I'm often asked why I’m so focused on standardization and repeatability.
The simple answer: too many organizations depend far too much on luck. While success might involve an element of timing, it’s not a strategy. No business can sustainably grow, scale, protect itself and its employees, or achieve long-term success when it relies on trust and hope instead of structure and foresight.
A strategy based on rolling-the-dice isn’t a strategy at all — it’s risk disguised as optimism. Strong leaders prepare. They invest the time to plan with care and develop their talent pool with intent. Standard repeatable services and templated processes are good examples of preparing properly to increase the odds of success and delivering experience by design.
Below are some of the most common signs that an organization is depending too much on chance than strategy.
Key information, institutional knowledge, processes, and access often reside with one or two people assumed to always be available and infallible. These “single points of failure” create enormous risk.
In Canada, roughly one quarter (25%) of the workforce is at or nearing retirement, and that percentage grows every year. Without standardized documentation and knowledge transfer, entire histories of decision-making and best practices can disappear overnight, leaving organizations to relearn lessons they already paid for.
Relying on verbal commitments or loosely defined agreements might feel efficient in the moment — especially when trust is high and relationships are strong — but it leaves too much to chance. When expectations aren’t captured in writing, misunderstandings multiply, and accountability becomes subjective.
The old Latin phrase verba volant, scripta manent says it best: spoken words fly away, written words remain. Formal agreements don’t signal mistrust; they protect both sides by clearly defining deliverables, timelines, and outcomes. They set expectations upfront and create the framework for healthy, long-term relationships.
In short, clear documentation doesn’t limit trust; it reinforces it. It gives everyone the same playbook, which is the first step toward predictable performance and mutual success.
If every customer agreement is a new adventure, your organization is scaling on faith, not structure. Using standard templates and approved language keeps negotiations consistent and protects your legal and operational footing.
Adopting a customer’s template might feel like an easy way forward, but it often builds risk that shows up later — in disputes, missed obligations, or strained relationships.
Many organizations hesitate to renegotiate unfavourable contract terms or unfair SLAs because they fear damaging trust. In reality, transparency strengthens relationships and trust between parties. This is a big part of what it means to be a true Technology Ally
Trust becomes an excuse for inaction. But, in reality, the other party is rarely offended when you approach them calmly with valid concerns and present your case logically. Underperforming employees will of course be hurt by the implication they’re not meeting expectations, but you have a business to run, and they must contribute their share to that end. Being prepared with examples, clear targets, and offer suggestions on how they can improve their performance can make the conversation a great deal easier and even more encouraging.
Trusting your team is essential but trust alone isn’t a management strategy. Without defined metrics, regular reviews, or shared visibility, performance becomes a matter of perception rather than proof. When leaders rely solely on gut feel, even strong teams can drift off course before anyone notices.
The old saying still applies: you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Establishing clear, measurable KPIs gives everyone a shared understanding of what success looks like and when corrective action is needed.
Choose indicators that look forward, not just backward. Leading indicators — such as employee sentiment, system uptime trends, or proactive support interventions — offer early signals of risk. Lagging indicators like CSAT scores or ticket closure rates confirm what’s already happened but don’t give you time to adjust. Both matter, but the balance between them is what separates reactive management from proactive leadership.
When accountability is supported by data, trust becomes stronger, not weaker. Your people know where they stand, your customers feel the difference, and your business gains the consistency needed to scale confidently.
Demonstrating confidence in your people can be empowering but balance it with structure. True leadership builds environments where accountability, documentation, and repeatable processes turn trust into consistency, and consistency into success.
That same principle drives Compugen’s on-going services, including Managed Services and Technology Lifecycle Services. By combining proactive monitoring, proven processes, and dedicated expertise, we help organizations strengthen performance, reduce risk, and focus on what truly matters — delivering results.
Connect with Compugen’s experts to bring greater predictability, security, and scalability to your IT operations — and realize new possibilities for your organization.