The Preflight Checklist
The remaining 19 principles that we call “The Preflight Checklist” are the behaviors and values that we believe are integral in developing a high performing culture. They are what make Kite Technology a great place to work and help us deliver extraordinary technology services to our clients
8. Lead Like a Servant
Whether or not you have formal responsibility for other team members, make the job of those in your charge easier. Promptly respond to their requests, thoroughly equip them when they ask for help, anticipate and knock down barriers that prevent them from being successful.
9. Execute Results
We reward and celebrate results. We set wildly important goals, use lead measures to track progress, and hold ourselves accountable for achieving those goals. We manage day-to-day by KPIs. Treat goals, budgets, and milestones as mandates. Anticipate obstacles and address them before they prevent a winning outcome.
10. Celebrate Success
Catching people doing something right is far more beneficial than catching them doing something wrong. Regularly extend meaningful appreciation in all directions throughout the company. Find unique and fun ways to celebrate success.
11. Have Fun
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Share the humor in the circumstances around us. Use levity to lighten the mood when needed. Keep perspective- the world has bigger problems than our daily work challenges. Laughter is the best medicine.
12. Lean in to Client Issues
We increase the frequency and quality of our communications when issues arise or clients are frustrated. Resist the natural tendency to avoid conflict. Proactively engage our clients in sticky situations. See problems as opportunities to demonstrate concern and differentiate ourselves from the competition.
13. Be Fanatical About Response & Resolution Time
We answer the phone. Clients expect us to respond to their inquiries virtually immediately, even if it is to just acknowledge receipt. Meet their expectations. Now the hard part begins. Solve their problem as fast as possible and escalate when necessary.
14. Create a Tone of Warmth and Friendliness
We treat our clients as friends. View every interaction as an opportunity to build a relationship. Value “the person” over “the problem”. And remember- vendors are people, too.
15. Expect Mutual Respect
We treat our clients and each other with respect and expect the same in return. If faced with a situation where a client or coworker treats us rudely, we have the right to politely request respect and gracefully disengage if the poor behavior persists. We will not tolerate patterns of disrespect from each other or from our clients.
16. Get Clear on Expectations
Create clarity and avoid misunderstandings by discussing expectations upfront. Establish mutually understood objectives and deadlines for all projects, issues and commitments. Where appropriate, confirm your communication by asking others to repeat back their understanding to ensure total clarity and agreement.
17. Reject Passivity
Doing nothing is NOT a strategy. When faced with a choice between acting or not, always choose action. Find a way – take personal responsibility for making things happen – somehow, some way. Respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done.
18. Follow the Process
We obsess about following the process. We recognize that only by respecting the process, can we respect our teammates and deliver consistent results. No exceptions. If you don’t like the process, feel free to question authority…but in the meantime: FOLLOW THE PROCESS.
19. Assume Positive Intent
Work from the assumption that people are good, fair, and honest. Set aside your preconceived notions. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Don’t make assumptions. Verify symptoms. Be prepared for additional information to change your judgments and conclusions. Be tenacious in pursuing other information that can give you a more complete picture.
20. Practice Crucial Accountability
Address violated expectations and broken commitments directly with the team member. Avoid the tendency to sugarcoat the issue with the offending party while “dumping” on others. Raise issues when underperformance affects our team reputation – don’t bury these issues. Identify the right problem to address. Discern whether the problem stems from a lack of ability or motivation and address accordingly.
21. Rally Around the Wounded
Life sometimes deals us tough circumstances. When one of our colleagues is struggling, we treat them like family. We take an interest in helping and encouraging them. We pick up the slack in the short term when our wounded colleagues are healing or tending to the needs of their family.
22. Cheer on Our Teammates
We work as a team and grow as a team. We never have to face issues or problems alone. We invest in our relationships and make time to be there for each other. We encourage, share knowledge and help our teammates grow in their roles at KiteTech but also as individuals. Our teammates’ success is our success. We are more than coworkers, we are friends.
23. Be Obsessive About Self-Management
If you can’t manage multiple priorities, you won’t be a superstar. Use an effective task management system for prioritizing and tracking outstanding issues and commitments.
24. Document Everything
Ticket status, client environments, technology standards, processes, time entries, commitments all require thorough documentation. Remember: If it is not in ConnectWise, it didn’t happen.
25. Go the Extra Mile
Be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the job…plus a little bit more. Take the next step to solve the problem, even if it is not in your job description. It’s the extra mile that separates the “B” performer from the superstar. Be a superstar.
26. Make Quality Personal
Take pride in the quality of everything you touch and everything you do. Ask yourself, “Is this my best work?” If not, fix it. Everything you touch has your signature. Be proud to sign it in bold ink.
