Every business hits a jam at one time or another.Is brushing
away crises by using information technology consulting a futile cause, or is
there real value in seeking a second opinion?
Dentists
have the answer
My wife is always exhorting that I plan for the unexpected, and in
general I agree. I was fortunate enough to have a little time on my
hands the other day when I was due for a dental appointment first thing
in the morning. It occurred to me that I could just sit down and get
into a job or read an article, but I have a thing about being late, so
I decided to head off to the dentist’s surgery early. I had a
laptop with me, and it really wouldn’t be a chore to sit in
the waiting room while I was waiting. Any job I did there would take
the purpose of my visit off my mind, and even though I don’t
tend to get nervous there isn’t a lot to do whilst you are
sitting there.
Being
well equipped, I started the short journey of about three
milesinto the town where the dental practice was set up. I passed the
local
hospital and had a good half an hour to spare as I approached the
junction just before the surgery.
Expecting
the unexpected
There was a bit of a queue at the junction, and it was immediately
obvious why it had come to a halt. I was not at all anxious because I
had time on my side, but as I got nearer I felt that slight tug at my
heart brought on by the shock of finding our all was not well.
With the
surgery only about a quarter of a mile away, it turned out
that the road was closed due road re-surfacing, leaving only a single
exit to the left through the wrong side of town. Other than turning
around and going back the way I came there was no alternative but to
sit it out, moving slowly with the queue around the outskirts of town.
The
pulse starts racing
It’s difficult to suppress anxiety when you know you have a
deadline, and this was no exception. I knew that keeping cool was
important because it would ensure that I made rational decisions rather
than tilting at windmills. I took the next right into town and that
proved to be my salvation. Although there was traffic in the town, it
was moving steadily.
Facing
the truth
Later on I was chatting to a client who was bemoaning the economic
downturn. Technology was leaving him behind and his products needed to
be brought up to date. When times were good there had seemed to be no
reason to invest heavily in the future, but here he was now finding
that he was in a lather because his business was under siege from all
directions.
Luckily as I helped him with information technology consulting, it
became clear that we had a way forward. He relied on his niche software
solutions for a long time, but in fact there were two potential paths
he could follow that would help him out. It was going to cost him a
lot, and at a time when money was not as easy to come by, but we talked
about how my small business consulting skills were there to help him
economically.
Without
the right mindset
I would never have arrived at the dentist on
time,
and I would have generated my own local crisis. Being prepared
for the unexpected is just the reason that my clients have realised
that an information technology consulting partner is an economical to
unlock
today’s road jams, and to plan a strategy for the unknown of
tomorrow.
