Fall is here! That loud sigh of relief you hear is us Texans enjoying our first crisp morning after another long summer of high heat and the Gulf Coast’s trademark humidity. Autumn is the season that brings my favorite desserts, my favorite events and glorious weather for campouts with friends in the Texas Hill Country.
When in the midst of a heatwave, a power outage or a hurricane scare, people will ask me why I live here. My answer is—the big picture!
Sure, there are times of discomfort and annoyance throughout the year, but when taken as a whole, I am able to do the things I love more often here than I would just about anywhere else. Mosquitos and high summertime electric bills are no fun, but BBQing outside on balmy days in January, when much of the rest of the country is huddled indoors, is pretty great. New Year’s beach picnics are not unheard of, and I have never had to shovel snow to get out of my driveway. Big picture indeed!
I believe this is a great lesson in maintaining not only positivity but also effectiveness in all aspects of our hectic lives, including our professional lives—especially in this channel.
The unique challenges that accompany each of our job descriptions can promote near-sightedness and, at times, pressure to silo ourselves as we focus on the next issue or problem needing our attention. Are we at risk of missing a fleeting opportunity or solution that may be just beyond our current focus?
Will a CEO miss an opportunity to strategize with a competitor in the face of regulatory changes that will affect them both? Will an American CMO overlook a new approach to capturing a low-performing demographic that is working in an overseas market? Will a supplier miss a chance to capitalize on a new technology never before used in their field? Will an industry publisher (who me?) miss a trend occurring in a different business sector?
Clearly, our primary responsibilities are to focus on each day’s specific tasks at hand. However, I believe every component of our channel would benefit if we all spent a few moments each week zooming out to readjust our focus on the big picture. What lies on the horizon? Is a course correction needed? Who is sharing the road with me and what insights might they have? What perspectives might I gain from an unlikely collaborator?
As I have said before, the greatest part of my job is interacting with and learning from the diverse group of executives and specialists that keep our industry growing. Moving forward, I will remind myself that when capturing their stories to bring to you, a wide-angle lens is often required!
I hope all of you have a happy and successful fourth quarter, and I thank you for reading!