The 5 Whys of Resource Management and Role Definition for MSPs
The MSP industry has always had a certain charm. Most of us didn’t come from corporate boardrooms or Ivy League lecture halls. We’re doers, builders, and fixers. We figured out early that we could deliver better customer experiences, higher-quality tech, or tighter security than the competition, and so we started businesses.
But here’s the thing: while the tools and technology are second nature, people are not. Life was easier when you could shut the door to the server room and let the blinking lights keep you company. Now, the real challenge isn’t uptime, patching, or integrations, it’s managing the humans in the equation.
And that’s where MSP Owners and Service Managers stumble most. Moving from “Great Tech” to “Great Leader” isn’t automatic. It takes a shift in mindset, in skillset, and in how you measure success. The struggles almost always trace back to five root causes - the 5 Whys of Resource Management.
Why #1: Not All Techs Think the Same
If you’ve ever managed a team of Technicians, you know this truth. Some troubleshoot like artists, others like engineers, and a few like wildcards. Diversity in thinking is great for innovation, but it also creates chaos in service delivery. Clients don’t care that two Techs solve problems differently, they care that the service feels consistent.
The frustration comes when a manager, especially one who used to be a Tech themselves, sees their team making choices they wouldn’t have made. It feels inefficient, even sloppy. But the reality is this: expecting your Techs to mirror your thought process is a trap. Your job as a leader is to align these different approaches to a common standard. That alignment doesn’t happen naturally, it takes structure, communication, and the right data.
Why #2: Lack of Accountability
Let’s be honest, holding Techs accountable is one of the hardest parts of the job. You can talk until you’re blue in the face, but without hard data, it’s just noise. Highly billable resources know you aren’t going to fire them for dragging their feet, and empty pep talks won’t change behavior.
This is where performance visibility becomes non-negotiable. With the right reporting, accountability stops being personal. The data does the heavy lifting. Instead of heated arguments, you get conversations that sound more like: “Here’s the trend in your SLA performance. Let’s figure out how to improve it together.” The numbers call out the issue, and you get to play the role of coach rather than executioner.
Advanced Live Reports are built for exactly this. They turn raw Autotask data into actionable insights so you can benchmark, motivate, and correct without endless circular discussions.
Why #3: No Longer One of the Techs
Many MSP leaders struggle with the shift from doing the work to leading the work. You were once the best Tech in the room, but now your role is different. Delegation isn’t just handing off tasks, it’s letting go of control. That’s tough, especially when your instinct is to jump in and fix things yourself. But here’s the truth: if you’re still the go-to problem solver, your business can’t scale. Your job now is to build others into problem solvers. That means trading in your toolkit for leadership tools, coaching, standard operating procedures, and clearly defined roles. Without those, you’ll find yourself micromanaging, frustrated, and stuck in the weeds.
Why #4: Please Close the Door to the Server Room on Your Way Out
Technical chops aren’t enough anymore. Clients expect their MSP to be partners, not just problem-fixers. That means relational skills, listening, empathy, communication, are now as important as certifications.
Inside your team, those same skills make the difference between a group of Techs and a cohesive unit. Conflict, low morale, and siloed work usually trace back to poor communication. A Service Manager who can coach relational skills into the culture will see better collaboration, happier clients, and less turnover.
This isn’t about turning Techs into Salespeople. It’s about teaching them how to relate, whether that’s to each other, to you, or to the Client on the other end of the ticket.
Why #5: Adapting to Change
Change management may be the most underrated leadership skill in MSPs. New tools, new processes, new Client demands, they all disrupt the fragile balance of productivity. Techs resist because change feels like extra work. Clients resist because they fear service dips. Owners resist because change is expensive. But refusing to adapt isn’t an option. The MSPs that win are the ones that treat change as a muscle, not a one-off project. They build processes for rolling out new systems, retraining staff, and keeping clients informed. They accept short-term bumps to secure long-term scalability.
Service Managers are the front-line leaders in this. They must guide their teams through uncertainty without letting service quality slide. It’s not easy, but it’s the difference between an MSP that survives and one that grows.
Where to Start
At Advanced Global, we don’t run HR bootcamps or teach “how to manage people” in the traditional sense. But we do arm MSPs with the one thing that makes all of this possible: data.
Our Advanced Live Reports give you visibility into resource utilization, SLA performance, time entry behavior, and trends that highlight where accountability and coaching are needed most. The data becomes the neutral third party in conversations that would otherwise spiral into finger-pointing. It’s not about catching Techs, it’s about helping them grow.
Some of the most valuable reports we deliver include:
Advanced Open/Close by Resource Trend Reports
Advanced SLA Performance by Resource
Advanced Resource Utilization
Advanced Real-Time Time Entry
These aren’t just spreadsheets, they’re coaching tools. They let you move from managing by gut feel to managing by fact, which is the foundation of building high-performing teams.
Further Reading
For MSP owners who want to go deeper into leadership and role definition, here are a few recommendations from Steve’s library:
Who Will Do What By When by Tom Hanson
Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard
Ownership Thinking by Brad Hams
Each of these books provides practical insights into accountability, adaptability, and leadership that apply directly to MSP life.
Final Word
Resource management isn’t just about scheduling tickets or tracking billable hours. It’s about aligning people, processes, and data to create a team that delivers consistently, without burning out the owner or manager in the process.
The 5 Whys give us a framework for understanding why it’s so hard. The right tools, like Advanced Live Reports, give us a path forward. And when you combine those tools with intentional leadership, you stop firefighting and start building an MSP that runs smoothly, grows sustainably, and keeps both Clients and Techs happy.