Six personal benefits of having a good Technology Services Partner (TSP)
The traditional benefits of outsourcing to a Managed Service Provider include a management and support role for your IT. In contrast, a next-gen Technology Services Partner offers strategic leadership, boosting operational efficiency throughout your business by leveraging technology to achieve your objectives. Having the right Technology Services Partner on board can bring about many surprising personal benefits for CIOs and IT Directors, most of which are not considered.
The CIO role is one of the most challenging jobs in the C-Suite. The rest of the business doesn’t really understand what you do, but we’ve got your back. It’s a high-pressure role with expectations at an all-time high in the wake of the pandemic. You have to deal with dwindling budgets, competitive pressures and operational concerns. You’re living with that niggling anxiety that something catastrophic could happen at any time, and you’re ultimately responsible.
Many IT Directors and CIOs are often generalists and are juggling both operational and strategic demands. The day-to-day operational stuff can be draining. If you were to concentrate on your strengths, what do you think you could achieve if you just had more time? The “just keep operating” mentality is consuming, but you need to be considering the technology and strategy that gives your organisation a competitive advantage. We’ve come up with an alternative list of benefits of having a good TSP onboard that are far more personal and life-enhancing than the traditional organisational advantages.
- Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Imagine a world where keeping the lights on doesn’t keep you awake at night. Being relaxed and sleeping well uninterrupted improves your attention and concentration, boosts your immune system, reduces stress, improves your mood, enhances productivity and can boost your overall physical and mental health. Take advantage of the comfort and peace of mind of having a team of trusted experts that you can rely on to deliver for you.
- You’ll have more time to enhance your reputation in the organisation and focus on your career planning and development. With a good TSP as your wingman, the operational stuff takes care of itself. The accountability aspect shifts to your provider, and you’re getting higher service levels and guaranteed SLAs. Both you and your team will have more time to focus on core objectives and innovation projects. Having more time means developing more of an ownership mindset when it comes to your career. Whether it’s working on your leadership skills, developing your emotional intelligence, learning about emerging tech, developing new partnerships or networking with industry peers, having a good TSP on board will help you become a better than average IT Leader.
- Everyone would like more time to spend doing the things they love outside of the workplace. Due to the highly pressurised nature of the role, IT Leaders tend to struggle with achieving a sensible work/life balance. It’s essential to commit to investing in yourself personally instead of persisting with the “I just don’t have time” excuse. An ever-increasing workload coupled with an inability to switch off is not a great combination for keeping your work/life balance in sync. We can be pretty confident that nobody gets to the end and says, “my only regret is I wish I’d spent more time at work.” How many times have you cancelled that squash match after work or those after-work drinks or missed the kids’ bath and bedtime, or maybe even had a weekend ruined because of unplanned downtime or a security breach? Partnering with a good TSP can help you improve your life outside of work as you’ll be able to work smarter and not longer.
- Outsourcing to a good TSP is an effective way of combating chronic busyness. When someone asks, “how are things at work?” the answer is always “insanely busy,” but ask yourself when they ever weren’t. Chronic busyness can be an unhealthy addiction but having a good TSP is the perfect therapy and a good strategy for avoiding burnout. Having less to worry about gives you the licence to breathe deeply, clear your mind and slow down. You’re the organisation’s engine, but you forget that all engines need servicing at some point. Having a good TSP onboard is surrounding yourself with a great supporting cast, meaning you can shine in the lead role.
- Imagine going away on holiday and having proper downtime. Whether you’re on an idyllic white sandy beach sipping pina Coladas or camping in the rain in the Welsh Valleys, you don’t want to have to find a Wi-Fi or phone signal just to check-in, and you don’t want to be thinking about work. You need to unplug and give yourself some mental space. The peace of mind that comes with having a good TSP taking care of business means you can achieve just that.
- Monday mornings will never seem as daunting ever again.
