It’s about winning in the long term. Just surviving for the long term is painful.
In my rare, spare time, I like to play the card game Hearts, and I like to play Chess. In order to do that successfully, you have to keep your head in the game.
The good players just sort of follow the rules and dump and duck and survive. At a cost. They never win a streak, they don’t improve their game and for the life of me I cannot figure out why they continue to play if their life is full of frustration and anger and blaming it on others. When they start to lose they quit looking at the whole picture and go into what I call “fright, fight and flight” mode. I see a lot businesses owners and managers playing with their businesses in the same way.
They quit thinking strategically.
They look for excuses and others to blame.
They look for a bailout.
The GREAT players, however, keep their heads in the game. Yes, they have setbacks and losses. Yes, sometimes others are to blame. But just as often, they are able to see and take advantage when others do mess up. The great players will sacrifice now for a win later. They will go so far as to help their opponent now, so that the game stays alive. Because once the game is over, it’s over, folks. No more chances to win.
The great players have a strategy.
They stick with their strategy.
They may make changes in their strategy when conditions or learning evolve, but they are thought out and executed.
Rarely do the successful players make a ‘Hail Mary’ pass. They do make them, but they are not nearly as consistently successful.
What is your strategy?
Are your people thinking forward clearly and executing on a well thought out strategy?
Even given the turmoil in the economy as I write this, those that intend to win are at least thinking through a strategy and not tossing everything into the wind.
Bart Gragg
925.757.7473
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