Life is personal! Inside and outside of our work lives, our success is dependent on the folks around us. I’m not just talking about fellow employees, customers or partners. It’s also about all of those relationships that keep us grounded and challenge us to grow.
I remember when Dave Duffield, the founder and former CEO of PeopleSoft made a comment about software companies at a Users conference many years ago. He said, “You’re either growing, dying or getting acquired by Computer Associates”. This wasn’t a slam on CA, who had an alternative strategy to the industry, but it was a challenge to us to see that growth is the key to continued success.
I know that we have posted in the past on just how important our old and former relationships have been in HL Group’s success. Our largest opportunities and the best partnerships for HL Group today were created through former relationships. Business is personal!
Even with the growth of online shopping for personal and business needs, we still look at “personal experiences”. Many times as I look at the multitude of options I have to choose from, I research the “reviews” in helping with my selection. We value others opinions and experience even if we don’t personally know them.
The best of both worlds is when you have those personal relationships that not only support you, but they help you to grow. The foundation of growth is listening (not my strong suit, but one I work on every day), communication and learning. We’ve even posted articles in the past on the value of what this plays in project successes.
On this Thanksgiving holiday, I want to express my thanks and appreciation to all of those folks that have been there for me over the years. It overwhelms me at times when I stop and think about all of those people who have been so pivotal in my life.
This very evening I will be getting together with a group of my buds who have been celebrating “Tuesday before Thanksgiving” for over 30 years. While fewer beers are consumed these days, this group certainly still keeps me grounded (we have way to much joint history and awareness) and provides me with new opportunities to learn from their past years experiences.
My challenge to you is remember that in today’s “digital world” – it is still personal and those relationships that allow you to grow are invaluable. Thank you for all of the relationships that have been there for me over the years – and continue to help me to grow personally and professionally.
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Wes Haubein is the President of HL Group, Inc., a premier provider of mobile asset inventory management, RFID and supply chain solutions. He writes regularly about management, solution integration and technology.
