Ignite the Promise

It's Cloudy with a Chance of Disaster!

Our firm is studying the feasibility to utilize Internet-based services to help manage our projects, finances, and business.  The cloud, as this Internet-based virtual infrastructure is called, has been shown to be cost-effective and highly efficient in managing organizational needs offsite.  Cloud services can be used and accessed anywhere in the world as long as there is an Internet connection. 

Since we serve the federal government sector, reading about how they view the cloud is important. The FEDTECHmagazine.com Winter 2011 issue is devoted to a discussion around the cloud.  The series of articles make clear that more and more federal agencies are using the cloud to save money and increase efficiencies.  They note a January 2011 report that 64% of government IT managers believe that cloud computing will reduce expenses and improve telecommuting and mobility of workers.  “It is about being more efficient and effective.  It is also about controlling resources and being sure resources are being applied to the right tasks at the right time.” 

The breadth of functions for cloud services continues to expand.  Here is what I have found the cloud can provide:  1) email:  the cloud optimizes email flow; 2) storage:  the available ‘unlimited’ storage space eliminates concerns about file space on organizational servers; 3) document transfer:  the ability to move large files eliminates bottle necks and delays in moving files.  This optimizes access by users when working on large documents and files; 4) infrastructure:  the use of virtual servers consolidates data; eliminates physical space for repurposing; offers option to cooperate with other organizations in use of server space; and 5) business tools: the cloud provides access to more tools, e.g., virtualized software applications available as needed.

There are clear benefits in moving to the cloud and they include 1) savings on server upgrades and software costs, 2)reduced downtime, 3) accommodation during traffic spikes, 4) energy saving, 5) enhanced telecommunications, 6) increased job satisfaction, and 7) enhanced employee recruitment and retention.

The challenges in moving to the cloud fit in three categories: Technology support; People issues; and Risks.  Anytime there is change, there is fear among the employees, along with the feeling of a loss of power and control.  There can also be resistance to the change. Cybersecurity and the loss of data is a concern that feeds into the fear of change.  It is clear that each effort to move to the cloud must be accompanied with full disclosure and transparent communications to help offset expected concerns. 

Finally, for all cloud users, the fundamental needs are that the system is 1) secure, 2) interoperable, and 3) reliable.

Technology is changing so quickly in so many levels that it becomes more a blur.  It may be a little like the earth rotating around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour, yet we don’t really perceive it.  Making technical changes is fraught with challenges, the least of which is not only to have a solid business case for it, but also the need to demonstrate a return on investment.  Is it worth the effort?   That's our question.

It has been said that cloud computing practices and infrastructure are disruptive to traditional hierarchical organizations, often changing them in unanticipated ways.  As a small business, we are still deciding where we can use the cloud cost-effectively and most efficiently.  You might say it's still 'cloudy' in our minds.

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses

In the 23 April 2012 issue of Inc. online (www.inc.com), Geoffrey James of Sales Source wrote about the 8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses.  Here is our translation of those beliefs.

BELIEF	DESCRIPTION
1	Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.
	Our Translation:  All business is made up of systems that interact and ultimately link together to form the business economy.  Thus all parties are related stakeholders in this effort – friends, acquaintances, and competitors.  We believe in competition and sometimes we team with our competitors to win against other competitors.
2	A company is a community, not a machine.
	Our Translation: We have adopted one client’s approach that all participants in a common enterprise are ‘family.’  This mindset minimizes the ‘they’ versus ‘us’ culture to one of ‘we’ regardless of the source of each of our paychecks.
3	Management is service, not control.
	Our Translation:  Micromanagement causes the ‘death’ of creativity, innovation, and individual initiative!  We provide whatever resources possible and then expect the staff to do what they can to get their work done (with minimal guidance) -- their way, not mine!
4	My employees are my peers, not my children.
	Our Translation:  Treat people as self-sufficient adults and they will treat you the same.  Empowering people is the best approach, i.e., provide them what they need to succeed and then let them do their work.  Sometimes this means providing training.  “You cannot do it if you have never learned how!”
5	Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.
	Our Translation: The Bible says, “Without vision, the people perish” (KJV: Prov 29:18).  There is no doubt in our minds that without an articulated vision, an organization meanders toward multiple goals.  This is not efficient and leaves people uncertain where to exert their best efforts.  A clear focus optimizes the use of resources and each success provides real satisfaction for the people.
6	Change equals growth, not pain.
	Our Translation:  Change is the new norm.  As specialists in managing change, we constantly face change when working with our clients.  We attempt to see the positives in every situation that repositions our thoughts, our approaches, even our business.  Accepted as a means of renewal, change is energizing!
7	Technology offers empowerment, not automation.
	Our Translation:  Without technology, we would be out of business!  As a firm with distributed personnel (U.S. and Europe), we not only embrace technologies, we are fully dependent upon them.  Telework is a reality with us.
8	Work should be fun, not mere toil.
	Our Translation: This is a more difficult concept to achieve if one signed on to work merely to work and not because they believed in the mission of the work.  While I fully enjoy what I do to see a business grow, it may not be the case with others.  Unless the work is rewarding and satisfying, the work will not be fun.  Thus, staff needs to have a passion around the work or else it’s just mere toil.

