MicroTech Systems - December 2020

MicroTech Systems - December 2020

(208) 345-0054 www.microtechboise.com MicroTech Pages

DEC 2020

Moving Forward

Finding Value in 2020

T here are moments in life that we never forget. Just like many of you, I can recall what I was doing the very moment I heard about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center on 9/11. On a local level, I’ll never forget where I was when the Borah Peak earthquake rocked central Idaho on Oct. 28, 1983. At the time, I was 10 years old and in the library learning Spanish before school when the books on the shelves began to sway and fall. I learned that my fight-or-flight response was flight as I took off out the door! All I remember is wanting to get away from the shaking as fast as I could. That moment of panic is forever seared into my memory. But as I sat down to write this last cover letter of 2020, I realized there aren’t many moments from this year that are as etched into my memory as those big events. It’s strange to think that in a year with historic floods, political turmoil, major wildfires, a pandemic, riots, an economic shutdown, and here, even an earthquake, in addition to every other little personal thing that has happened this year, many of us will likely leave 2020 so shellshocked that we won’t remember most of what actually happened. It won’t be a matter of fleeting seconds that we recall years later; it will be a jumble of confusion and uncertainty pieced together from the nuttiest year of our lives. So, how do we even begin to plan for 2021? This won’t all just go away at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, and frankly, I was struggling to grasp where to begin planning.

track to meet those goals, but that all came crashing down in March as the pandemic swept our nation. Then, we were in scramble mode. Our sole focus was on helping our clients secure the tools they needed and managing our own ship with Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans and other measures. As we sit in the fourth quarter of the year, we’ve only hit 10%–15% of our goals for the year. And to think, we were doing so well in February! But as I look to 2021, I say, “Enough is enough.” We’ve muddled through the distractions, and now we have to refocus and get back to work on what we want to accomplish. If you’re like I was and just catching your breath from the chaos that was 2020, I would suggest you get back to the basics. What do you want to accomplish? How can you be better? What do you need to do to achieve this? That’s what I’m asking myself and my team here at MicroTech Systems. On paper, 2020 was a complete failure for our goals, but it gave us the lessons and tools we needed to succeed in this strange pandemic world. In 2021, my hope is to cut out the distractions and get back to some sense of normalcy — whatever that may look like. We may not remember all that happened in 2020, but there has been value in the lessons we’ve learned, and it’s time we stopped dwelling on what could have been.

Here’s to moving forward in 2021! Wishing you and your family a very happy and safe holiday season.

–Randy Amorebieta

To help, I’ve been trying to find some perspective. Last year at this time, we outlined our goals for 2020. In January and February, we were on

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Decisions, Decisions Tactics for Making the Best Business Choices

No. 2: Don’t go with the status quo. “This is how we’ve always done it” will kill your business. Nothing is the same as it was just one year ago. The entire world has transformed, and attempting to continue with what’s “normal” will only cause you to miss what could be. As you plan for 2021, consider the abnormal. Look at options you would have never considered doing and test their efficacy. If one fails, move on. But there’s a big chance that you may stumble into something that is totally unique and completely worth your time. No. 3: Embrace change. You’ve set your course. You have your team in place. You’re excited to begin. Now, get ready to change everything. Sounds exhausting, right? But it can happen. Rather than being resistant to what isn’t working, admit defeat and move on. If there’s one benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we were all given a crash course on how to adapt quickly. Take those lessons and apply them to your 2021 plan. Be prepared to admit when your original plan isn’t working because staying on an ineffective course can do more harm than good.

As a business leader, you’re likely well-versed in making decisions, but in the midst of a global health crisis, a political minefield, and environmental disasters, planning for the upcoming year is different territory for even the most seasoned business professionals. So, how do you make the right decisions for your 2021 plans? Start with these three steps.

No. 1: Look at the >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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