How Stakeholders Avoid Getting Short-Changed By Third-Party Services

“You may be on your way to being a victim.”

Jodie Bernstein

I don’t like hidden agendas. It’s not that I am free of guilt in bringing them to the table, but I have trained myself to filter myself. I am what I present.

We know it’s better to live that way; hidden agendas have an unavoidable odor and are generally sniffed out regardless of the masking they come with.

Third-party services are notorious for hidden agendas. At their best, they are a great value proposition, a win-win for all involved. But how do you know that you are getting the double-win rather than the bait and switch? How can you tell if a third-party is bringing a hidden agenda rather than a servant-heart?

I lead a third-party service, CIO Mastermind. We are advocates to technology leaders and we serve the stakeholders. I am committed to having one agenda: advance your agenda. In order to be as effective as we are, I have had to confront temptations to push my needs ahead of the companies that we serve.

As a result, we are vendor-free, fairly priced and results-transparent. Stakeholders need to know that what they see is what they get.?

In order to help you determine if you are receiving value or being short-changed, I introduce you to my own checklist of how CIO Mastermind serves the stakeholders. Other groups will have more or less that they offer, but if they don’t measure up to a core of these, you know to scrutinize the potential relationship that they are offering.?

1 We are committed to developing your leaders.?

Every technology leader at our table has opportunity for personal, relational and vocational growth. In a community of their peers, they immediately sense the safety of being able to bring up key areas of their life.

We have addressed professional gaps that they want to shore up; we have tackled issues of relationships and politics in the workplace. We consistently discuss and resolve real-time strategies and projects that they are working on.

A recent survey indicates that leadership confidence has dropped 20%. Not in our groups. We get honest about trouble-spots and are determined about their resolve.?

Most stakeholders have some form of leadership development within their organization. Few have third-party services that come alongside and complement the training with proven, peer-development.

2 We bring consultative value at significantly reduced costs.

The reason we have 100% retention three years into our service is because we bring value back to the stakeholders.?

We advocate for the technology leader; we serve the stakeholder. Our case studies demonstrate that for a fraction of the typical cost, we have been able to resolve key strategic arenas and initiatives for companies.

In our groups, your technology leaders bring what they are working on and gain the experience and expertise of a dozen proven CIOs and leaders. We don’t do guest talks; we avoid hot topics that are not real-world projects. Why? Because what we work on must matter to the stakeholder.

I’ve been a consultant. I do my best when I do consult. But I contend that unbiased eyes of multiple perspectives are far more rich than typical consultative processes.

One of the services we offer to the stakeholder is the urgent cohort: You have issues arise that require immediate resolution from the best minds possible; think war room moments. We bring in specialists to help you and your technology leaders dial in on the right direction and solutions. Time is money; insight is value.?

3 We round out our groups by making available to your leaders coaches, mentors and advocates.

Mentors pour in; coaches draw out; advocates stay with. We aren’t just content to offer a wisdom pool of peer-groups. Sometimes, your technology leaders need a little more time to discern and plan the best course of action for implementing strategies.?

Our executive coaching knows how to connect your leaders to the resources they need, personal and digital, and to stay with them as they work toward positive resolution. As well, our coaching is available for the unexpected, the times in which your technology leader needs a handle on an issue that can’t wait for the next group meeting.?

4 Leaders get the best information available from the best source available, their peers.

The best information is dirty. It’s been worn and tried and dragged through experiences. In our services, CIO Mastermind avoids information that is theoretical, fanciful and impractical.?

Our members speak from their experience, with history that verifies their assertions. We don’t believe in promises, we buy into proven practices.?

We boost morale.

Workers are quitting. Talent is switching companies if not fields. Much of what you hear is how tired and fatigued employees are.?

Not our members. I am surrounded by leaders at the CIO Mastermind table, your leaders, who are digging in, sticking with it, and coming out ahead.

We reduce turnover. And that is irreplaceable value to stakeholders. We reduce turnover because our members are honest with each other, open about their needs, and reminded of the great opportunity they have to excel in leadership in the here and now.?

We promote confidence and confidentiality.?

5 We are true to our values no matter the cost.

We facilitate unbiased input.

We deal only with real-time issues of importance to a member.

We aim for customized solutions.

In doing these three things, we best advocate for a leader and foster value for the stakeholders.

No one likes being short-changed; everyone embraces value that exceeds expectations. Review your third-party services. I used CIO Mastermind as an example because it is real-world. In essence, make sure all your service providers are committed to more than a product. Make sure they are committed to developing people, available for critical needs, and seeing beyond the immediate to long-term relationship.