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

 

PRiMO

A surprising thing happened recently.  I attended a conference in Waikiki, Hawaii and thought I had walked into a 'love fest.'  Not certain how best to describe it, but it was not your traditional conference.  It was very different. 

With time away from that conference, it dawns on me how different the conference was.  This was a conference of the Pacific Risk Management 'Ohana (PRiMO) partnership.  ['Ohana' is the Hawaiian word for family.] The attendees included individuals from local, state, and federal organizations (at least eight U.S. federal agencies), universities, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations.  Coordination was through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and led by officials from NOAA. 

Here's my point.  I was surprised that a very right brain side was exhibited rather than the standard left brain conference.  There was a very strong spiritual and cultural component inserted into and throughout the conference.  It gave 'permission' to presenters to speak to the softer side of life -- caring and compassion, even as statistics and technical information was being presented.  Very different than what I have experienced in my 30 years of attending meetings!

What does PRiMO do? 1) enhance communications, coordination, and collaboration among coastal management groups, 2) build and sustain hazard-resilient communities, 3) strengthen regional capacity in risk management, 4) develop partnerships and leverage resources and investments of agencies and organizations, and 5) integrate traditional knowledge and practices.

It was a breath of fresh air that government supported meetings could be presented this way.  I wonder if this model could be used elsewhere on the mainland?  Does it improve the receptiveness of participants to the information?  My guess is that were we to try, we would learn something from this approach.  Curious?  Go to www.primohui.org.  [Hui means 'team' in Hawaiian.]

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

Be distinctive and win the competition

When I was involved in marketing my consulting business, I learned that if I differentiated myself from the crowd, there was a higher likelihood to win a client.  This is really useful advice for getting recognized anytime we are competing for an opportunity. 

For the past few months, I have been making suggestions to a young college graduate looking for a job.  This young lady has shown that she is capable of doing good work as evidenced by her college grades.  Her major is in social science rather than technical and those jobs are harder to find.  My suggestion?  Distinguish yourself from the crowd.

First, what did she do well?  She said she enjoyed reading and writing.  With that in mind, I suggested that she write to get 'recognized.'  Start simple and write a blog; write up small articles for publishing in local newsletters; submit articles to electronic newsletters.  Offer to write a column in a community paper.  The goal?  Build up a body of writings that are in the area of your expertise or area of interest.  Once you have a set of articles, these are used as part of your 'resume' when submitting for a position.  

