Old School Methods for New School Business Success

As technology keeps leading us into the future, it can be easy to lose sight of traditional leadership methods. Since the newest gadgets are so appealing, it's tempting to have technology automate our decision making as a crutch. Can technology really replace the old school business leadership practices?

In order to compete, business owners need to be cognizant of using the tried and true methods that have worked for businesses for the better part of a century. The newest technology tools, including cloud computing and automation software, have provided businesses with an avenue for measurable company growth and efficiency, but they can still be inferior to battle-tested old school techniques.

Nothing Beats Just Talking to Someone
There's a reason why some of the biggest names in business continue to dominate their respective markets. Much of it has to do with their ability to look past their technology and rely on good old-fashioned customer service with a human touch. If you want to walk the walk of success, you need to know how to literally talk the talk. Being able to communicate properly with clientele is a crucial variable for every company. Web tools such as email, instant messaging, and video conferencing are great for communicating with customers and staff members, but no technology can replace good old fashioned face-to-face interactions.

No software is going to give you the same feel for how a project is actually going compared to taking time to walk around the office, approach your teams, and discusses with them how it's going. The tone of someone's voice, eye contact, and the overall physical demeanor of a person's actions are invaluable cues that will tell you where a project may actually be headed, as opposed to what's presented in an email. Communication Technology Can Improve Long-Distance Management
Directly talking with someone is the best way to communicate, this is without debate. Many business owners simply may not have the ability to be onsite all of the time for face-to-face meetings. For busy executives like this, there are many communication solutions out there that can present a stop gap to fill in for intimate meetings. Conferencing solutions such as Skype, Google Hangouts, or Citrix GoToMeeting can present a high-degree of value by giving you the ability to make eye contact and review the status of project with your staff. Using these solutions can ensure that projects have proper oversight so that you won't be surprised at the direction of the project when you make it back to your office. Putting in Extra Work is the Oldest Method for Success
The old school book of leadership implies that, as the leader of your company, the more involved you are with your employees and your projects, the more that the work will meet your expectations. One way that technology helps you to achieve this is by freeing you up from computer maintenances. By outsourcing your company's time-consuming network maintenances like data backup, virus scans, software updates, and more, you will find extra time on your hands to get down in the trenches and lead your team to victory (the old school way).

A hands-on approach to business leadership can be demanding and time consuming, but doing things the old school way isn't easy. You may have to put in some extra time each week in order to have important conversations that aren't scheduled on your calendar app, or spend extra time videoconferencing with your team from the road in order to make sure that the project meets your standards of excellence.

In the end, all of your hard work and perseverance will enhance your company's ability to profit, grow, and compete. To learn more about how new school technology can help you lead your company the old school way, give Directive a call at 607.433.2200. Our team of IT consultants can find the right conferencing solution to meet the needs of your organization.