What will it take for you?

Finding out what others need can be tricky. Especially when you have some skills in some of the areas. I have found it difficult to separate myself from a possible solution when dealing with consulting firms. My initial objective is to define all of the things that they believe that they need order to love what they do. Believing that I know that they need some help connecting fully with their staff and also are in need of additional technical support from a senior I continue to confuse the matter. I am also finding myself confusing the heck out of them too. Now it is not to say that I might actually be a part of the solution, but at least initially, it is simply a conversation around what they need. What I do is connect with people, have powerful conversations about right where they are at, determine if there is a way that I can help them directly, and connect in others from the community for the areas where I cannot be of value. Its that simple. Now that doesn't mean it can't get confusing. And it has been. Companies get themselves, people get themselves, into some big complicated messes. I help sort through it all. What is it going to take for you to love your technology?

Customer Care: How are you handling it?

It is so easy to start a company based on what you know how to do. I can fix cars, so voila, I start a garage. Well, what happens when the most important people involved in your business don't have a channel to fully communicate their entire experience to you? Believe, I know how hard feedback is, but let me tell you, it is the most important piece of information you could ever hear. Especially from those around you that are seemingly eager to tell you about how poorly you've handled something. And they are usually right on. Sure there is some emotional charge there that is theirs to own and be with, the actual cold hard data, that stff is priceless for those business owners who really do want to serve their customers. So how are you handling it? This seems like a big question, but the truth is yo probably already know a portion of what is going on in your business. Things like, who is the least happy, who will never return as a customer, maybe even who were your best successes, but if you are really lucky, you know about the really bad deals you've made. The customers that you have really done wrong. But it doesn't stop there. It is easy to believe that our customers are the only beneficiary of customer care, but there is another group in there that is equally as important; our employees. They are the ones, if you have been successful enough to have them, who are actually selling you to your customers. They control your namesake and what your customers believe and tell others about you. It is critical that they have a place to speak too. So where do you start? The first thing is go ahead and review your brain for all of those comments you've been hearing for months, but have made up that there is nothing you can do, or they will just get over it, or who do they think they are. You may have your own version, but you know what they are. These are the low hanging fruit. You already know about these. Let's address them immediately. They have been going on for a while now and some of them are likely starting to fester, if they have not already been the cause of the some customers leaving and employees quitting. Next, let's be really intentional and let everyone know that you are now taking feedback and to please let you know if there is anything that they need to tell you. Assure them that they will not be fired for simply telling you. Second, you should start interviewing your employees again, be clear about stuff that you do know, but in a way that owns it (like you know Bob told you that Sarah thinks you hate her, but tell Sarah that you know that you haven't been the nicest boss and you want to work through it and be better). This will make it safe for those who do have something to say. Again, you should be tapping your own memory on this as you likely know what certain employees or customers will say about you. We want to believe that we don't know, but we have an idea. If they tell you things are great, consider that you haven't owned enough of it yet and made it safe for them. Attempt to go deeper if possible. Otherwise, have them review and sign a survey/review of the details of your discussion to promote honesty and accountability in future interactions. This may take a while depending on how many clients (who are actually willing to participate) and employees, but once you have at least gotten through this process once, then you will have a better idea for next time. Rinse and repeat.

LYT Deliverables: this is what we offer

Love Your Technology is focused on fully connecting with you, understanding all of what you are about, and partnering with you to support you in getting where you want to go. The 3 ways that we do that are;

1. Conversations - our varied experience as technologists, humans, and members of families and society create a unique and powerful resource to have in all of your conversations. This is the core deliverable of LYT. Within this piece alone, exists meaningful information, insights, and scenarios that give you the edge in really understanding what it is you want to be doing with your technology. Simply put, business is done in conversations.
2. Training/OJT Support - an opportunity to have an experienced engineer be with your employees and actually train them at their job. This is a great way to understand the exact workflow of your staff and all of the obstacles that keep them from being great...in real time!
3. Resource Referrals - you need community, now more than ever. To fully empower you to move forward and magnify your efforts, allow LYT to create opportunities for other companies, executives, and specialists to contribute to you and expand your current viewpoint. This will lead to not only some powerful conversations, but some real impact on the direction of your efforts.

