As companies prepare their budgets for 2020, financial leaders across the world are often looking at IT as one of their biggest annual costs. Additionally, each year seems to bring on steep increases depending on the type of organization and how they invest in technology. The expense is not necessarily predictable either- the more an organization has workloads in the cloud, the more likely the final expense becomes a moving target. 

I admit I am not someone who was not always on the cutting edge of technology.  It’s not that I don’t love technology and appreciate the many improvements it has made to my quality of life.  It’s just that I am not an early adapter type. I need to fully understand how and why each technology product is going to improve my life before I invest any of my own time or money.

I remember growing up and the old rotary phone ringing during dinner time and we’d frustratingly find out that it was telemarketers.  This was before caller ID or the ability to just silence the ringers.  We as kids were advised to try and determine if it was someone our parents actually knew, and then if not, to lie and say they weren’t home.  Wait, then the kidnappers would think we were home alone. We had to tell a better lie... For years telemarketers thought my parents took really long nightly showers.

And just like that summer is over, kids are back in school and football takes over our living rooms for the next four months. And for many offices fantasy football takes over the water cooler conversation.  We have an office fantasy football league which is good for team building or smack talking, depending on the day.  My one piece of advice for anyone out there who runs a fantasy football team: Nobody wants to hear how your bench player put up 30 points or an overturned call cost you the big “game.” 

The internet is cram packed full of people complaining about their customer experiences, but I wanted to take a moment to share a story about an excellent customer service experience I encounter every time I visit.  This past week I got my oil changed and new tires put on my vehicle at my favorite place Youngtedt’s in Maple Grove.   

Easily one of my favorite days of work each year is our annual customer appreciation event, which we hold at Rush Creek Golf Club.  For 11 years now we have used this as an opportunity to thank our loyal customers.  A customer appreciation golf event allows us to spend more than the usual time with our clients while enjoying fun day at an outstanding venue like Rush Creek.  We receive fantastic feedback from our clients and they look forward to the event each year.

We are about to see something that we have not and will not see again in our lifetime.  Well, maybe you can say that about a lot of things that are going on lately in the news, but I am referring to the solar eclipse.  Here is an article on what you need to know.  Most interestingly is that “the tiny of town of Carbondale, Illinois, will be treated to the longest eclipse duration - about two minutes and 41 seconds of total darkness.”

I am a coach for my son's hockey team and at practice this week he skated up to me and said a player from a different team which we share the ice with threw snow in his face. He wanted either advice on how to deal with it or he wanted me to deal with it. I really didn't do either. I just asked him how he dealt with it. 

I was on a vacation this past week when in just a few seconds my four-year-old daughter gave me some of the best advice I am sure any parent has ever received.  We were at a water park and she was trying to get across the pool using the monkey-bar like rope and the floating plastic rocks.  She was not tall enough to reach the rope in most areas of the course so she was going to need my help unless she just jumped from rock to rock.  She was struggling to reach the rope and the rock was sliding out from under her so I grabbed her and assisted her and she yelled, “Dad, I got this.”  Then she yelled that she needed my help, but then again followed up that she didn’t want my help.  I just couldn’t seem to do it right.

I had lunch this week with an old friend and after we exchanged pleasantries and caught up on each other’s families we spent most of the time discussing each other’s jobs.  This individual had recently changed positions and is more enthusiastic about his new job and new company than I have ever heard him before.  He was someone who always had a positive attitude about his previous position and employer, but there was a different type of spark inside him and it was good to see.