December 16, 2004
"Promise yourself to live your life as a revolution and
not just a process of evolution."
-- Anthony J. D'Angelo
After such a lengthy article in November, we thought
we'd keep things simple and just do a brief issue this
month in the midst of the holiday season. 2005 will
soon be upon us, and we wanted to share with you five
key principles to start focusing on NOW that will
drive your success in the new year. Follow these
five tips, and you will REVOLUTIONIZE and transform
your business in 2005!
- CHASE YOUR DREAMS!
Don't ever stop. Set big but meaningful
goals, and reach for the stars. You might not succeed 100%,
but in the end, what matters is that you are true to
your vision, that you celebrate your successes, and that you
turn your mistakes into positive learning experiences.
- COMMUNICATE!
Frequently talk to your employees, colleagues,
customers, and other stakeholders, and share what is going
on. Be repetitive. Build trust. Solicit and listen to what
others have to say as well. Communicate verbally, in
writing, by email, over the web... using every channel that
is appropriate.
- TRACK YOUR PROGRESS!
Obtain feedback at short intervals.
Define the metrics you need to achieve in order to be
successful, track your results, and then keep improving
your processes until you meet your objectives. Then raise
your goals!
- SURROUND YOURSELF WITH EXCELLENCE!
Stand on the shoulders of
giants. Hire winners that are the best and the brightest.
Entice people to excel. Put people in the jobs that they
will be best at, give them what they need to soar, and step
back and let them do it. When you are too busy to do it all
yourself, or you need specialized skills, don't hesitate
to bring experts onto your team that can step in and help make
your desired future a reality.
- SHAPE YOUR FUTURE!
Don't get so consumed in the details of
daily operations that you forget to think about the long term
plan and how you will achieve it. Mold the future to your
liking, rather than becoming a victim of circumstances.
Re-plan your future at frequent intervals. Remember that it
can take three years to do an exit or a company sale right,
so if that is an outcome you are trying to create, you need
to start getting prepared for it now!
All of these are simple. All of them are darn close to obvious.
Yet so often we forget to do them. Print them out and tape them
up somewhere where you will be reminded of them everyday.
That's it. Rocket scientists follow these principles, and so
can you! And don't forget to have fun doing it!
We at ADASTRO wish you a joyous holiday season with
the hope that each of us will begin 2005 energized
to enjoy a challenging and prosperous new year!