Here is my suggestion on writing:

1. Do the following without thought of a publication.  Do it just so that you can gather your thoughts on a topic.
   1. Draft up a set of topics that you feel you have expertise and insight in.  Mull them over and consider which would be most relevant based on current events.
   2. Pick and outline ideas for one of the topics.
   3. Write it up – about 700-1500 words only.  Depending on the publication, that’s the size of articles they want.
   4. Find local publications (print or electronic) that may have interest in what you want to say.  I started publishing by writing a column for a local (district within DC).  They were receptive and we got four articles published before they shifted gears. 
      1. A publishing consultant once said that if you want to become a subject matter expert in eyes of readers, you have to work your way up.  Start with community papers with very little screening to get started.   
      2. Once you get published, you use these publications to move to a next level by showing the higher level publications your prior article(s).  Each publication gives you credibility since a third-party deemed your writing was worthy.  The publication itself is a testimony to your subject matter expertise.
      3. If you find a trade association that fits your interest, that is a great place to write an article.   It has the dual benefit of being in your field of interest and getting yourself known (quickly)!  However, you will probably be expected to join the group.  Joining your professional association demonstrates that you are serious.  At this point in your career, this would be a distinctive mark of membership.
      4. As you reach out for a job, I would work in parallel to write article(s) as I note above.  Each time you can get in for an interview or learn about what a firm needs, it helps you to focus what you want to say in a future article.  Timely articles will be impressive for your next interview.

   The electronic media is a very good place for new writers.  Online publications are essentially national (actually worldwide), so that’s good.  Because they need articles daily, they are good bets to get articles published.  Definitely try a bunch of them.  Also, many do not have restrictions about your article going to several sources at the same time.  Hence, send your articles to as many outlets as you see relevant.  I once had the same article published in three web places during the same period.  The printed press is a little more difficult to break into, except for local papers that don’t have a large corps of writers. 

2. Check out blogs in your areas of interest to get an idea what people are writing.  This will give you an idea what you might do with a blog.  Another thought.  Read books and blog what you read.   

UPDATE:  This young lady just submitted an article for publication and had a blog published as a guest blogger in her areas of interest.  She is on the way to differentiating herself from the crowd!

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

Simple Truths -- acting on them is difficult

Why is it that when we 'know better' we do it anyway?  Is it like the child who is told not to touch the hot plate, yet reaches out to touch it to experience the hotness?  Even as adults when we know not to do something, we still do it.  Is this the same prove-it-to-me approach we took as a child? 

Alternatively, why is it that when we 'know better' we don't do it?  This is the more difficult question. 

There are simple truths I have collected that guide my life:  1) Your focus determines your reality; 2) You can't win if you aren't in the game; 3) If you want it, you have to go get it; or the Nike ad 4) Just do it! 

My goal is to live to age 100 with life quality.  Here is the simple truth.  If I take care of my mind, body, spirit, and relationships, I will have the potential to live a long and quality filled life. Here is what I mean -- stay 'young' in every way.  Youth is not just in physical appearance nor chronological age.  It can be, but it is importantly the mindset one takes. 

MIND.  I understand that if I don't exercise my mind (like a muscle), it will lose its resiliency and atrophy.  By that I mean my thinking is no longer sharp.  How do I exercise my mind?  I stay curious about things and read in different areas. I blog about topics I like.  Blogging takes thinking, considering and then writing.

BODY.  Need I say anything here?  Daily we observe our bodies slow down and deteriorate from lack of exercise and poor eating habits.  Remember the sprained ankle?  It used to take only three days to heal.  Now it lingers for over a week.  Well, for whatever reason, I decided to start the extreme exercise program, P90X at age 68.  I then joined a dragon boat team that races on rivers, lakes and bays up and down the east coast.  We got onto a healthy diet and together with the exercise, I lost 20 pounds.  I am now in better shape than I was at age 40.  I now compete with 30 year olds!  Another thing, if we just do stretches so that we can move more freely, we will feel younger.  If one stretches, many of the aches and pains go away.  I'm told that it is because we 'lubricate' our joints by using them.  Yes, there are things we cannot do, but we do the best we can ... and forget the rest.

SPIRIT.  This is more about our frame of mind than anything else.  It is having a youthful spirit and being at ease with the world around us.  Do fun things.  Now that I have started learning about our minds, I can appreciate what meditation can do.  I happen also to be a person who prays.  Prayer also can help quiet the spirit.  There are many ways we can help ourselves to calm our brains and body.  Seek quiet time during each day, even if it is for a short period.  Stop and smell the roses, as the saying goes.  Close your eyes and relax all parts of your body and quietly breathe rhythmically. 

