What did Eddie Cantor say?  “It takes 20 years to become an overnight success.”

It is with great pleasure, and in some cases surprise, that PSG announces that our business is moving into its 20th year.

20 years.  Who would ever have thought a two in Follow Thru would stick with something for 20 years.  Well actually, my work requirements align very well with who I am:

1. I must be able to manage a variety of diverse projects going on simultaneously,
2. Every day there’s a new challenge,
3. We deliver custom programs, so no two projects are ever alike.  There is not much consistency or replication to my work.

But, Praise the Lord that I have two team members, Chris (7752) and Judy (7823) who will tie up the loose ends, coordinate and arrange the various elements, keep track of logistic requirements, and bring our projects to closure.

2009 has been an extremely challenging year for PSG.  As Chris’ 88 year old father states, “your kind of work is the first to go and the last to come back.”  But, we believe, and will keep on believing that organizations gain great benefit from our services.  We believe that every hour you spend on learning and improving how you work together increases your collective value as a company.

And so, it is with excitement, anticipation and humility that we move into 2010.  We believe our work today is even more relevant than when we laid down roots in 1990.  Why?  Because the top four personnel issues in the decade to come align precisely with our offerings and unique expertise.

ONE—Right Genius/Right Job
The Kolbe RightFit™ approach focuses on understanding the “chemistry” component, which determines the fit to you—the fit to the job—and the fit to the team.  Understanding an incumbent’s or candidate’s natural abilities before you bring them on board can dramatically reduce the risk of hiring the wrong person.  As my friend Lynn Smith, VP at Baird says, “we must get this right the first time around.”

TWO—Communication at the Speed of Light
Teams need to communicate “in such a way” so they can compress the time necessary to solve problems and initiate solutions.  Team members need to be attuned to each other’s communication “sweet spot.”  This is where the common vocabulary from Kolbe, along with our expertise to help you understand and apply it, will create an advantage for you and will accelerate how you connect, engage and execute.

THREE—Collaboration
To be your best self, you have to be willing to work with other people’s strengths and greatness.  Dysfunctional independence is a prevalent block to greatness.  Big successes are only possible with cooperation, collaboration and synergy.  Effective collaboration requires a culture that encourages open communication, trust, respect, and teamwork.  When it comes to collaboration, positive working relationships cannot be overemphasized.  No matter how good your project is, or the technology you have to work with, if your team doesn’t mesh—your project is in trouble.

FOUR—Managing Stress
Busyness is our status symbol today.  But a busy life is not necessarily a life well lived.  When our busyness (things we are expecting to accomplish) does not align with our natural instincts, this creates stress.  Stress is “a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.”  We will help you ‘choose among’ from the noise, clutter and busyness so you can focus your energy toward efforts that truly pay off–efforts that are aligned to your passion and purpose.  There is no currency that has greater value than that of personal energy.  The authors of The 500 Year Delta put it so aptly for our time, “there is an imperative on corporations to preserve their human energy resources as the rising value of personal energy compresses and intersects with stress.”

Shrew!  If you made it this far I commend you.  I’ve just laid out our complete business plan, except for one thing.  I think its time to write a book.  It would have a decidedly Christian focus for individuals, couples, families and leaders.  Does anyone have a relationship or connection with Zondervan and be willing to make the introduction?

On another note, it is with sadness for Chris and me, but joy for Judy Bublitz, our long time (12 years to be exact) Client Services Manager, that we announce her upcoming retirement on April 1, 2010.  More on this will follow in the coming months.

When Judy was hired in 1998, she was an A fit to the job.  I don’t think anything more needs to be said.  We will certainly miss Judy.  Judy has consistently demonstrated timeliness, customer service, and the ability to manage project logistics with ease during her twelve years with us.

I’ll leave you with this thought.  Intelligence actually means to “choose among.”  The challenges we face today require not more effort, but more wisdom in how we “choose among” the various obligations and responsibilities that we have.  More than ever, we must rethink the way in which we work.

May the Lord Bless and Keep You and your family as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 12:39 pm and is filed under News.