That time "I am Groot"

Wouldn’t it be nice if our clients saw us as superheroes?

If they’d recognize our superpowers of detecting threats and offering the most fitting solutions for their business?

Covid canceled all my Christmas plans, and I got to spend a few days at home, doing nothing but dedicating my energies to a Marvel movies marathon.

It’s an ongoing challenge, watching all the movies in chronological order by January the 10th.

As relaxing as it sounds, it made me wonder: can my team become the “Avengers” of technology for our clients? A well-assorted group of people with an extraordinary experience, at the service of their business goals, working against dangers coming from all across the cyber realms?

That’s when I realized I am Groot. We are Groot. MSPs are Groot for so many clients.

And that’s why

• Your peers are the only ones that TRULY understand you

You talk and talk and try to keep it as straightforward as possible and speak the business language, but cyber threats are so sneaky and complex that your words don’t reach the target.

People don’t understand you. You want them to know the danger of Log4j exploitation, what double extorsion ransomware is, why they should invest time and money into training their employees… but all they hear is “I am Groot.”

Unless you’re speaking with one of your peers.

MSPs have the privilege of working in a community-based industry, and sometimes, speaking with someone who’s facing what you’re facing it’s all you need.

I read this quote on Instagram, and it hit close to home.

“I used to think communication was the key until I realized comprehension is. You can communicate all you want with someone, but if they don’t understand you, it’s silent chaos”.

• Clients sometimes underestimate you until something awful happens, then everyone asks for your help.

You’re the IT person (or company). The “fix-my-computer” task force. The point of reference for all minor daily issues, but you’re left out when it comes to a big business-altering decision more often than it should.

It’s not that they don’ìt trust you; it’s just that they haven’t fully grasped the vastity of your technological knowledge.

Until something critical happens, and guess who’s the one that they call in time of need?

• When it gets messy, you’re the one who keeps calm and keeps dancing.

You know what your team is capable of and what you are capable of. That’s why you don’t run erratically around the office when a client faces a threat.

Maybe “dancing” it’s not literally what you do when a user clicks on that fraudulent email, but the point is you have worked hard to put processes in place, and everyone knows what to do.

This is the reward for all the meetings spent arguing about the cyber disaster recovery plan: you know what to do when the time comes.

• It doesn’t matter how small you are: you’re powerful.

Life might shrink you sometimes under the weight of events and challenges. But it doesn’t matter; you have the power of knowledge and competence on your side. You will grow back again and again and again with more experience and deeper awareness of what you can do for your clients.

And every time you might feel like quitting, go back to the roots.. because, You are Groot.