RELATIONSHIPS.  If you want to stay young, you need to interact with young thinking!  Youth provides the type of energy that is infectious.  How?  Work with youth.  Be friends to them.  Invite them to meals.  They really appreciate conversations that give them perspectives about life's challenges.  Madeline and I started by 'adopting' the youth of our church.  These are 20-40 year olds.  Most are single and away from home.  Hence, we consider ourselves their away parents.  We feed them, recognize their birthdays, celebrate their new babies (our grandkids), support them when they have problems, etc. 

FINALLY, maybe the secret to youth is to interact with youth.  Do grandparents have a more youthful view about life, even momentarily?  I believe so, especially when they are with their grandchildren.  They enjoy the time with grandchildren by buying toys and play like a child again. Indeed, as Madeline and I have 'adopted' many young men and women, we have noted that our interactions with them keeps us thinking young.  We also stay sharp by sharing our life's experiences with them to assure them that what challenges they are going through are 'normal.'  This also keeps our minds nimble and energized. 

This is my formula for staying young.  It may not be yours, but maybe there are some simple truths that resonate with you.  For a fuller, rewarding life, staying young is the goal.  In my opinion, the alternative is not an option.  I recognize that at some point the Body will slow down.  However, the Mind, Spirit, and Relationships can stay young forever -- that's not bad, 3 out of 4!

The Challenge:  From age 0 to 20-I'm invincible!  Age 30-sprains take longer to heal.  40-stamina not what it use to be.  50-more aches and pains. 60-slow in getting up from sitting and more joint issues.  70-all of what I said, plus slow in thinking. 80-hmmm?  PS: This does not have to be the scenario, IF 1) you change your focus to change your reality; 2) you get in the game and determine to get 'young'; 3) you go for it; and 4) you just do it! 

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

Beam me Up, Scotty!

Bruce Lipton, in his book, Biology of Belief (Hay House Publishers, 2005), believes that medical doctors and researchers need to pay more attention to energy-based medical treatments.  Lipton expects that this shift in focus will reduce the over 300,000 unintended deaths a year due to adverse drug reactions.

If we look at ourselves subatomically, we would find ourselves made up of a bunch of atoms floating around in electrical fields, the electrical charges keeping us from flying apart.  The science fiction televison program, Star Trek, had a special chamber that dissociated a person into electrical charges to be beamed to another location where they spontaneously reassociated back into the person.  'Beam me up, Scotty' was the signal to initiate this --  definitely a great way to travel through space!

Yes, our entire body is held together by charged molecules -- energy.  This leads to the notion that all of us have an unique energy signature that radiates from us.  Ever meet someone you immediately liked, that seemed to be on the same wave length?  Well, if we all exhibit unique energy fields, then it may be that those positive people encounters indicate a coherance of fields between you and the other person, i.e., there is harmonic resonance.  So what we term 'good chemistry' is in reality harmony between the two energy fields! "Were there sparks when they met?!"  There are also those encounters with people we feel antagonistic towards.  There is no resonance, just destructive interference. It is like there is a repulsion of energy fields.  On a larger scale, the in situ destruction of kidney stones is caused by the stones vibrating when the frequency of introduced energy waves match those of the stone, causing the stone to vibrate to the point of dissolution.

We already use energy to generate information from our bodies' systems.  Doctors use different scanners such as CAT scans, MRIs, and PET scans.  The energy sent into the organs cause release of energetic molecules which can be measured on films, like brain scans.

While the mainstream medical establishment has not yet embraced energy-based medicine, the belief that energy fields are influential in controlling our physiology and our health has led to a number of healing modalities that exploit this.  Acupuncture, massage therapy, music therapy, chiropractic and Frequency Specific Microcurrent treatments use electrical/energy pathways to treat different health issues.

As an extension of our electrophysiology, and the fact that our cell membranes are the sites of our responses to the environment with specific protein receptors to make those responses specific, it follows that electrical signals coming from the environment have specificity.  This further means that we do not respond to all signals, as different people have different receptors and respond differently to signals.  This leads to an interesting question.  Does every thought, even prayer, have specific electrical markers that will only be received by a person(s) who has the complementary receptors, and to no one else?  Additionally, do these environmental messages (signals) last forever since they are made up of specific energy units?  Can my grandfather's prayer for me 100 years ago show up today?

