Not exactly the kind of job wanted ad we see today, but in 1914 there were thousands that answered the ad.  Little did they know that every word of the ad would come true.    After only 45 days of sailing, their ship became stuck in the ice, they were then forced to spend the winter on the ice and at day 327 of the expedition, their ship was crushed by the pressure of millions of tons of ice.  They still had provisions and lifeboats, but no way to set sail due to hundreds of miles of ice.  The first strategy we learn from their expedition from Dennis Perkins is “Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives.” Their original goal was to be the first team to cross Antarctica, upon destruction of their ship; it then changed to returning every crew member back to civilization alive.

I’ve heard it said that the definition of crazy is to keep doing what you’ve always done in business and then expect different results.  Just as Shackleton had to adapt to an ever changing set of environmental factors, aren’t we in the same situation trying to adapt to an ever changing set of economic factors?  Very few, if any, analysts predicted what the economy of 2009 would be like, and no one knew what types of challenges we would all face, but here we are, we survived and now it’s time to thrive!  If we utilize our Chamber membership, attend the functions and luncheons, and above all else, network, then we will be in a position to welcome new relationships that can propel our businesses.  For example, maybe it’s an introduction to a web-page designer, or a new bank contact that can loan us money for expansion, or a contractor to help us out in an emergency, or it could even be a new idea or thought that is shared by one of our excellent monthly lunch speakers.  Keeping your options open is an important business survival technique, knowing who and what those options and resources are requires only your attendance.

While most of our positions don’t require the qualifications specified by Ernest Shackleton, how often do we live our business lives in isolation, in relative darkness to the outside world, and lose sight of the big picture?  We need to seek the ways to adapt and focus our efforts on the little things that can make a big difference in the long-run.   Please join me in supporting our Chamber in February for our installation banquet on Feb. 11^th, at the Burley Inn Convention Center, what a great opportunity to meet and network with leaders like yourself that represent our local Mini-Cassia area.   Every paid Chamber member is entitled to 2 tickets; additional tickets can be purchased for $25.  And who knows, maybe you’ll sit next to a future business or partner who like you, is there looking for the next step in economic success?