The Next Big Thing...

It seems nearly everyday I receive an email from a marketing company of some variety that has the secret to success.  It might be a new marketing plan, a new service option or new software.  There always seems to be something.  I review some of the material when I have time.  Rarely does it include some new ground shaking breakthrough.  Typically, the underlying theme is the same.  Get to work.

I don't want to assume I know all there is to know about my industry or business in general.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I consider myself a student of business and my industry.  But I can say with some certainty, most problems can be overcome with hard work and some critical thinking.  Critical thinking can take many forms.  It could mean some brain storming with co-workers; it could be consulting with a subject matter expert or simply brushing up on some reading.  However you choose to get there, your destination is to come up with a solution based on information.

And that is were the work comes in.  I tell my people, the results are all that counts.  How you get there really doesn't matter in the long run.  Hopefully it isn't a long trip but sometimes it is.  Lets face it, business problems can take a long time to figure out.  Particularly if it is something very specific to your industry.  Working long and hard toward a solution by gaining knowledge not previously known to you and putting in the time to implement a solution or new process should always end with a result that counts.

And maybe that is the next big thing.  Maybe it isn't a new widget that will solve all your problems or a process by which money will now actually fall from trees, rather it is a series of tips and new information to make the path to good results less bumpy.  Nobody said it was anything new.