TERRIFIC TEAM-UPs
Henry Ford once said that coming together is a beginning and staying together is progress; working together, however, is success. The same holds true for creating a successful business. The ability of the staff to work together as a team influences every aspect of the enterprise. In The Beacon’s ongoing series, Terrific Team-Ups, we spotlight the teams at local businesses who share their tips on practices that particularly equate to successful business partnerships.
Optimized for Success
When in Cayman, should one ever be in need of a computer part, accessory or complete computer overhaul, the “Go-To-Guy” can be found located among The Shoppes of Grand Harbour at a store and Internet café known as Cyber Joe’s. The referenced “Joe” is more widely known to locals as Joel Scott. “When we were naming the business, ‘Joe’ just had a better ring to it,” he says.
A graduate of Cayman Brac High School who went on to earn a degree in Information Systems Management from the University of South Florida, Joel’s cyber sophistication was honed over 16 years of working for the Cayman Islands Government. He began as a computer services technician, but was later promoted to Manager of Information Systems for the Department of Tourism. As someone who has managed the complexities of a network comprised of large corporate networks, the problems that typically pop-up with a home or office computer are no match for Joel’s technical prowess. His information technology skills are complemented with a seasoned network of contacts among manufacturers, part suppliers and distributors around the world. “If I don’t have the answers to your problem, I know where to go to find the answers,” says Joel.
Those contacts come in handy because the Cayman Islands is considered to be among the most technologically modern of Caribbean nations. The maintenance of the various technologies combined with the demand for others keeps Cyber Joe’s sufficiently busy. “Cayman is very hi-tech. As a business, we have to cater to everyone, whether that’s a homeowner with a computer problem or a business with a network of computers, we help everyone we can." says Joel.
Of course, dealing with anything from viruses to networking issues to data recovery on a failing hard drive doesn’t leave him a lot of extra time to deal with all the other processes of maintaining a business. For that, Joel relies on his business partner. They say “Behind every good man is a good woman,” and sometimes, the same could be said for every good business man. The business woman, in this instance, is Joel’s wife Christie. For the past five years that Cyber Joe’s has been in operation, Christie has been right there tending to customer needs, as well as the needs of the business. While Joel may be Cyber Joe, Christie may be considered something of a “Cyber Researcher” – a reference to the fact that she makes so many inquiries on behalf of customers wishing to access information or providers of various computer parts. “It’s not enough to just sell a piece of equipment or part to someone,” says Christie. “We want to instruct and educate our clients on the proper usage as well, especially if it means informing them of another part that works just as well, and will save them money. We consider it as part of our excellent customer service, which we take great pride in.”
Understanding the importance that technology holds in a business is one thing, but how it may function in a family household is just as important as well. Christie says clients rely on Cyber Joe’s for more than parts or repair. “Education, support, assistance with setting up equipment or accessing the Internet; we’re here to help everyone that comes to us and we never want anyone to go away unsatisfied,” she adds.
The Scotts have operated their business for five years now, but they have been married for more than 14 years. In sharing their ideas about what makes for dynamic team work, the couple says much of that which factors in building a successful marital relationship can be applied to creating good professional relationships.
HONESTY
The couple agrees that even in the best of times, people can have differences of opinions or varying ideas about the way a business should function. Joel says disagreements don’t have to equate to a disagreeable atmosphere in situations when participants know they can rely on a honest exchange of opinions. “And it’s not just honesty, but being assertive, sharing what you think and feel early on instead of letting something grow until it becomes a larger problem,” says Joel. Everyone has to remember we all make mistakes and be willing to accept an apology.
COMMUNICATION
This honest and assertive exchange of beliefs and ideas is tied to another very important aspect of team building – Communication. “People have to be open with one another and discuss the issue openly and respectfully,” says Joel. “But it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it,” he adds. Momentarily glancing at his wife, Joel concedes that he too has occasionally fallen short of the mark. “I am a strong-headed man sometimes and say things that I realize shortly after I should have said in a different way. This is something I continue to work on too,” he admits. His advice: when in-the-wrong, communicate an apology quickly (and mean it when you say it).
UNDERSTANDING and FULFILLING ROLES
Every player has a part to fulfill on a team. What’s critical, according to Christie, is the understanding and fulfilling of assigned roles. At Cyber Joe’s, the roles are categorized as Entrepreneurial, Managerial and Technician. While Joel fulfills an entrepreneurial role, relating to overall strategy and long term vision for the company, her role is managerial encompassing the day to day running of the business. This includes making sure that staff are tending to customer needs and fulfilling their duties. “In our business everyone has to serve as technicians, servicing the needs of our clients," says Christie.
