George Hayward on the industry: Stretch before you grow
Our company, United Sales Associates, celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year! Actually, October 1st (1982).
Several years ago one of our upper leadership persons came to me stating he wished he had been with us from the start. On board all but a few of those years, he said he wished he would have experienced those very early years (Part 1)....”those fun, exciting, beginning years of building the business foundation, the platform, from scratch, and climbing the growth ladder on a journey of success.”
Well… I reminded him — those early years, we borrowed money to survive and finance that growth he mentioned. Fun? Exciting? Yes, I suppose. The “good ‘ol days” were trying, difficult times, very different from today, in many ways, but that’s not where I’m going here.
I continued to explain that where we are today (Part 2) is on a strong foundation where we can maintain and continue to build our future growth and beyond. In many ways, when that foundation is built and maintained, which is very important (we have been best “tested” hard several times) it is the next stages that become the really “fun” part... the part where we energize our strategic plan, changing, adapting, and reevaluating to the constant challenges and changes thrust upon us.
In those “early” years, there was no time for a strategic plan. It was act and react, “putting out fires.”
Today, this valued person is already a strong force leading the charge of “stretching” for our future growth. The first part, the “early years,” are obviously necessary before the second. The future, and exponentially more growth years are more fun because they can be planned and those plans executed.
Horsepower & human nature
A principle of human nature is competitiveness and a desire to succeed. If those principles of human nature do not exist there is little doubt of the outcome.
However, once we were so-called “rolling,” even more exponential horsepower was needed to accomplish the goals set. We continue that journey.
Stay with me…
Recently, I viewed a video featuring the world’s fastest production car, Volkswagen AG’s, Bugatti Veyron16.4. The Bugatti tops out at 253.2 mph (or 487.5km/h)! Oh, $1million+ list.
The commentator mentions that the first (Part 1) 155 mph can be accomplished by many production cars, in fact, only 270 HP (horsepower) is needed to do so.
However, to continue exponentially faster, Mother Nature (not Human Nature) becomes involved. Physical limitations, barriers and obstacles need to be overcome in order to reach the desired goal in Part 2. To reach the desired goal of 253 mph an additional 730 HP or a total of 1,001 HP is needed! Part 2 takes more horsepower. Horsepower takes many forms.
Now the test. Due to this extreme speed, a round track will not do, nor the largest oval track. Only the VW 60-mile test track in Germany with a 5-1/2 mile, straight-away will work!
Assuming you have already accomplished Part 1, take more horsepower to reach Part 2 of growth. Do your exercises, but, s-t-r-e-t-c-h first — now you’re ready, get set, GROW!
Think about it.
Several years ago one of our upper leadership persons came to me stating he wished he had been with us from the start. On board all but a few of those years, he said he wished he would have experienced those very early years (Part 1)....”those fun, exciting, beginning years of building the business foundation, the platform, from scratch, and climbing the growth ladder on a journey of success.”
Well… I reminded him — those early years, we borrowed money to survive and finance that growth he mentioned. Fun? Exciting? Yes, I suppose. The “good ‘ol days” were trying, difficult times, very different from today, in many ways, but that’s not where I’m going here.
I continued to explain that where we are today (Part 2) is on a strong foundation where we can maintain and continue to build our future growth and beyond. In many ways, when that foundation is built and maintained, which is very important (we have been best “tested” hard several times) it is the next stages that become the really “fun” part... the part where we energize our strategic plan, changing, adapting, and reevaluating to the constant challenges and changes thrust upon us.
In those “early” years, there was no time for a strategic plan. It was act and react, “putting out fires.”
Today, this valued person is already a strong force leading the charge of “stretching” for our future growth. The first part, the “early years,” are obviously necessary before the second. The future, and exponentially more growth years are more fun because they can be planned and those plans executed.
Horsepower & human nature
A principle of human nature is competitiveness and a desire to succeed. If those principles of human nature do not exist there is little doubt of the outcome.
However, once we were so-called “rolling,” even more exponential horsepower was needed to accomplish the goals set. We continue that journey.
Stay with me…
Recently, I viewed a video featuring the world’s fastest production car, Volkswagen AG’s, Bugatti Veyron16.4. The Bugatti tops out at 253.2 mph (or 487.5km/h)! Oh, $1million+ list.
The commentator mentions that the first (Part 1) 155 mph can be accomplished by many production cars, in fact, only 270 HP (horsepower) is needed to do so.
However, to continue exponentially faster, Mother Nature (not Human Nature) becomes involved. Physical limitations, barriers and obstacles need to be overcome in order to reach the desired goal in Part 2. To reach the desired goal of 253 mph an additional 730 HP or a total of 1,001 HP is needed! Part 2 takes more horsepower. Horsepower takes many forms.
Now the test. Due to this extreme speed, a round track will not do, nor the largest oval track. Only the VW 60-mile test track in Germany with a 5-1/2 mile, straight-away will work!
Assuming you have already accomplished Part 1, take more horsepower to reach Part 2 of growth. Do your exercises, but, s-t-r-e-t-c-h first — now you’re ready, get set, GROW!
Think about it.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
