Is the Market for You Up or Down?
06/16/03
Woody Hayes, the former football coach of Ohio State University, had a no-nonsense approach to personal or organizational growth: “You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse. The status quo is a myth.”
The Dow Jones market seems to be coming back, but it has had a few tough years. If you and your company were financial markets how would the paper report your results? Are you up or down for the year? For the week? Are you coasting, getting better, or getting worse? Don't settle for the status quo; make a move. At our office, we ring a bell when a sale is made. We love the fun of celebrating the fundamentals of economic reality real time! OK, the bell doesn't ring every day, but it keeps us focused on doing things that make it possible. If you had a market measure every day, would it make you focus on what counts? I think so. When shooting baskets with a bunch of my friends, it's casual. As soon as someone says, "First team to 21 wins; losers pay," the game changes at a fundamental level. Old men like me pull muscles in pursuit of success. How would you determine the market barometer that would work for your team? What is winning to you? How can you determine whether it's an up or down day? These are enough questions for this week. Get out there and do something--get better, or risk getting worse, but don't get stuck coasting!
A PAULSON QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"If you and your company were financial markets how would the paper report your results? Are you up or down for the year? For the week? Are you coasting, getting better, or getting worse? Don't settle for the status quo; make a move." --Terry L. Paulson, PhD, CSP, CPAE
MONDAY'S MIRTHFUL MOMENT
Dr. Loren Ekroth (www.conversation-matters.com) provides this week's mirthful message--Washington Post Style Invitational wordplay for fun:
Doltergeist: A spirit that decides to haunt someplace stupid, such as your septic tank.
Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high, such as the famous "Surrender Dorothy" on the Beltway overpass.
Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the recipient who doesn't get it.
Coiterie: A very, very close-knit group.
Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
When you keep your eyes open for mirth, you just may find it! Hope this kicks off your morning and helps get your mood adjusted for the week. Now, get busy MAKING CHANGE WORK and have some fun along the way!...