Micro Tech Systems - December 2019

Micro Tech Systems - December 2019

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December 2019

10 Years in the Driver’s Seat Reflecting on the Past Decade With MicroTech

As we near the end of another decade, I can’t help but think, “Geez, I’m already 10 years older …”

families, but as the decade wore on, the hard work upfront had a tremendous payoff.

Existential crisis aside, this past decade has been a period of transition and growth for MicroTech Systems. In 2010, 40 years after he started this business, my dad retired. My business partner, Stuart, and I bought out the business from him, which provided us with our first big lesson in business. It’s a little comical looking back on it now. My dad was always willing to teach a lesson, and he wasn’t going to let passing off a business or tradition onto his son spare him that opportunity. When my dad retired, he essentially drained our accounts while he was still the majority owner. Meanwhile, I learned that in business transactions, working capital is a doozy. (Seriously, don’t forget about this if you’re buying or selling a business.) So, we started the decade short on cash, and while it was stressful, to a point, it kept us hungry. We had to find ways to make things happen. And, honestly, it was liberating. As I have mentioned in this newsletter, my dad did a great job of sitting back and letting me take the reins of MicroTech for years prior to his departure. But once I was able to fully take the lead in the driver’s seat, even as we were strapped for cash, I saw a point where we could start building. When I took over from my father, we only had a handful of employees. In those early years, we all held multiple positions. I was the CEO as well as a technician. We had to fit into a sales role, do admin work, and stay up-to-date on technology’s latest advances. There were holidays worked through and long hours spent away from our

In the latter half of the decade, we saw that constantly putting our nose to the grindstone was only causing us to move in circles. Instead, we had to find processes that were going to help us grow. Today, we have 20 employees, which allows us to delegate specific tasks to employees so they no longer have to serve in multiple roles at the company. We have come a long way since 2010, and I’m hopeful that by the end of the next decade, we will continue to grow. As I mentioned in our November 2019 newsletter, the Treasure Valley’s growth is conducive to business growth. I’m excited to see how the huge influx of people will continue to make us stronger. Of course, I can’t look back on the decade without considering how my personal life has changed. In 2010, my eldest child was 10 years old, and in the past 10 years, our family has finished elementary and middle school, are nearing the end of our high school experience with our junior and senior, and sent one child off to college. Keri even returned to work in this decade! By 2030, Keri and I could very well be empty-nesters. But no one knows what the next decade will hold. I do know that if it’s anything like the last 10 years, it may be a lot of work, but it will all be worth it.

Have a wonderful holiday season, –Randy Amorebieta

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DELEGATE TO ELEVATE The Secret to Being a Great Leader

Time-Consuming: These important, complex tasks don’t require you to do the first 80% of the work. Identify what they are, pass them to someone else, and step in for the final 20% to give approval. Teachable: Is there a task only you know how to do? If so, teach someone else to do it, and step in for the last quality check when it’s done. Terrible At: It’s okay to be bad at some things. Great leaders know when to pass tasks off to someone who is more skilled than they are. The task will get done faster and at a much higher quality. Time-Sensitive: These tasks need to get done right now but are competing with tasks of a higher priority. Just because it has to get done immediately doesn’t mean you have to be the one to do it. Sure, some tasks only you can accomplish, but these are extremely rare. As the Virgin Group founder Richard Branson warns, needlessly resisting delegation is the path to disaster. “You need to learn to delegate so that you can focus on the big picture,” Branson says. “It’s vital to the success of your business that you learn to hand off those things that you aren’t able to do well.”

Poor delegation is the Achilles’ heel of most leaders, who often confuse being “involved” with being “essential.” To determine if you’re holding on to work you should delegate out, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) recommends asking this simple question: “If you had to take an unexpected week off work, would your initiatives and priorities advance in your absence?” If your answer is no or you aren’t sure, then you’re probably too involved. No one person should be the cog that keeps everything in motion, no matter their position in the company. Luckily, HBR has created an audit using the following six T’s to identify which tasks can be delegated. Tiny: Small tasks that stack up can undermine the flow of your work. Registering for a conference, putting it on the calendar, and booking the flight are all small tasks someone else can handle. Tedious: These tasks are straightforward but not the best use of your time. Someone else can input lists into spreadsheets or update key performance indicators for a presentation.

Happy Holidays!

CELEBRATE!

At MicroTech Systems, our mission to provide 5-star IT service wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated employees. Whether they have been with us for years or weeks, we appreciate their commitment. This December, we would like to honor Scott on his four-year work anniversary! We would also like to wish Ken, Danny, and Mike a very happy birthday !

As we prepare to leave 2019 in the past, we cannot help but think about how fortunate we are to serve the Treasure Valley. Thank you for trusting us with all your IT and technology needs, especially during this particularly busy year of a Microsoft transition. We cannot wait to serve you again in 2020. And to our faithful employees, MicroTech would not be the company it is today without your attentiveness, compassion, and knowledge. Thank you for your dedication and commitment. From all of us at MicroTech Systems, have a wonderful holiday!

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STOP THE JUGGLE!

CONVERT TO MICROSOFT 365 BEFORE SMALL-BUSINESS SERVER DIES

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