Bo Jacobson's Posterous

Identify the most prominent feature of your team or marketing program. (for clarity's sake I'll just group them as "program") Now put that off to the side. What you're looking at now is the real strength of your program, and these *other* resources will enable you to switch out those high profile pieces and mature your program for the long haul. 

The goal of a successful program should be to create an engine that performs under all conditions and drives toward your goal. But too often the programs that are built rely very heavily on one or two pieces to get things done, and not enough attention is paid to the supporting complexities that elevate those more prominent assets. 

As common sense as this might be, time and time again you see rookie QBs and new marketing campaigns given credit/blame disproportional to their actual responsibility. If things aren't working, a shiny new centerpiece usually doesn't turn things around. What's wrong with the system? What's wrong with the product?

You have to pay attention to what's working on the field, but remember that your continued success will depend on how well you incorporate new resources into a sound and proven system. 

I caught myself badmouthing another agency yesterday when on the phone with a mutual client. It's a lousy practice to maintain, and I shouldn't do it. 

If my work, or my team's work is superior in some way, we should just let it be however good it is. It seems like the appropriate way to win is just to be great, rather than reminding people that you are great *by comparison*.

The greatness I aspire to should be entirely independent of the quality of anybody else's work. 

I'm having one of those 'taking stock' moments. I just moved to a new apartment, I'm working on interesting (read as: sometimes terrifying) things, and I'm wondering what's waiting around the corner for me. 

It has been a while since I've been in a position to think about things this way. I'm trying to draw straight lines between what I've done (on purpose or by accident), the things that have happened to me, and whatever's coming. It's a hell of a thing not being able to tell the future; I'm not quite sure how people do it every day. 

What is for sure is that I see room for improvement. That there is room for improvement isn't at all surprising, but that I can *see* it is encouraging. I need to take better care of myself, and I think in the process I can take better care of my fellows. 

I want to see my family more, and have a closer relationship with the communities I am a part of. 

I want to let go of things that don't matter: I need to carry less, without caring less. I think that means that I need to give the people that I've judged amnesty, and I'm excited to meet them again for the first time. 

I want to create more. There's so very much opportunity for me to build, provide, grow, and contribute to my environment and the people around me. 

This one may not wrap up so cleanly, (like I said: can't tell the future) but it's going somewhere, and I'm looking forward to finding out just where that might be.