Last week the Pentagon dropped 77 years of classified files of UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UFOs). X Files kind of stuff – videos, photos, incident reports – all of it, finally handed over to the public. “No clearance required,” they said. Have at it.
The government, hiding stuff? Shocking.
I don’t know if we are dealing with little green men, advanced Russian drones or some deeply weird weather-balloon situation…but I DO know that since the government had its hand in this, I can pretty much guarantee we’re not getting the WHOLE truth.
The White House’s own statement admitted the government actively worked to convince you there was nothing to see for years.
But…if you think THAT’S bad, I’ve got WORSE news for you: Your employees (or the team you’re managing) are likely doing their own active cover-up of UAPs in YOUR business – Unaddressed Accountability Problems.
Sure, they’re not filing away classified documents in some warehouse in the middle of the desert. But I promise you – there are BAD things going on inside your organization that your employees are intentionally hiding from you.
Giant cover-ups. Noncompliance with systems and processes. Calls your salespeople are not making. Tickets being closed without the problem actually being fixed, to make the numbers look good. Leads sitting in an inbox, ignored, quietly rotting. Customers getting ready to cancel their contract who told someone on your team as much, but that person didn’t do diddly-squat about it.
And you? You are back at headquarters, paying the very people who are covering up the dysfunctional job they are doing – lying, cheating and robbing you blind while they run their own agenda. Just like our government.
I have told this story before, but it bears repeating…
Years ago, when I worked as a sales rep for CGI Systems, I had a sales support admin whose job was to process inbound leads for me and the other salespeople – faxes and business reply cards from prospects who were actively raising their hand and asking for someone to call them about our services. She appeared to be doing her job: entering the leads into the CRM, tracking them for reporting and feeding the qualified ones to me. She came in on time. Seemed busy. Never caused any trouble.
However, one day, she called in and quit without notice. Apparently she had been building her Herbalife business “on the side” and it was at a point to sustain her income. I put “on the side” in quotes for a reason.
When I went to clean out her desk and take over the inbound lead processing she was supposed to be doing for me, I couldn’t even open her desk drawers because they were stuffed – crammed – with hundreds of unprocessed inbound leads she had never entered into the CRM. Real prospects. Real money. Real business opportunities that walked in the front door, got shoved in a drawer and were slowly composting.
I was furious.
She didn’t report to me, but she WAS supposed to be feeding those leads to yours truly. All I saw were THOUSANDS of dollars in commission lost – and that’s a fraction of what the company lost in terms of not only sales, but good will with the prospects who felt disrespected and ignored.
It brings to mind the Lucille Ball and Ethel Mertz candy factory video. It’s only funny when it’s not happening in your business, with your potential customers and your money on the line.
If you run a business or lead a team, I guarantee you’ve had a version of this same experience. Someone quits or gets fired, and suddenly you discover a swath of neglect – things being done wrong, things not being done at all, problems swept under the rug because it was easier than dealing with them. And the whole time? You thought things were fine.
I can’t say this enough: You must INSPECT what you EXPECT.
When was the last time you actually listened to one of your techs on a client call? Not heard about it secondhand. Not read a ticket summary or skimmed an AI transcript. Actually listened. Pulled up a recording and processed it start to finish.
If you’re paying salespeople, when was the last time you listened to your sales rep make an outbound call? Or handle an objection? Or do a discovery? Or attempt a close? Not the story they tell you in the Monday-morning pipeline review – the actual call.
As Reagan said, “Trust, but verify.”
I am not suggesting you treat your employees like suspects. I am not saying you install cameras in the break room. What I am saying is that assumptions are the most expensive thing you own, and most MSP owners are drowning in them.
The government hid the UFO files for 77 years and called it “protecting the public.” Your employees are hiding things from you right now and calling it “good enough.”
Start declassifying.
Want to finally get your sales and marketing engine WORKING? Click here to inquire about hiring me as your fractional CRO/CMO and I’ll verify and build the systems, team and playbooks you desperately need.