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

 

 

In A Pit With A Lion!

At the end of our lives, our greatest regrets will be those things we should have done but did not.   

Did you ever wonder how some people seem to have lives that are more energized than not, ones that appear to have interesting stories to tell, stories you enjoy listening to?   I have.  It turns out that if we do not live fully, we have regrets.  The most interesting lives tend to be lives lived with fewer regrets! 

Mark Batterson's book (Multnomah Publishers, 2006), "In a pit with a lion on a snowy day," tells the story of an ancient warrior named Benaiah who chased and then jumped into a pit to kill a lion on a snowy day.  Why?  We don't know.  Because Benaiah did so, he was later selected to be the body guard for a king.  Batterson tells this story well, and asks us to imagine what the king thought when he saw Benaiah's resume: "I killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day."   Benaiah later become the commander-in-chief of the entire army. The point of this story was to note that if Benaiah had decided to run instead of chase the lion, his life would have been very different. 

In nine chapters, Batterson tells about other lion chasers and teaches how we can be better lion chasers and live fuller lives. It is also a story about taking risks.  Importantly, it is a story about embracing uncertainty, as lion chasers are never certain what the outcome might be. The bottom line is that we have to have guts to step out in faith and chase lions.  "No guts, no glory!"  We need some offense in our lives, not just defense.  We need to be proactive, not reactive; not just playing it safe.  Lion chasers are always looking for opportunities and making the best of them -- doing the best one can with what one has.

OK.  We are not going to risk chasing a lion.  However, the moral of the story is that if we want to have a full life, we will need to take risks to reach for things we should reach for.  It may be to quit a job for a new one in another state, to start a business, to get married, or to have children.  In each instance there is risk because of the uncertainty of the results.  Risk provides complications and inconveniences.  However, when we embrace uncertainty that comes from risk, the end result can awaken us to a new life and unforgettable moments.

Embracing uncertainty has a lot to do with our perspectives in life.  Do we believe there is a purpose for our lives?  If we see no purpose, we will give up at a first set back.  If we do not believe there is a purpose, then any purpose will do.  If that's the case, we will believe our lives are controlled by circumstance and happenstance – random.  If so, the future is dependent on chance.  Well, I do not believe we are here just to wait for the wind of circumstances to move us about.  I know that everyone has special talents and inclinations.  Thus, I feel these inclinations, when embraced, will lead them toward their purpose -- their destiny.

Here is the challenge.  Faith and the willingness to lose some control in our lives is required in order to have the confidence to embrace uncertainty. When one steps out in faith, takes a chance and becomes a lion chaser, that single experience will change the trajectory of one’s life.  It certainly changed Benaiah's life from common warrior to becoming the supreme warrior! 

Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch survivor of the Nazi WWII camps, demonstrated by working on a needle point picture that our lives look a lot like the underside of a needle point rendering, a jumbo of threads and colors without a discernable pattern.  Yet the front side displayed a beautiful picture.  Christians believe that while we see a jumble of threads, God, from the outside looking in, sees the complete picture.  This means that not all our experiences (and lion chasing) may fit our perceived path (or make sense to us at the time).  Lion chasers are not deterred by gaps of logic, they just move on -- in faith.

Now that I understand the ‘secret’ to a fulfilled life, I have begun chasing more lions!

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

Learn to Unlearn

Interesting concept that in part we learn in order to unlearn what we already learned.  Simple thought.  I had never looked upon learning in that fashion.  And now that I am aware of this concept, I can see that it is true in many ways.  The more I learn about a person, the more of the learned biases and prejudices I release.  I begin to appreciate the uniqueness of the person more.  The more the astronomers study the heavens, the more we learn that what we knew years ago is no longer true, e.g., pluto is no longer a planet! 

Well, this idea to learn to unlearn is a truism in education isn't it?  What we learn helps advance the field we study, in part by effectively 'unlearning' what was previously thought to be true.

