Think Of The Potential

I recently heard Stewart Muir from Resource Works speak and he gave us some great words of wisdom:

“ When we watched the major underdog in the British soccer league win the league championship, we all learned a lesson on how to accomplish what people will think of as impossible. The coach stated that he told the team that we need to focus on where the ball is going and get it into the net. Don’t worry about the other team getting the ball but focus on scoring when your team has the ball.”

Some great words for all of us. We need to focus on ourselves and moving our organization or company forward. Often the opportunities and innovation come from within and we have to look to ourselves to solve our own problems. A question that is often not asked is “are we ourselves the barrier to overcoming challenges”

In the present times, I am finding companies who are taking the leap of faith and creating new innovation and moving forward with it. Some of these companies are found in the small shops in our communities and are often overlooked. When times get better, they may become the leaders of our economy.

Another question often not asked is “can we merge with another company of the same size or larger to create a bigger and better business?” This takes courage as it can mean giving up your total independence. I met a couple in Peace River a couple of years ago that had a small fabricating shop and they wanted to grow. They did not have the capital to do it on their own so they approached another small shop and together they built a much larger company and shop. Their ability to take on larger projects increased significantly and profits grew.

The solutions for overcoming challenges are often right in front of us. It may involve merging organizations (and yes non-profits too) or companies but efficiencies in administrative overhead, etc. will result in a long term gain. It may also mean giving up some of our personal or professional ego of “going it alone” but in the end, the gain could be significant.

These types of changes require some courage and innovation but think of the potential!