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As a business owner,
I know you don't
have time to waste
on technical and
operational issues.
That's where we shine!
Call us, and put an
end to your IT
problems finally
and forever!
- Lauren Groff
Groff NetWorks, LLC
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Are You A Manager... Or A Leader?
Modern leadership guru, Warren Bennis, said, "Managers are the people who do things right, and leaders are the people who do the right thing." To run a business well, you need both. Employees, finances, sales, marketing, operations and, yes, I.T. all need BOTH a manager AND a leader. But that doesn't mean you should be the one doing both.
Why Leadership Is Your #1 Job
Bennis's idea is this: You need management. True. Managers budget, organize, react to situations and solve problems. They ensure things get done, monitor the day-to-day, and enforce the rules. They are the tactical part of your business. You probably do a fair amount of managing things now. But just like everyone else, you only have 24 hours in a day. So some management tasks can and should be delegated, hired, or outsourced.
Bennis, who was cited by Global Gurus International as one of the top 30 leadership experts in the world, defines leadership differently. Leaders establish direction, align people, and motivate and inspire to prevent problems. Like it or not, everything in your business - good and bad - ties back to the leader. Unless and until you grow leaders inside your company, the leader is most likely you.
Five Ways To Differentiate A Leader From A Manager
Are you more of a leader or manager? Here are five leadership traits adapted from two of Bennis' books, On Becoming A Leader and Learning to Lead,to help you decide:
1) Managers set standards for performance; a leader sets a benchmark for excellence. Do you dictate a status quo or do you paint a picture of what the "ideal" is? Do you merely communicate what's "acceptable" or do you encourage "exceptional"?
2) Managers want employee compliance; leaders seek employees' commitment. Let's say you decide to streamline a process. To do so, you purchase new software. Do you just provide training on how to use the software, or do you work on communicating the reasons why you're doing it so employees willingly and happily dive into training?
3) Managers have subordinates over whom they have formal authority; leaders have followers who are inspired to perform at their best. Leaders recognize that continual improvement in ALL aspects of their business is critical to their success.
4) Managers try to avoid risks or minimize them; a leader looks for opportunities. Maybe it's an investment in a new technology, or a decision to expand your business. Whatever the case, managers will tell you why it won't work. Leaders will tell you why it can.
5) Managers enforce rules and policies; leaders challenge red tape and bureaucracy when necessary. Sure, you should have and enforce an acceptable use policy for your computers. But if any of your policies prevent someone from helping a customer or generating sales, put on your leadership hat and throw that rule away.
One Management Task You Can Take Off Your Plate
Your computer network, phone system, software and all things I.T. can suck up your time and resources and be a royal pain - IF all you do is manage it. Checking back-ups, maintaining critical patches on the computers, updating anti-virus software and firewall protection, and dealing with issues that arise: these are all management tasks that can be outsourced.
As a leader, you can deal with I.T. differently. You look for opportunities to improve your company with technology, you use it as a way to help propel the vision for your company, you deploy it to reach your goals. Then you hire someone to handle the rest.
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FREE Business Advisory Guide:
16 Critical Questions Every Small Business Owner Must Ask Before Hiring Any IT Company
· How to avoid the single most expensive mistake most business owners make when hiring an IT company.
· The surprising reason most small businesses fall victim to sub-standard support.
· An easy way to help you find the right IT expert for you.
Download Your FREE Copy Now!
www.groffnetworks.com/16
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Shiny New Gadget of the Month:
The HoodPC
It's a hat. For your laptop. If you've ever tried to work outside on a bright sunny day, you know there is one factor that makes it nearly impossible to see the screen - the glare. Try as you might to angle or maneuver your laptop, you just can't see the darn thing when the sun is beating down on it. The solution? The HoodPC. For under $40, this little laptop hood is the solution. It blocks the sun's glare so you can easily view your laptop screen, even when outdoors.
Here's how it works... Right out of the bag, the HoodPC pops into shape and fits a 16" laptop. With the help of two sets of snaps, you can secure the HoodPC to fit either a 15" or a 14" laptop as well. Spring tension in the HoodPC keeps it in place. When you're done, the HoodPC folds flat in a few seconds. Tuck it back into its convenient travel case - and that's it. Think your laptop will look silly with a hat on? Maybe. But if it means you get to enjoy the great outdoors while taking care of business, who cares?
