Glyn Yates is Principle Consultant, GTM International. In this monthly column for Intelligent Tech Channels, he shares his expertise and views on the channel and partner community.
As 2020 draws to a close, business priorities focus on closing out the year, reviewing the previous 12 months and planning the next – the now, the past and the future. It is a busy time, executing plans while planning the execution of execution planning. We do it every year, and we know the score – and to some it is merely an administration exercise – while for others, there is huge stock and delight in visualising success.
Whatever your field, experience or position, if you are reading this then we are somehow connected through an interest in all things IT channel. If this is not your first read, then throughout the year we have been connected and laser-focused on business by engaging on a variety of hot topics. I hope that you either empathised with my commentary or challenged my views with good reason.
But we do not live to work, we work to live – so in this last column of the year I would also like to appreciate and include the human side of things. It has been a strange year, to say the least, and I could never presume what 2020 held for you, so I will take this opportunity to reflect on my own salt and pepper 12 months, and to look forward to what the year ahead brings.
A bittersweet year gave and took in equal measure, a chance to spend less time ‘work’ travelling and more time at home with my family, something that would have normally sounded wonderful, had it not been tainted with the restriction of less travelling to see extended family. There was also personal loss, not as a result of COVID, however these restrictions did mean those last moments could not be shared, and I sympathise with all those who also experienced similar in whatever shape.
There were fantastic achievements of GTM, as many vendors assessed their go-to-market risk/reward. GTM were perfectly designed to support and enable this strategic shift towards new low risk, low investment models. The business is on budget and next year will include the inevitable pressures of scale, but at a time where pressures surround us, it is not the worst pressure to have… and it does highlight that those who spot opportunity and adapt to changing market conditions and customer demand can drive growth – something that I have alluded to in previous articles.
I have also seen throughout the Middle East, my home market, that shifting market demands have brought an added maturity – a focus on business outcomes, not technologies, a focus on value propositions, not ‘shisha’ relationships and a focus on overall operations, not silo decisions.
In fact, as much as most of us would like to see the back of this annus horribilis, there are a number of silver linings we can celebrate. Personally, professionally and from a global community perspective, I believe we are more robust and resilient than before, and the empathy of this shared global experience brought us all a little closer together. It will take some time for the world to return to ‘normal’, but I do feel that we can look forward to 2021 with great optimism and excitement.
I would like to thank all those that have contributed to the GTM journey and story this year, including our great team, our fantastic partners and our visionary customers. I wish you all the best for remainder of the year and continued success ahead.
Disclaimer.
I have walked many roads, and worn many hats and, although my experience and expertise can be valuable, my outlook on the world at large is my own, and does not necessarily represent that of ITC.
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