Executive Director’s Message

From Good to Great to Beyond Great

It is most likely that you have heard of Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don’t, published in October 2001. The book identified three main factors that successful companies shared, which are:

1. Disciplined People

n They have “Level 5” leaders, leaders with intense determination and profound humility that are focused on long-term success. n They get the right people “on the bus” in the right “seats.”

2. Disciplined Thought

n They confront the brutal facts, assessing potential and emerging problems inside and outside the company. n They adopt “the Hedgehog concept,” doing one thing better than anyone else.

3. Disciplined Action

n They exhibit a culture of discipline, where resources are focused on the area of strength.

n They see technology as a way to accelerate achieving that one goal. n They avoid distractions and pursue steady and consistent progress towards the goal.

But, is being great enough today? Will it be enough tomorrow? Boston Consulting Group (BCG)’s Arindam Bhattacharya, Nikolaus Lang, and Jim Hemerling explained in their book, Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in an Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution. that “Great is no longer good enough.”

While “Good to Great” may have worked 20 years ago, three powerful and disruptive forces (social tension, economic nationalism, and technological revolution) have altered the path to success. Rather than focusing singly on shareholder value, the goal should now be to build a sustainable business advantage that benefits all stakeholders. Parallel to “Good to Great”, the authors identify three major groups and nine strategies. These are:

1. Growing beyond, by redefining what great growth looks like

n Doing good, growing beyond, successfully integrating activities that have a positive societal impact and benefits all stakeholders. n Streaming it, not shipping it, by using technologies to deliver electronic solutions and experiences that fulfill unmet needs. n Refining your global game by concentrating on fewer markets and deepening engagement in those, while using asset-light or technology-based solutions.

2. Operating beyond, by rethinking how your company operates

n Engineering an ecosystem. n Flexing how you make it by being responsive and resilient in the face of disruption and delivering services quickly and at low cost. n Letting the data run through it, which will shed light on future performance or consumer behaviors, while also driving the right decisions.

3. Organizing beyond, by constantly reinventing how their company is organized

n Getting focused, fast and flat, by developing agile, customer-focused teams with the right tools and shunning bureaucracy. n Thriving with talent that is digitally savvy and engaged. n Embracing always-on transformation to compete and win in volatile, rapidly-evolving business environments.

As life and work return to a modicum of normality, companies should reflect on whether the changes made due to the pandemic can facilitated their path to becoming “beyond great.” I believe we will find that is the case.

shared, “It was a privilege to co-chair TMA’s Work-from-Home Task Force and to witness the active involvement from many TMA members firsthand. I see monitoring from home being a key part of the future of central stations.” He went on to say he believes dedicated monitoring centers will be a key hub going forward, but that alarm operators will be found both at home and in the monitoring center in the post-pandemic business model. “Consumers have come to accept and expect professional service from wherever an agent is located, and the pandemic has helped us prove in a short time that alarm monitoring can be provided at equal or greater speed, quality, and security regardless the location of the operator.”

The lessons learned from the emergency WFH effort were further refined for inclusion in the permanent WFH proposal. As I write this, a preliminary comment period to get initial feedback on the workgroup’s permanent work from home draft proposal has just concluded. The feedback received was reviewed by the workgroup prior to completing the formal proposal. The permanent WFH proposal was posted by UL on May 28, 2021. The proposal will now go through the normal UL process that reviews proposals submitted for consideration to modify a UL standard.

UL 827 was not the only national standard updated to accommodate emergency work from home. It is important that standards that reference sections of other standards stay in sync. Such is the case with NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm Code, and UL 827. Several TMA members that are on select NFPA committees participated on task-groups charged with creating Tentative Interim Amendment (TIA) language for NFPA 72, to ensure harmonization between NFPA 72 and UL 827. NFPA’s Standards Counsel approved the TIA in May.

I couldn’t be more proud of the effort and collaboration exhibited by my colleagues throughout the various phases of this extremely important initiative and am grateful to represent TMA and its members in seeing this all the way through to the finish line. For more information on the permanent WFH proposal to UL 827, please contact Celia Besore at cbesore@tma.us, otherwise, it will be provided by UL per their normal CSDS procedures. TMA will also publish updates as the process proceeds.

Don Young President The Monitoring Association

7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 510 McLean, VA 22102 703-242-4670; Fax 703-242-4675

About TMA The Monitoring Association (TMA) is the trade association representing the professional monitoring industry. Our membership community is comprised of companies spanning all industry sectors, including monitoring centers, systems integrators, service providers, installers, consultants, and product manufacturers. TMA is dedicated to the advancement of the professional monitoring industry through education, advocacy, standards, and public-safety relationships.

Our Mission Our mission is to promote and advance professional monitoring to consumers and first responders through education, advocacy, and the creation of standards.

Our Vision A safer world through professional monitoring.

Copyright 2021 The Monitoring Association All rights reserved.

TMA Officers

President Don Young, Boca Raton, FL

Vice Presidents Steve Butkovich, Charlotte, NC Morgan Hertel, Corona, CA

Secretary Steve Walker, Plymouth, MN

Treasurer Alan Gilmore IV, Cleveland, OH

Immediate Past President Ivan Spector, Montreal, QC

TMA Staff

Executive Director Celia T. Besore, MBA, CAE

Vice President of Meetings and Conventions John S. McDonald

Vice President of Education and Training Julie N. Webber

Director of Membership and Programs Illeny Maaza

Director of Marketing and Communications Leigh A. McGuire

Information Systems Manager, ASAP Service Manager Bryan Ginn

Programs and Administrative Coordinator Tara Compher