For more info, log on to : www.hoodmanusa.com
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Poor Patching Is The #1 Security Threat For Business PCs
According to Symantec's 2009 security review, the biggest single threat to computer security is a user's failure to apply new security patches when they become available. A "patch" is simply a software fix to a known security bug in a software program. Once a vulnerability is discovered, software vendors scramble to develop a patch to prevent hackers from using this to access PCs - but their release of a patch is also a "go" sign for hackers who, then, scramble to write viruses designed to exploit PC users who haven't gotten around to patching or updating their system.
As you might expect, online criminal opportunism is at an all-time high. One well-written virus can spread and attack millions of PCs in minutes, giving these cyber criminals access and control over your PC - often without YOU ever realizing it until it's too late. And since most of us are using our PCs for banking, making purchases, and storing other sensitive information, it's a fast-track break in that's irresistible.
The Two Most Common Applications Attacked
Surprisingly, PDF-based download exploits rose to account for 49 percent of online attacks. Internet Explorer was the second most attacked application, accounting for 18 percent of web-based attacks. Incredibly, the Internet Explorer vulnerability in question is the Microsoft Internet Explorer ADODB.Stream Object File Installation Weakness that first came to the world's attention in August 2003 and was patched the following July - and that means that a whole lot of people AREN'T patching their computer regularly.
Your PC Isn't A Toaster
The main reason systems get attacked is because too many people treat their computer like an appliance: they turn it on and conduct ZERO maintenance. While it's important for everyone to keep their network secure, it goes double for you as a business owner because the costs of restoring a compromised network escalate quickly when compounded with corrupt data, down-time and possibly the embarrassment of notifying your clients their information was compromised by a hacker under YOUR watch. If you are currently a Groff NetWorks' My NetWorks customer, you have nothing to worry about. But if you're NOT on this plan and you don't have someone updating your patch levels DAILY, it's only a matter of time before your system gets compromised.
Let Us Protect Your Business
For more information on how you can completely off-load the worry of maintaining your network to a true team of professionals, call us today. We have various plans for all budgets and needs: 518-320-8906.
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Who Wants To Win A $15 Dunkin Donuts Gift Card? Take Our Monthly Trivia Challenge!
The Grand Prize Winner of last month's Trivia Challenge Quiz is (drum roll, please) Meg Spoonogle, Finance Executive at CBM Fabrication, Inc. in Ballston Lake. She was the first person to correctly answer our question below:
Colonel Aureliano Buendia had 17 sons with 17 different women in which of these novels?
A) Mona Lisa Smile
B) One Hundred Years of Solitude
C) Dirt Music
D) The Satanic Verses
The answer is "b": One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Congratulations, Meg! You won a $15 Dunkin' Donuts gift card! Now, here's this month's question.
A line that intersects a circle at two points is called a what?
A) Tangent
B) Philtrum
C) Radius
D) Secant
E-mail us right now with your answer, and win a $15 Dunkin' Donuts gift card if you're the first with the correct answer!
trivia@groffnetworks.com
Please note: One prize per entrant per year. Entrants who have won a trivia contest in the last 12 months are ineligible to compete for prizes.
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Lauren's Corner
This is the time of year to pay tribute to graduates and fathers. Last month, I had the privilege of honoring both, all at once. On a beautiful May day, my dad, Lee Groff, received a certificate in lay ministry from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Myerstown, PA. He dressed in cap and gown, received a certificate and the designation magna cum laude. Afterward, we had a family luncheon in his honor.
My dad coordinates emergency preparedness - that means he reads books about influenza and plagues, for example, and knew about the swine flu before much of America did - for Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA. He's still maintaining preparedness for the "Big One", saying that the swine flu might be the beginning of a possible pandemic that could hit the country.
To prepare for his certificate in lay ministry, my father wrote papers about ethics, for example, and traveled around the country of Turkey for almost one month in March this year. He said he wouldn't have gotten magna cum laude without the help of my wife, Erika, who edited all his papers over the years (and, man, she definitely isn't afraid to use red ink everywhere!).
Happy graduation, Dad! Congratulations.
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Office Notes
Office Space For Rent
Looking for an office? Share space with us! A one-room office is available in the same building as Groff NetWorks at 11 State Street in Troy. Contact 518-320-8906 for details.
Groff NetWorks Is Going Green
Recently, our energy supplier, National Grid, did an energy evaluation of our office. As a result, we have motion-sensitive lights and higher-efficiency lighting in each room.
Thank you for helping us save trees, ink and waste by subscribing to this newsletter by e-mail!
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Client Corner
"Quite often, [Lauren and his team] show up within minutes of a call."
-Peter Jones, Partner, Bartle, McGrane, Duffy & Jones, LLP
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