Welcome To The
Pages From The Coach’s Playbook Blog
My ultimate goal is to write useful and relevant content about everything related to creating success and getting you to the next level. Sometimes however, I do find myself just blogging about things that need to be talked about, so don’t be surprised by what you find popping up here.
I always welcome all useful comments, suggestions and critiques. So come often, bring a friend, and stay as long as you’d like!
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Push Versus Pull Service Delivery
Push Versus Pull An Important Component of Agile Service Delivery By Manuel Palachuk A major consideration when adopting the Agile Service Delivery methodology is that it is a pull system and not a push system. This simply means that the team is constantly pulling...
The Launch of the MSP Pro Academy
The Launch of the MSP Pro Academy and the Indiegogo.com Funding Campaign By Manuel Palachuk After many years of brainstorming and collecting input for consideration, I'm finally ready to get the MSP Pro Academy launched. The intention is to build a learning and...
Championing The Cause
Championing The Cause Are You Supporting The Efforts or Hindering Them? By Manuel Palachuk If you've ever had the strange feeling that the efforts your team is working for are not fully supported by everyone on the team or even management, it's probably not...
Managing or Mentoring
Do you remember when your business consisted of nothing more than you and your dog? Maybe even your spouse was involved. And then one day it doubles in size becasue you hired your first real employee. How did you manage that person? Most likely you tried to give them autonomy in how they operated and relied on their skills to get things done. At this stage, most small businesses get by through the heroic efforts of individuals. Fast forward to today where you may have anywhere from ten to fifty or even one hundred people in your organization.
#Mannyisms – Inspirational Words To Live By
Many years ago I wrote an article entitled Take Time In Your Life For Inspiration. In it I make what is now my personal statement: I believe that everyone is capable of both being inspired and inspiring others. A most valuable trait is the ability to take time in your life to recognize when you should be doing which.
I was recently reminded that people undertake actions or activities and they often don’t realize that what they are doing may actually help inspire others. In my most recent Coach’s Huddle with a set group of MSP’s from all over the US and one in Great Britain, I got a real big surprise.
Communication Conundrum
When I was young, if I wanted to talk to my best friend Randy without going over to his house or meeting him somewhere, I had only one choice – call him on the telephone. Of course, I could only call him if he had previously given me his phone number or if I knew the last name used for setting up the telephone account. You see, his mother remarried and she did not have the same last name as Randy. So if I did not know his mom or stepdad’s last name, I had no chance of getting his phone number from the operator (Information). Today, if I want to connect with someone, I have numerous choices of how to connect including email, phone, video, texting, online chat, social media, and even discussion forums. And I don’t even need to know the other person’s last name let alone their real name.
ITSM – Information Technology Service Management
A few years back I wrote an article on ITIL – Information Technology Infrastructure Library and I even interviewed an expert on the subject. ITIL has always been through of as the best practice library for big corporations but it is folks like myself who are trying to pull that curtain down all the way to the floor, as it were. We think that what ITIL has to offer is of great value to any size organization that intends to sell and deliver IT services.
Compass Cross-check
As I’m writing my book Getting To The Next Level and rounding out the chapter on this thing I call the organization Compass, I put together an anecdote to help drive home the importance of getting it right. Besides being a sneak peek at more of the book before it releases, it’s a great compass cross-check everyone should read. Here it is:
In my book Getting To The Next Level, I cover a lot of ground in the discussion of the Compass segment of the Pyramid of Purpose and Value. I try to make it clear how the three levels – Products and Services, Target Market, and Operating Systems – combine to determine the direction in which the organization is going. They make up the compass and point where we are going as an organization. They determine who we will partner with and who we will build our relationships with.
What my clients are saying…
“Manuel is so much more than a coach. If you own or manage an MSP, you need to talk with him. His extensive experience and unique system takes your business and draws a picture. The picture starts with what your business looks like today, and… Read more “Rayanne Buchianico, Owner, ABC Solutions, LLC”
“My business process was held together with duct tape when I met Manuel, which created a lot of chaos in my business. He told me I needed to automate my business so I did not have to work in my business and showed me a… Read more “Brian Glover, CEO, Technology Solutions Consulting”
“When I engaged with Manuel, my business was at a very bad point. We were not providing good service to our customers. Every tech did things differently, and we had a cowboy lead technician that was causing more harm than good and a system that… Read more “Philipp Baumann, President, BoomTech, Inc.”
