At a Leadership Conference at Duke University, I heard a keynote address given by Duke’s head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski entitled “Building a World Class Team.” His message centered around his experiences during 2005-2008 developing the USA Basketball Team that competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He also outlined what he felt are the primary keys to positive leadership and sound teamwork.
We each need to remember that a banking relationship, just like a good marriage, is a two way street. We need to always be showing improvement in our operating results, demonstrating we have a clearly defined plan with reliable historical numbers and sound cash flow projections.
The years 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2009 all had something in common for me. They were years when I had the challenging opportunity to assist dairymen by helping them turn their business situations around and getting them on a more successful path.
Whatever the subject, whether you think you can or think you cannot, you’re correct! Having said that, let’s shift our focus to what we can control.
To survive and thrive, we need to move faster, act more decisively, and respond more courageously. There has never been a better time to increase our efficiencies. Just because you have always done something in your operation, such as raising your heifers on site, does not mean it makes the best sense today.
Win! That is what we do when we clearly establish the items that are most essential to be completed right now, also represented by the acronym WIN, “What’s Important Now?”
Continuing from last week’s post, “Building a World Class Team! – Part A:
In the recent financial turmoil surrounding us, it’s often difficult to find meaning – in effect, to make sense of things that are occurring every day. Victor Frankl was a survivor of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Nazi Germany. Many entered Auschwitz; few survived. Victor Frankl in his book entitled Man’s Search for Meaning explained […]
One hour of planning saves three hours of execution.
As we have proceeded through the year 2009 in what has proven to be a genuine “management test” for most dairy operators, the question I am asked most often are, “How can we do a better job of running our business? What is the secret to stronger returns in a milk market like the current […]
