Keep At It — What Else is There?

“Get to Work!  You aren’t being paid to believe in the power of your dreams.”  (from a poster available on the dark site, despair.com). 

Here’s a problem. How do we stay focused on business improvement, business innovation, business excellence, when so many people are simply dealing with business survival?  The news is bad, and not getting any better (that’s a nice way of saying that it’s bad and getting worse).  As I type this, I have just heard the offical prediction for 2009 — the entire world economy will lose 1% in GDP.  This has not happened since World War II.  In other words, things really are bad — and not getting any better any time soon.

I am reminded of Maslow.  We have been living in the upper portions of the hierarchy for quite some time:  self-esteem, self-actualization.  But now we are back on the lower end of the list, worried about basic (physiological) needs and safety concerns.  

So — what do we do now?  Why, in this era when the data is depressing and the proposed solutions seem so tentative, do we even meet to discuss books that speak of innovation and change?

Because we have to.  Work is not just a means to an end (a way to make money), but a central part of life itself.  It is why the independently wealthy have always looked for things to do. Having something to do is part of what makes us human.  And a job is valuable in and of itself. Yes, it pays the bills, but it is so much more.

And besides, to take a page out of the real estate success handbook, when times are tough, you work even harder — market, market some more, stay in touch with all of your clients, get everything in order — so that when the market rebounds you will be ready to take full advantage of the renewed opportunities.

So, for March, our two books are talking about what to do.  Strengths Based Leadership will help us think about how to encourage leadership based on an individual’s unique strengths.  And in Talent is Overrated, we will be challenged to develop our skills more fully.  

We will keep presenting books about business improvement and excellence and innovation and leadership because we have to.  It is our job.  And as we find a few things to use now, we will find much more to keep us in position to do better when times get better — again — as they will.

The underlying message is this — keep working, keep aiming to get better, learn to enjoy any accomplishment, and then strive for more.