Please call today to start your conversation!
Jeff Gaff
Founder
Lone Your Technology
281.222.1930
Jeff@Loveyourtechnology.com

Technology translation

With as much technology related gear that exists in the world today, it is extremely difficult to determine what you need, how to get it, and where it connects within your workflow. Do you buy Windows Vista or roll back to XP? Do you get a Mac or a PC? Do you move your equipment to a colocation facility or simply renovate your existing premises? How do you manage all of the myriad of technical details regarding a large scale multi-system upgrade project within your enterprise? What type of PDA should I get? How do I publish my digital music? The list goes on and extends into all industries, schools of thought, business, personal, etc. So what do you do? Where do you go? Do you really know a highly experienced, friendly, well communicated, technical person that can actually be objective and have a straight conversation with you? If you do, please affirm him or her as he/she is very valuable. Otherwise, look to Love Your Technology. That is what we are. Because of all the things in this world, right now you need straight objective talk about your technology decisions from someone who has been there and done that and can communicate it in a non-technical way. Please call today for start the conversation!

Jeff Gaff
Founder
Lone Your Technology
281.222.1930
Jeff@Loveyourtechnology.com

Right here, Right now!

Do you know any companies open and ready to love their technology?

Please let me know, thanks.

Jeff Gaff
Founder, LYT
281.222.1930
Jeff@Loveyourtechnology.com

Can technology heighten our awareness

Not directly. Which is a core view of LYT and its approach. Technology is the facilities in which other humans connect. That connection is what enhances and expands our awareness and consciousness, but only when it is from a very real, raw and vulnerable place. This is another core view of LYT. That all human connections be enriched and fortified by way of emotional presence. That is where our facilitation services come in. We participate interactively and cooperatively with our customers and their emplyoees to develop and nurture a more loving and emotionally aware relational atmosphere. Along with supplementary phone support for all parties for life.

Next up!

Human Empowerment Project
EMOTE Music Workshop
TechConnect with lifetime support

LYT success!

Loving our technology, is not always about just that. It's about leaving technology in its place. Loving it enough to not abuse it. Use it when you can and it works and don't when you don't. Perfect example:

I spoke with a new client today. I was simply trying to make sense of what she needed. She was mentioning marketing and hiring a person and invoices she was scanning. I actually got very confused. As I began to clarify, she stopped me and talked to someone in the room for a moment then came back. I had given her an idea. A way to fix an issue she was having. I'm sure I didn't know what she had just figured out. I was simply asking questions. I barely said much. Apparently, she needed to get the customer information from about 750 invoices into some form of electronic data. She had no idea what she was going to do. I mentioned that she should simply have someone type them into a spreadsheet manually. It shouldn't take more than a weekend. She was already off having it implemented by her idle receptionist. Well, that was solved. Now I am going to go meet her at her offices and discuss what is really going on.

Love Your Technology: don't abuse it. Keep it simple.

Technology: Saving time or wasting it?

This one can be a slick and sneaky one. Whether or not my time is saved or wasted, although seemingly confusing, is actually very straight forward and obvious. It is up to me to be truly honest with myself about it and stand for something bigger. Not just give in to what I think is cool. Wikipedia is cool, but sadly is largely a waste of time. I don't need to know about that new movie or whether or not Iceland's new Prime Minister is openly gay. I just don't. My time is better spent getting out there and helping others with technology. As it is a confusing thing at times and people can get so caught up in what is cool. Don't get me wrong (as I write this blog mind you) that I think written word on the Internet is a waste of time. But, again, what intention is it serving. If Wikipedia gets you motivated to go connect with a human on the topic you just read and find ways to serve each other or just connect as humans...awesome! If it is just a really great way to know lots of cool stuff and time warp your boring work day, then not so awesome. This is where it can get sneaky, which only means to the extent that we are hiding from ourselves. Thats all I have to say on that right now.

Ongoing case study: An exploratory conversation

Do you love your technology?

LYT founder Jeff Gaff is connecting with local technology companies requesting their participation in a case study.

Coutinho & Ferrostaal
EmLogis
Houston Piano Company
Internap
Time Warner Telecom
You Got IT