ESA Makes Investing In Your Team Easy!
I always enjoy writing articles for Security Nation since it forces me to slow down and reflect. Not normal behavior if you know me. As I took the opportunity to slow down this time, I was struck by a recent discussion with my management team.
We had just wrapped up ESX and my director of operations, Bryce Behnam, asked each manager to say something that resonated with them from attending the ESX virtual experience. Being a luddite myself (it is true I believe we are better off without cell phones, text, and email) I was skeptical the team gleaned much at all within a virtual environment. To my surprise, they each were able to articulate what they learned and took away from the experience and how they were going to apply it within their area of responsibility.
From cybersecurity to operations and even sales — everyone gave their input. This excluded the keynote speaker as we are scheduling a separate time to unwrap, discuss, and put an action plan together about the content delivered during this ESX Main Stage session.
My standing rule for team members allowed to attend industry events is they must come back with one best practice they can implement in the business in the next 30 days.
Now, as reflection often does, it led me down a path of remembering a rewarding time a few years back that came from attending ESA’s Leadership Summit. My business partner and I had an amazing time gathering all sorts of ideas from the educational sessions and networking opportunities. Sitting on the plane on the way home we were reflecting on the keynote speaker Mark Murphy and his presentation based on a book he had written called “Hiring for Attitude”. During our discussion it became clear that although our company had a value statement there was a way to simplify it to become more like a “brown shorts” style company.
Our whole management team read the book and we embarked on redefining our values as Willing to Learn, Positive Attitude, and Problem Solver. This changed the complete process by which we hire, review, discipline, and ultimately terminate employees. Our company culture was good before, but I can say that now it is great!
There is so much to be said about the importance of developing your team, about committing to being a lifelong learner — about evolving, especially in this industry. Those who commit to this are the most successful people I know. In this edition of Security Nation, you’ll read about a new member in Maryland that shares in this commitment (page 18). There are nuggets in this very edition of the magazine to help you stay on top of trends and learn best practices on sales compensation plans (page 46).
I challenge every member of ESA to attend the Leadership Summit, Oct 4- 7 at the Omni Frisco, TX. This uniquely strategic event is tailored for executive teams. I you urge you to consider bringing additional key leaders in the company. I speak from personal experience when I say this investment made into key personnel will return 10-fold back into your company.
May I even be so bold as to encourage you to follow my rule of ONLY IMPLEMENTING ONE THING within 30 days. Those that know me well understand I am an idea guy that wants to implement them all. My staff rejoiced when my mentor intervened and convinced me to limit my implementation of ESA event take a ways to ONLY ONE THING!
I look forward to seeing you at the ESA Leadership Summit Oct. 4-7 in Frisco, TX. Let me know you read this article when you see me at the Summit and I will buy you a drink!
