Flushed with success from establishing and running a successful MSP program in your local market, you’ve made the decision to take your program global. Great decision but what next? You’ve done this before so you know to garner approval and sponsorship from senior figures within your business, set up your steering and project teams, put together a comprehensive implementation plan and kick-off…..
As experienced professionals you know there will be some bumps along the road but what are some of the most important considerations when embarking on such a venture?
My advice would be to consider three Cs: communication, culture and change. Whether you are starting out with an MSP for the first time or expanding into different markets, it is crucial that you don’t overlook these three (not so) little words!
Communication. Make sure that everyone who needs to know does know! It is better to over- rather than under-communicate. Don’t just rely on traditional forms of communication such as email to make announcements and inform. Make sure your approach is multi-faceted, personal and, where it makes sense, interactive.
Culture. Just because your MSP program worked really well in your local region it doesn’t mean you can ‘lift and drop’ that model into a different territory and expect the same results. While taking into account market and legislative differences is of course crucial and necessary for a successful program, be sure to be culturally aware and adapt your approach accordingly.
Change. Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the benefit of putting a robust, well thought-out change management process in place. People generally have a hard time with change, so guide them through and make it easy as possible for them!
While the above is by no means a guarantee for success when starting out with either a new MSP or expanding an existing program focusing on these three Cs will certainly help you along the way.
