Thursday, November 10, 2011

[INSIGHT] Balancing Act

Many times, especially when working in large teams, we become so engrossed in discussing the details, arguing on doing things this way or that (with an occasional bout of pride or ego), that we lose sight of the big picture. We lose sight of the mission.

It's very tempting to go into a heated discussion on which time of day would be perfect for a radio ad placement, but if we don't remember the mission, we engross ourselves into an argument of some campaign element that would only give us, say, 10 more customers. We're so focused on perfecting our jump shot when we should be practicing strategies.

It's also very tempting to focus on the big picture so much, you forget how you got there. Dropping revenues must be replaced by new revenue channels, disregarding the need to build it properly to ensure it is sustainable. Like finishing a complicated Lego model, but forgetting how to build it. Shareholder pressure can do that do you.

I'd rather have a team that plays a mediocre game this season and goes on a winning streak next season, rather than have a winning season now and lose all my players next season due to injuries. Good things need to be built with a mission, and built with discipline. And that mission should transcend short-term goals (like money, because money always goes away again).

So, a delicate balance is needed between looking at the big picture and making sure the process is sustainable. That's why you need to make sure you have the right people around you - which might not be people who always agree with you.

So, what's your mission?

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