March 2010 Newsletter

As I am writing this, we are all in the afterglow of the Olympics. The analysis has already begun and what I am hearing is that although the games had a rough start, they were a resounding success thanks to the entire team from the athletes to the volunteers.

So how would you company or organization size up against the Olympics? Do you start every day with the gold medal on your mind or are you already thinking of silver or bronze? Or do you get started every day thinking that I am going to do my best no matter what the result will be? To be successful, you need to do the latter and the results will speak for themselves. But to be there, we also have to invest in ourselves and our companies and that means personal and professional development. It means ensuring that your corporate attitude reflects your short and long term goals. It also means that everyone in the company or organization is working together with a good corporate attitude.

Have you taken the time to reflect on these things in the past year when many companies and organizations are facing challenges in these economic times? If so, you might want to give that some thought. I attended a conference in Grande Prairie recently and was privileged to listen to a number of speakers who provide us with some though provoking quotes. Included in this group were David Emerson, Dan Gardner and Arlene Dickinson (The Dragon’s Den). Here are some of their quotes:
1. “We need to be constantly thinking globally if we are to succeed.”2. “I know that I am bound to be wrong and therefore am more likely to correct my mistakes. “- George Soros
3. Arlene Dickinson:
a. “ A life spent making mistakes is better than a life doing nothing” b. “ We need to put a stake in the ground and then reserve the right to get smarter”
c. “Life is a journey, not a destination”
d. “ People are important, companies are not”
e. “You are the brand of your company or organization”
Can your organization or company measure up to these words of wisdom?