of course) and here are a few things that I found.

• Company B focuses on low price going after customers seeking low price. Company A goes after customers who want high-value and are willing to pay a higher price.
• Company B is using the same old printers that it had for decades. Company B has invested lots of time and money in new technology, including digital printing, continuously over the years.
• Company B has staff that is unionized, even though it’s a very small business, and the owner constantly complains about them. Company B has staff that is diligent and loyal to the business and is not unionized, and the owner constantly praises them.
• The owner of Company B wants to be involved in every decision and process that there is in the company. The owner of Company B delegates authority to others for getting things done.
• Company B is trying to do the same old things and hoping to get different results. Company A continuously looks at the environment and changes its strategy to suit.

You take a look at the stark differences in approach between the two businesses and think about why Company A is doing better than Company B.

Company B still would not listen to anyone’s advice, and still continues to struggle, but perhaps you may learn a thing or two.

Original article: How two companies, in the same business, can be totally different.'">A Tale of Two Printers How two companies, in the same business, can be totally different.

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