Doug DavidoffThe beauty of a new year is that we all begin at zero and anything is possible. Our revenue goals have been set, our planning is done (okay – almost done) and now it’s time to execute.
The danger for most fast-growth companies is that often we push too hard – too fast. Ala Veruka Salt – we want growth and we want it now.
Willy Wonka also teaches us that the only thing more valuable than a golden egg (your revenue or profits) is the goose that lays them (your organization). The push for too much, too soon, leads to decisions that can hurt, or even kill your goose.
This is not a call to reduce or eliminate aggressive goals – I am a HUGE proponent of Big, Hairy Audacious Goals (B-HAGs). This is a call to remember that your goals – no matter how important – are not the same things as your purpose, or your value proposition. It is a reminder that becoming a slave to your goals is not a formula for success, for even if you achieve the goal in the short-term, you may irreparably harm the long-term, and the real profits are in the long-term.
It was Peter Drucker who warned that most businesses don’t go out of business because of starvation (or a lack of growth), they go out of business because of indigestion (taking on too much).
Here’s to a year of fast-growth – and remember keep your goose healthy.