Philosophy
Experience. Knowledge. Insight. Solutions.
Common themes apply to our client companies and their leaders. Insight and solutions come from understanding these connections and the unique way they apply to each company. Let’s make a few assumptions about your business:
• It’s not growing.
• It’s not as profitable as you want it to be.
• It’s gotten harder to handle.
• There’s just no joy in it.
We can almost guarantee that, if these assumptions are true for your business, it’s because your leadership is being asked to handle issues they don’t have extensive experience with, and they are doing so by trial and error. We address these same issues again and again with each new client.
1. Why would I want to feel any better?
2. If you are going to be in charge, you may as well enjoy it.
3. You are unique, but your challenges are not.
4. Until we get robots we’re going to have to deal with people.
5. Do you want success the hard way? Or the easy way?
Why would I want to feel any better?
Why place limits on how you feel about your company and your work? Many of us subscribe to the old adage, “Work is hard. That’s why they call it work.” But the Surrender team knows that work can be rewarding, fun and meaningful. The by-product of that is making money. Clients get to experience feeling better about their businesses, even if they already feel pretty good.
The Surrender approach demonstrates that, just because the status quo is acceptable, it does not preclude a superior arrangement that you haven’t experienced before.
If you are going to be in charge, you may as well enjoy it.
The leader of an organization has the unique ability to build a team around his or her characteristics and personal objectives, but most don’t take that opportunity. We encourage executives to tell us what they would like their lives to be like. Then we build a plan to get there. The Surrender approach starts with leadership but includes plans that work for people at all levels of the company. We design strategic and human resource plans and provide coaching on their implementation to produce results.
You are unique, but your challenges are not.
We understand that challenges are part of the natural cycle of business birth and growth, not a result of someone doing something wrong. Frankly, some of our clients think their businesses would make for great reality TV shows! At some point in each engagement, the client asks Surrender President Matthew Mabel,
“Have you ever seen anything like this?”
Meaning: “My problems are unique” and “Don’t I have the most screwed-up, confused, ridiculous mess you have ever seen?”
Mabel’s answer is always, “No.” There are always unique aspects to your business and its history, but many organizations have challenges. The smart ones do something about them, whether it’s with us or by finding another solution.
Until we get robots we’re going to have to deal with people.
When was the last time you heard someone say this?
“I’m going to start a business! I’m a fantastic manager. All I need is a product or service.”
We haven’t heard that one very often, either. The fact is that leaders of companies often begin in a discipline other than management or supervision. The ability to understand and motivate people is critical to success and those skills can be learned. The Surrender team coaches leaders to become great managers and to understand each of the people who report to them as unique with specific needs. Keeping in mind their personal style, we have a history of transforming people who aren’t natural supervisors into true team leaders.
Do you want success the hard way? Or the easy way?
Matthew Mabel founded Surrender to allow clients to skip the hard lessons he learned in business and go the easy route – by directly importing the myriad solutions he has discovered into their companies. Now, after 20 years, we enjoy strong relationships with our many clients and their companies. Looking back, it is gratifying to see the positive impact we have had in their businesses and their lives.