In my mind, the importance of this framing about education is that it puts a 'getting-it-correct' spin on learning -- something we all can use.  In order to get it all together with the world, I will continue to learn. 

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

Making Decisions Depletes Your Decision Making!

It's all about overdoing something.  Apparently, we can overdo our ability to make sound decisions by having made too many beforehand -- like decision fatigue!

In a The New York Times magazine article (To Choose is To Lose, August 21, 2011 - online version readable here), John Tierney presents compelling studies that show we compromise our ability to make sound decisions if we have exhausted our decision making 'currency' with prior decisions.

1. When decisions are made at different parts of the day, the decisions vary because of the energy level of the decision maker -- some of us are morning persons and others are night persons, etc. 
2. At certain parts of the day, we suffer decision fatigue when making the same types of decisions over and over again (repetitive types) – such as reviewing proposals, evaluating applications, and deciding on parole of inmates.  Before a meal (with energy lagging) can be a poor time for decision making.
3. Decision fatigue is an occupational hazard, such as for people working behind a customer counter (license bureaus, bank tellers).  The fatigue often results in irritability as well.
4. It can happen to football quarterbacks at the end of a stress-filled game, where poor decisions are made.
5. No matter how rational and high-minded you try to be, you cannot make decision after decision without paying a biological price.  This is different from physical fatigue because you are not consciously aware of being tired, but are low in mental energy.
6. When mentally fatigued, the brain looks for shortcuts, e.g., to do nothing or become reckless or act impulsively instead of thinking through the consequences. 

Experiments also demonstrate there is a finite store of mental energy for exerting self-control.  Consequently, willpower, a form of mental energy, could be exhausted. Decision fatigue can be episodic or chronic.  Here are some examples:

• In the case of the parole board, rather than consider the merits for parole, a tired board would rather not deliberate and does nothing and does not consider parole, to the dismay of the candidate.
• Living for the poor is a constant struggle against trade-offs.  They have to decide moment by moment what they must buy, what they must forego, and what they can afford.  This constant (chronic) need to make decisions creates fatigue.  It is suggested that this fatigue is a major factor in trapping people in poverty.  There is less will power to consider looking for a job, to get training, or to make other life decisions beyond surviving another day.

What is the cause of the decision fatigue?  Is it just the repetition -- psychological or physiological?

Numerous experiments have been performed to see what would restore willpower after depletion. Study in both humans and animals show that glucose is the ingredient that restores willpower!  This was strongly proven by brain activity scans with subjects depleted of energy and willpower and those not depleted.  The studies showed that when glucose was administered, the brain scans show renewed activity in the brain regions that coincided with renewed willpower.

This finding is challenging for those on diets.  When you deprive yourself of high sugar foods, your willpower drops and by late in the day your body craves sugar to replenish your fuel.  A nutritional catch-22.

Moral:  Do not be hungry before making a decision when glucose levels are reduced.  Have a snack or eat before making critical decisions, i.e, do not make those decisions just before lunch or before dinner!

© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com

Top 10 GSA Schedule Myths

The following is a reprint from a white paper produced by the Washington Management Group. Since I just wrote about the changing federal contracting scene, this reprint provides one aspect of competition for contracts that may be helpful to some.  Our firm subscribes to their FedSources/Input services. Our firm has a GSA Schedule that was drafted by our Senior VP and reviewed by a GSA consulting firm before we submitted the application.  Our Schedule was awarded 30 days after submission -- an exceptionally short turnaround period.

The Truth About the GSA Schedules Program

The Washington Management Group dispels ten myths about securing and maintaining your schedule contract

 The U.S. government is the No. 1 consumer in the world. As a result, a growing number of companies are looking to sell their services and products to the government.

In order to do that, many are pursuing a GSA Schedule Contract. While the GSA Schedules Program is one of the most effective ways to sell to the government, there is a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of misperceptions, about getting a Schedule contract.

For example, be careful about how you define the word “success”. Many companies claim high success rates in getting their customers a GSA Schedule Contract. Merely getting a contract does not constitute success – a contract that is mired in compliance restrictions and cut-rate pricing may do more harm than good. To land an effective contract – one that will help secure more government business and reduce your contract risk – it is important to understand what is involved, what is true, and what is false.

