I recall thinking that the majority of the bell curve’s surface is found on its sides. Consequently, if we draw a bell in perspective when plotting a business cycle, it magnifies the challenge of getting to the top. In fact, there is very little room on the top of a bell curve. Everything is either going up or coming down.
The going-up phase is all about strategy planning and execution, and acquiring the goods or services that enable an enterprise to grow. It can also represent sales, profits, or just collective energy.
Let’s discuss this from the project perspective.
The process of innovation is usually under immense pressure on the up side of the bell curve. Designing a creative process that can solve problems, identify opportunities and operate within given constraints is a complex and challenging task. It can also represent the difference between following a market direction reflected in challenging margins or leading the market with much stronger upside potential.
To make matters worse, we all know how messy the ramp-up can be. There are scores of business books that tout some magic formula for success. At NewNorth Center, however, we believe that success results from hard work that’s customized and well-organized. It is a necessary step to getting to the top of the bell.
This brings us to the precipice, that tiny piece of real estate that everyone is aiming for. This is the summit. This is success. Oddly, I don’t recall many overhead projector discussions devoted to this space. We were always obsessed with what took us so long and cost us so much to get there. Then, there’s the inevitable slide down the other side! It made me wonder, what is life like on top?
Innovation requires motivation. It also demands celebration, if only until the next assignments are handed out. Creative professionals are driven by recognition. They thrive on the acknowledgment of their peers and leaders. They are less likely to put a news clip touting their team’s success on their mom’s refrigerator because, after all, what does Mom know? (No offense intended, Mom!)
Life on top of the bell curve is fleeting, often so brief that it’s over in a matter of months or less. In this fast-paced business climate, we have to reinvent or die. But in the midst of it all, do yourself a favor: Pause. Celebrate and recognize those who helped you taste success at the top of the bell.
Now let’s get back to work.