“Manuel is a black belt at building and sustaining a true proactive service delivery model. He works to build and change cultures within organizations. Other business coaches are generic; Manuel understands the MSP model and how to achieve excellence in service delivery. He understands our… Read more “Jon Sastre, Senior Vice President of Cloud Services, United Data Technologies”
“What difference has Manuel’s coaching made? How do you say ‘EVERYTHING’? He understands the trials of an IT company owner. Not just the IT side, but the family side, the team side. He has all the areas covered. The reason his training is different is… Read more “William Lanier, CEO, Christian Computers, LLC”
“Manuel’s coaching has made a tremendous difference in my life as a whole. Before I met Manual, I did not see myself as someone who was in control of my career. His coaching has not only allowed me to see how I am in control,… Read more “Robin Galley, Assistant Vice President, Golden Pacific Bank”
“I wanted a coach who wouldn’t just tell me what I needed to do, but how I needed to do it. As a business owner, I understood the various areas I needed to work on, but wasn’t sure how I could go about improving those… Read more “Ahsun Saleem, President, Simplegrid Technology Inc.”
“I chose to coach with Manuel because I appreciate how he does business. Manuel is rigorous, process focused, and genuinely cares about his clients and individuals and their businesses as a whole. Manuel helped me think through the process of creating a rigorous process manual,… Read more “Josh Weiss, President & Founder, L.A. Creative Technologies”
“The difference Manuel has made to my personal life, team, and organization in the short time working with him has been immeasurable. I knew who he was before we started working together, but didn’t realize he was on a mission to help other people succeed… Read more “Mike Ita, CEO & Founder, IT Corps”
“I find working with Manuel to be efficient and productive. He is very task orientated and holds everyone accountable. Manuel brings real knowledge and experience. He knows how to make you more profitable. Manuel is not there to lay out a plan and not see… Read more “Jim Hunton, President, Onsite Technical Services LLC”
“I find value in working with Manuel in many ways – financially, organizationally, and new and enhanced professional relationships. He has been a breath of fresh air, helping me recognize areas of my business that are ripe for improvement, giving me ideas for growing my… Read more “Ken Dwight, President, The Virus Doctor”
“Manuel comes from a true foundation of success in our industry in his own right, combines it with top-notch operations consulting and business strategy, and has a coaching style that gives it to you straight while simultaneously being encouraging with no judgment or criticism. I… Read more “Ben Ahlquist, President, ByteSmart Services LLC”
“I had joined a Microsoft networking event and after the first few meetings, I began to notice a pattern: The most successful members seemed to have a common denominator – Manuel. This is what made me choose Manuel for coaching. Before working with Manuel, we… Read more “David Moadab, CEO, Solutions Squad Inc.”
“I’ve been working with Manuel going on 4 years and I can say my experience has been nothing shy of phenomenal. Manuel has years of real-world experience both as an engineer and in IT, developing and following formalized processes that have enabled him to build… Read more “Schyler Jones, Owner, MiradorIT LLC”
“The CCIT staff has responded well to Manuel’s coaching because they can see the improvement in our day-to-day process. The training emphasizes the need for our technical staff to document and function as a team as opposed to each tech working as an individual. Manuel’s… Read more “Patrick Eloi, Owner and General Manager, Complete Care IT”
“Working with Manuel has been business-changing and far exceeded my expectations. He isn’t lying when he says he takes you to the gym. My head muscle hurts (in a good way)! The MPI Getting to the Next Level program has completely changed our service delivery… Read more “Jason R. Etheridge, President, Logic Speak”
“Manuel is direct and clear. He stands by his advice and recommendations. There’s never any guessing as to what he means or what I should do. Manuel provided solid business advice in the IT service provider field. He had not only the business coaching, but… Read more “John Verbrugge, President, Nonlinear Tech Inc.”
“I like a no B.S. way of communicating. Manuel communicates clearly and with a conviction that gets my attention even when I don’t agree with him. There’s no sales pitch in Manuel’s delivery. He really keeps it real. Manuel is focused on success in our… Read more “Felipe Vidal, President, Vital Systems Support”
“I love working with Manuel. He constantly gets me past my sticking points. When I feel stuck, I know Manuel will get me going again to reach my goals. Before working with Manuel, I actually wasn’t even using PSA. Manuel made sure I implemented a… Read more “Eddie Joffe, Owner, NetZone Technologies”
“The most important benefit to Manuel’s coaching has been his encouragement and being told that we’re making improvements. When you’re in the thick of it every day, it can sometimes seem that you’re not making any progress and things are just the same that they’ve… Read more “Steve Bootes, Owner, Computing Dynamics Ltd.”
“It is most important to note that Manuel truly understands every aspect of our business and our product. There is no doubt that his experience in the service industry has helped us put together many of our best processes in much less time than if… Read more “Stephen H. Watkins, Sr., Owner, S.H. Watkins and Associates”
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