A soft landing…with a bit of turbulence

A Note From Entech’s President, Buddy Martin

 On a flight home from Dallas this year in early May, our airplane was grounded in Tampa to wait out one of southwest Florida's typical summer squalls. Apparently, our pilot was not gifted enough to maneuver our 150,000-pound metal tube with wings through a system dropping 40 lightning strikes per minute around Fort Myers. At least that’s what the lady sitting to my right believed. So, the decision was made that the risk to the 150+ retirees and two middle-aged businessmen was just too great, and we diverted course to Tampa International.

After being on the ground for less than an hour, according to our pilot, “the system just south of us had moved through faster than expected and we were cleared for RSW.” With a long week of peer groups behind me, I was looking forward to getting home. Knowing my family and pillow were only 110 miles away, I began quickly running through my 4th grade math to calculate a new ETA for my wife. “If Jake and Buddy are 110 miles away and planes travel at 575 miles per hour, and Buddy regrettably parked in long-term parking, add 10 for Colonial Blvd. construction traffic, plus a game-time decision on a quick stop at Chic-fil-A… How many minutes from home am I?” Once the wife was updated and I returned my tray table to an upright position, we were ready for takeoff… Well after an additional 45 minutes, not a variable in my original calculation, the pilot had received his updated flight plan, and we were headed home.

The flight home, though short, was not free of excitement. The system “that moved out the area” was still very much in the area and after 20 minutes of being bumped (airline lingo for being thrown, dropped, jerked and jolted) around and watching lightning crack outside our oval-shaped portholes, we were safely on the ground with our fellow passengers cheering and thanking whomever they find holy.

As we wrap up and reflect on 2023 and work on finalizing our strategic plan for 2024, this experience made me consider the questions that we use internally to measure our leadership team’s effectiveness at Entech.

1. Did we set the right goals?
   Did we create the right flight plan to ensure we get to our planned destination?
2. Did we communicate to our team both the plan and their role in helping us achieve the goals?
   Was the flight plan communicated to the crew and were they clear on what they needed to do to get the passengers home safely? 
3. Did we do a good job predicting and anticipating future trends or challenges?
   Did we see the storm coming soon enough? 
4. Did we pivot quickly when needed?
   Did we evaluate the changing weather situation, make quick decisions to divert the plane and communicate these changes effectively? 
5. Did we have systems and processes in place to achieve our goals while ensuring consistency and scaling for growth?
   Did we have systems in place that could reroute and coordinate hundreds of flights in a matter of minutes?
6. Did we have the right people in the right seats with clear lines of communication and accountability?
   Did we have the right pilots, co-pilots, ground crews, crew members, etc. who share our core values and understand their role to get the passengers safely home and ultimately achieve our flight plan?

The reality is these questions are simple to answer but are hard to answer honestly. The answers are either “Yes” or “No,” but it’s easy to find excuses and justify the outcomes. If you miss your targets, you then you find yourself answering them with “no, but…”

Admittedly, 2023 proved to be a demanding year at Entech. Rapid growth, evolving cybersecurity landscapes, trends in digital transformation and growing new leaders all while delivering best-in-class customer support, stretched our team further and faster than ever before. So, if you are an existing partner of Entech’s, from me to you, thank you for sticking by us on our journey. We look forward to serving you in 2024 and working together to help you accomplish your goals for the year. 

Best,

Buddy Martin
President, Entech