Off & Running

So you’re off and running this year! Are you sticking to the pace, well-trained, conditioned and hydrated, nutrition packed or are you flat out sprinting, haven’t run in a while, thinking you’ll wing it and somehow you’ll cross the corporate finish line and advance into an uncertain future?

Why did you start the race to begin with? Just sounded good or did it speak to your heart and your gut?

With guarded caution and radar up, the economy seems to be improving slightly. After the economic conditions of the past five years, it’s time well spent to reexamine why you’re in the business you’ve chosen. Why do you do what you do?

Before racing off and diversifying, taking a product detour or attempting an acquisition, make sure to stick to the plan. Don’t lose sight of the reason you’re in the race to begin with. No, not the money, the real reason. You do have one, don’t you?

• Why is it important your company makes X or provides X service?
• And dig deeper, why is that important?
• Why is it important that your company continues to exist?
• What is it that your team does that makes a difference, that motivates your people to spend their energy here with the company?

Knowing why you’re in the race, why you’re doing what you do is so important – not only to you, but to those who want to join you in the race, those who want to work for you and with you. Nope, it’s not the money, the carrot and stick no longer works.

As Daniel Pink shares in his acclaimed book “Drive,” the secret to high performance and satisfaction—at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

Talented professionals want a clear understanding of why they are there, to be able to make their work meaningful and stay motivated.

Reexamine your why. Be on purpose, pace, train, condition and stick to the plan – this is what makes good companies great companies!

Let’s go, off and running!