We recently had an eye-opening meeting with a prospective client on the West Coast. The company’s CFO brought us in to audit their wireless account, and after a thorough review, we uncovered potential savings of over $3,000 per month—a 35% reduction in costs.
When we presented our findings, the CFO invited the IT Director to join the discussion. He had not been involved in the initial meeting, nor had he initiated bringing us in. From the moment we started, it was clear this was going to be a challenge.
As we walked through our process, the IT Director raised objection after objection. His defining statement?
“I changed the plans because about 18 months ago we had an overage of $600, and I am never letting that happen again.”
Let’s break that down. A one-time overage of $600 led him to make changes that increased their monthly bill by $200—costing the company $3,600 over the past 18 months. Now, with an opportunity to save $3,000 per month, he refused to budge—simply because the solution wasn’t his idea.
Over the years, I’ve found that the most effective leaders welcome experts into their sphere of influence, recognizing that collaboration drives greater success. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here.
So, here’s the real question: Which person are you?
Are you the one who embraces expertise to push your organization forward? Or are you resisting change—at your company’s expense?