As we enter the second half of 2008, I'm reminded of some of the best "halftime speeches" I've heard throughout the years. Halftime presents the unique opportunity to pull your team together, evaluate how you've done, and make any adjustments that need to be made to ensure success through the balance of the game / year.
Growing up playing sports, I've heard a number of halftime speaches in my day. At times they were sources of encouragement to keep doing what we were doing, and others were a little more passionate and centered around all the things that we as a team were doing wrong, and emphatic instructions on how to get back on the right track. As I thought about the concept of "halftime", one speech came to mind and was made famous by Billy Bob Thorton in the movie Friday Night Lights.
What struck me about this speech is that it had little to do with strategy and more to do with purpose. So at Response Bridge as we enter into the mid point of the year, we're talking more about our purpose, our work ethic, and our reason for playing the serious game of business. As a company we are striving to not only succeed in business, but also make a meaningful impact as we compete.
Back to the Basics
When we are in the midst of the battle at times we feel overtaken by all of the intricacies of our business. Customer acquisition, revenue, profitability, cash-flow, goals, and metrics, are all areas of business that need attention. While all of these items are critical to being successful in business, if given to much attention, can cause undue stress and distractions which keep us from succeeding. Sometimes at halftime you just have to get "back to the basics"
So here's what we see at Response Bridge as the "basics" that will ensure our company's success in the rest of 2008.
- Attitude - Many times it's the only thing that we can control.
- Relationships - Relationships are the fuel for our business. We have to remember that our business is about people and the relationships we build.
- Excellence! - If we are going to be the best we have to always do our best. We must always do things the right way, for the right reasons, and with the ultimate success of our partners in mind.
So as you enter the second half of 2008 what are you focused on? I would suggest you "go back to the basics" and set your goals accordingly. Good luck - we wish you all the best.