“This isn’t sustainable, David,” Sarah said, scrolling through the outage reports on her screen. “That’s the third time this quarter we’ve had to deal with an outage. It’s not just frustrating—it’s costing us. A LOT.”
As the head of operations, David was well aware of what was going on. However, he was relieved Sarah, the company’s CFO, was finally seeing it, too.
“We’ve been dealing with these issues for months now,” David sighed. “Every time we get hit with downtime, the team loses momentum, and we fall further behind. I’m pretty sure we even lost that deal last week because of it—although Tony won’t say it in so many words.”
David leaned back in his chair, wrapped his hands behind his neck as he thought about the sales leader’s frustrations, and then blurted out what both of them were now thinking:
“If I’m being honest, Sarah, I don’t think our IT provider is cutting it. They’re always coming in after the fact, fixing what’s broken… But you and I both know we can’t keep going like this.”
Sarah agreed. She’d seen the numbers—and they weren’t pretty.
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Sarah said. “We’ve grown a lot in the past year, and they just haven’t kept pace. Maybe that’s on them, or maybe it’s on us. But maybe…”
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Sarah trailed off as she thought. “OK, what if we had a provider that not only responds to IT emergencies, but that understands our business and can help us scale? Do you think that’s too much to ask?”
“I don’t think so,” David shook his head. “Not these days anyway. So much has changed in the MSP landscape since we initially brought them in.”
Sarah was intrigued. “How so?”
“Well, for starters, I don’t think we need to be stuck in the break-fix cycle,” David said. “In fact, I’ve heard really great things about this one Atlanta-based MSP we should potentially look into.
“My brother Paul’s been using them for years, and from what I gather, they are more than just basic IT support. He says their approach is proactive, not merely reactive. You know, they actually do all the things needed to prevent problems from happening in the first place, plus is helping his company stay secure as they near another round of funding.”
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “So, instead of only coming in after the system crashes, they’d work to keep it from crashing in the first place? And help Paul’s company tighten things up?”
“Yep,” David said. “He said they took time to dive deep and understand his business’ goals and aligned all the technology and systems strategically to support them both now and later as they grow.”
Sarah smiled. “It’s nice to know things aren’t going to come crashing down—no pun intended—right as things ramp up! I also take it you and your brother have talked about this before, huh?”
David’s eyes widened as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Only when our system crashed for what felt like the millionth time last month…”
Sarah considered it.
“Yeah, our provider is great when it comes to patching things up, but we both know we’re past the point of just needing fixes,” she said. “I mean, we need those, too, but we need so much more, especially if we want to remain relevant and competitive. You and I both know this, David.
“Plus,” Sarah glanced around as she lowered her voice, “I refuse to lose any more deals or, heck, talent because of IT issues. I have a sinking feeling that one incredible VP candidate—you know, Carla—turned down our offer when she realized she wouldn’t have the same experience working remotely as our employees have in the office.”
David nodded. “You know, I had the same feeling. Not to mention, she ended up going to our competitor to make matters worse…”
“She did? I had no idea!” Sarah exclaimed before shaking her head. “Well, that’s it. We can’t afford to lose out on good deals or great people anymore. Not if we can help it. Sounds like it’s time to text your brother to get that company’s info.”
“Yep. I’m going to call him now,” David said as he stood up from the table. “Oh, and you’ll like this: He also said onboarding was a breeze, too, and they even offer some kind of money-back guarantee or something. I’ll get more details on that.”
“OK, now you’re speaking my language,” Sarah smiled as she stood up as well. “Honestly, that’s what’s been holding me back from evaluating other options. It was such a pain to onboard our current provider!”
“And expensive, too,” David smirked as he pulled his phone out of his pocket while walking out of the conference room. “I have a feeling this will be a much better experience—for all of us,” he said before putting the phone to his ear.
“Hey Paul! Got a minute?…”
This story highlights the importance of having a proactive IT provider that not only fixes issues but also helps a business grow and stay competitive. If you find yourself in a similar situation, it might be time to evaluate your current IT support and consider a provider that aligns with your business goals.
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At Logic Speak, our core values shape how we lead, how we work, and how we serve our clients. They’re not words on a wall, they’re filters for decisions and expectations for how we show up every day.
But here’s something we’ve learned the hard way: even good values have a shadow side.
Values, when taken too far or applied without self‑awareness, can create unintended consequences. What starts as a strength can quietly become a blind spot. And if we’re not careful, the very things we pride ourselves on can work against us.
So today, we want to talk honestly about our values, not just the best of them, but the risks of overusing them.
We Care for You
The strength:
Caring for others is foundational to who we are. It means treating people with dignity, empathy, and kindness. It means remembering that coworkers, clients, and partners are humans first, not just roles or tickets or invoices.
The shadow side:
When care goes unchecked, it can turn into avoidance. We may hesitate to give hard feedback because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. We may tolerate behaviors longer than we should because we empathize deeply with circumstances. Over time, clarity suffers, and ironically, so does trust.
Care without courage isn’t actually care.
We Lean In
The strength:
We lean in when there’s a need. We take ownership. We step up when things are unclear or uncomfortable. This value fuels responsibility, initiative, and teamwork.
The shadow side:
Leaning in too much can become overfunctioning. We jump in to fix things that aren’t ours to fix. We take on too much instead of letting others wrestle and grow. Eventually, this can lead to burnout, resentment, or invisible bottlenecks where “that person always handles it.”
Sometimes the most responsible thing to do is not lean in, but step back.
We Love Our Craft
The strength:
We take pride in doing things well. We pay attention to details. We care about quality, process, and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
The shadow side:
At its extreme, loving our craft can turn into perfectionism. We may over‑engineer solutions, delay decisions, or become critical when others don’t meet our internal standards. What was meant to produce excellence can unintentionally slow momentum or make collaboration harder.
Excellence should serve the outcome, not replace it.
We Keep Improving
The strength:
Growth matters here. We believe learning never stops and that feedback, when handled well, is a gift. This value keeps us curious, hungry, and moving forward.
The shadow side:
Constant improvement can quietly create the feeling that “where we are is never enough.” Wins may go uncelebrated because we’re already focused on what’s next. People may feel like they’re always being evaluated instead of occasionally being affirmed.
Improvement without appreciation can feel exhausting.
Why This Matters: Blind Spots Are Part of Being Human
None of these shadow sides mean our values are flawed. They mean we’re human.
Every person, every team, and every organization has blind spots. Often, they’re not found in our weaknesses, but in our strengths, overused or unexamined. The danger isn’t having blind spots, it’s assuming we don’t.
That’s why self‑awareness matters so deeply to us. It’s why feedback matters. It’s why we believe asking questions like “How is this landing?” and “What might I be missing?” is a leadership responsibility, not a sign of insecurity.
Living Our Values With Humility
Our goal isn’t to live our values perfectly. It’s to live them thoughtfully.
That means holding our values firmly, but ourselves humbly. It means inviting perspective, welcoming challenge, and remembering that good intentions don’t eliminate unintended impact.
When we name the shadow side, we don’t weaken our culture, we strengthen it.
Because the best teams aren’t made of people without blind spots.
They’re made of people willing to look for them.