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O P I N I O N
Better is better
So many firms want to be at the top of the list for growth, but to get there, you have to be good, not necessarily fast.
T here is much hullabaloo made in our industry about growth and size. And it seems these are believed to be the largest measures of success for companies. The temptation to focus on growth is great as the topic comes up in nearly every conversation when peers meet.
Gerry Salontai GUEST SPEAKER
There is a constant barrage of published lists in various industry trade magazines and local business publications. Then there are the conference panel discussions that quiz leaders on their “growth strategies,” with the larger companies getting marquis attention, of course, and thus the feeling that size matters. It’s no wonder companies aspire to not simply appear on a list, but to be on top of the list. At times, it appears everyone is in a “race” to the summit. One must ask oneself if the measure of success is that you are bigger than a competitor? It certainly can’t be the sole measure. In fact, I take a different viewpoint on growth and size. It starts with the understanding that when people talk about “growth strategies” we need to be reminded that growth is not a strategy. Growth, rather, is the
result of executing good strategy. Growth is the result of doing a lot of things well. An analogy would be success in team sports, where it takes a combination of strategy, good coaching, a variety of skills, capabilities among the players, and the ability to execute. Like team sports, a successful company should include enduring client relationships, produce quality work, perform well financially, have a great workplace environment, advance people’s careers, be sustainable from one generation to another, and achieve good growth to name just a few characteristics. With all the above in mind, we can now begin to think of how to build a well-rounded company that achieves success in all aspects of the business.
See GERRY SALONTAI, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER March 12, 2018, ISSUE 1239
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