Everyday Run State: Pro Edition

Hello Team,

We are one week into setting small, achievable goals for your business!

Is it working? No?

Well, let’s zoom out and talk about why it’s so difficult to implement any change in a business setting. It’s not that the task is hard (necessarily,) it's that friction creeps in from competing priorities, unclear ownership, and bottlenecks between departments.

For many MSPs and Pro AV/Security integrators, friction shows up when Sales closes a deal that Operations isn’t ready to deliver, or when Purchasing is scrambling because Project Management didn’t have updated timelines. You know the feeling - everyone’s busy, but progress stalls because no one is aligned. This is the hidden cost of friction, and it slows your business down far more than you realize.

Root Cause? Friction in the Handoffs

In supply chain, the biggest delays don’t come from the actual work (like assembling or shipping) - they come from handoffs. Waiting on approvals, chasing down information, or “just quickly” reworking because someone upstream wasn’t looped in.

Your business is no different. Every time a ticket waits in a queue, a quote sits in draft, or an order gets bounced between departments, that’s friction eroding your Run State.

MSPs and Pro AV firms that run smoothly don’t necessarily have more people, they have less friction in their workflows. They build clear handoff points, shared accountability, and visible priorities across teams.

Reducing Friction Between Departments

Here are some ways to start clearing the path:

1. Define Ownership at Every Handoff

   • Every process needs a clear owner for the next step, not just “someone will pick it up.” Assigning this clarity is half the battle.

2. Visualize Priorities Across Departments

   • Use shared boards or dashboards where Sales, Projects, Purchasing, and Service can see what’s critical in real-time. Visibility cuts back on the “but I didn’t know” excuses.

3. Automate Task Triggers

   • Don’t rely on email chains or tribal knowledge to kick off the next action. Automate status changes and task assignments in your PSA system to keep momentum.

4. Standardize Cross-Department Workflows

   • Conflicting processes are a recipe for friction. Document and align workflows where departments intersect, especially for onboarding new clients or executing projects.

5. Schedule Weekly Priority Syncs

   • A 15-minute cross-department sync each week can realign teams on what's moving, what's stuck, and where support is needed.

Friction is inevitable. But the companies that win aren’t the ones who avoid it - they’re the ones who identify it early and fix it fast. If you’re seeing frustration between teams, don’t assume it’s a people issue. It’s a friction issue.

Let’s get you to Run State.

—Monica