Happy Blog-day?

Twelve months ago, my weekly Friday blogs were launched. Thank you to  all who have commented on my posts. Your thoughts and suggestions have helped me learn while I strive to be a better writer…it’s a work in  progress! Please continue to share your comments and ideas for blog  topics. I will respond personally to each and work to continually improve the blog content. Happy Blog-day!Writing the blog is important to me. After earning 30+ years of leadership experience as a  business builder for a diverse array of industries, it’s a way to share my scars and epiphanies to help other leaders accelerate their progress.  There’s no more rewarding feeling than hearing that your knowledge or  ideas have contributed to someone else’s success.

During  the past year, we’ve discussed how your customers now have many options  to fill their needs. They will treat every potential supplier like a  commodity, unless you make it easier and more profitable for them to  choose you every time. To grow, you must become your customers’  preferred supplier. So in my blog, we’ve focused on helping you earn  preference.

Becoming  preferred is a simple proposition…you produce more strategic,  quantifiable value for your customer than they can get from some other  supplier. But actually delivering exceptional value is a complex  exercise involving the holistic synchronization of strategy, people and  process that leverages your company’s distinctiveness and commitment to  your customers’ growth.

Going  forward, we will continue to share content that is grounded in the  following principles that helped us build businesses and now guide our  own growth development business:

• Technology is the enabler of  progress, but there is nothing more important for the growth of your  business than enduring relationships with your customers, earned by  adding value to their business.

• The basic principles, spirit and drive of your organization  contribute far more to your achievements than do your technology,  financial resources, structure or timing. These factors contribute  significantly to your success, but they are surpassed by how robustly  your people believe in your core values and how consistently they  demonstrate them.

• Engaged leadership encourages initiative, continuous innovation,  accountability and teamwork to sustain competitive advantage and  achieve shared goals.

We’ll  work to make the blog content more productive for you in the next 12 months, and thank you again for your interest and encouragement.

How do you ensure that your organization is producing value for your customers?