 10. Any company can get on the GSA Schedule. False. To get a GSA Schedule contract you need to have established commerciality for the services or products that you intend to offer to the government. This may require two years of successful project related experience for GSA approval. You also need to register on a number of government websites and receive a satisfactory response to reference checks before you can secure a GSA Schedule contract.

 9. It helps to submit a GSA Schedule offer myself. False. There are companies that do construct and submit their own offers that result in a GSA Schedule contract award. Like doing your own taxes, however, if you submit your own offer you run the risk of missing opportunities to get yourself a better deal. Bear in mind that this is a five year, legally binding contract. Many companies outsource this to minimize risk and maximize value.

 8. If I use a GSA Schedule consulting firm, there is a 100% success rate. False. This goes back to our opening warning to be careful about how you define “success”. You can have a successful contract submission – deemed “a success” by some companies – but come back with an unsuccessful GSA Schedule contract, because of aggressive pricing, broad definitions to compliance issues (like Basis of Award, or BOA), etc. The true definition of success is a low-risk contract that helps you increase government sales.

 7. Every offer submitted results in a GSA Schedule contract. False. The rejection rate at GSA has remained steady at approximately 45%. Common causes of rejection include administrative errors, missing portions of the supporting documentation, unsubstantiated pricing, and improper submittal format.

 6. Offering a cut-rate price means a successful GSA Schedule contract. False. Pricing is an important factor in any business deal. But, providing cut-rate pricing does not mean you’ve secured a “successful” contract. Instead of only looking at the numbers, a more realistic assessment for success is pricing that allows you to have acceptable margins, and terms and conditions that reduce your risk over the life of your GSA Schedule contract.

 5. A GSA Schedule has minimal impact on my commercial business. False. Even though it is a government contract, it does have an impact on your commercial business. One key area of contract compliance is your defined Basis of Award (BOA). Having a BOA that is aligned with your commercial sales practices is critical for GSA Schedule holders.

 4. It is a good idea to put all of our products on our GSA Schedule. False. You should be cautious when you analyze and decide what to put on your GSA Schedule. One reason is the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), which may exclude some of your products from being sold on a GSA Schedule if they are manufactured or built in certain countries. Another area of potential compliance concern comes if any of your commercial products are prone to significant price fluctuations based on commercial sales. These may be items like “loss leaders” or even “giveaways” used to get follow-on business.

 3. Getting a GSA Schedule in 30 days is realistic. False. From initial effort to award, a quality GSA Schedule contract will take three to six months to secure, depending on the Schedule. There has been an influx of offers in several Schedule centers resulting in extended timeframes of six to nine months. A sense of urgency is good, but a quality GSA Schedule contract will be much more effective in the long run.

2. A GSA Schedule contract guarantees you government business. False. With the GSA Schedule program, as in life, there are no guarantees. Having a GSA Schedule contract validates you as a qualified supplier to the U.S. government. It provides a “seal of approval”. To get business, however, you must market and sell your services and products as you would to secure business in any other market.

 1. It is all right to have a GSA Schedule contract and sell nothing. False. Having a GSA Schedule contract and selling nothing is not a good situation. When you receive your contract, you are expected to sell at least $25,000 in the first two years and $25,000 per year, as long as you hold your GSA Schedule contract. Selling nothing over several years puts you at risk of losing your GSA Schedule contract.

 Conclusion

Although there are some similarities, there are also many differences between the government market and almost any other commercial market. The government market may requires that a contractor maintain special infrastructure, resources and internal support to assure contract performance. Unique government contract compliance requirements mandate transparency and oversight. In certain instances, the government has the right to audit and assess penalties for non compliance. Ultimately, as the largest consumer of services and products in the world, most companies that are successful understand these requirements and deal with them.

Getting a GSA Schedule contract in order to break into the government market may be one of the best business decisions you make. To be successful, however, you must understand the process – and the level of commitment – involved in pursuing that contract. You must understand the facts and be able to weed through the hype and the myths. Once you do that, you’re well on your way to working with one of the largest customers in the world.

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© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com