...crests and troughs

As I sit here trying to find my way through the darkness of blogger's block, I realise that what lay just behind me is the trough that was the last week and a half or so. I'm not sure when or how it began but it seemed that unlike my normal self, I found inspiration in nothing. Looking back, that is a scary thought! What does one do when faced with these moments of darkness? Keep moving! I figure one of two things is bound to happen... either some light will shine through a crack and you'll make it to the "crest" or you'll trip and fall. Not that there's anything wrong with falling, the worst thing one can do is fall and stay fallen, so fall, get up and keep moving, light is bound to appear at some point.

How does this manifest itself in business?

Imagine a retail store. It's Christmas season and from about October sales are steadily climbing as persons scramble to find the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones. Good times. Then, Christmas is over, valentines day comes and goes, so does easter and sales slow to just a trickle. What to do? It is in the troughs that one must make the most of the free time to plan advertising strategies, research activities and find the next big things in preparation for future crests. Also, it is during the troughs that all the savings from the crests (given that you did allocate funds wisely and save some) will help the most. One should prepare for the slow times just as carefully as you would for the busy periods. Also, it is during the troughs that all staff need to understand the big picture and how their functions contribute to the whole usually because it is at these slow periods that no one's job is "safe".

So the same principle applies in business as in life. Keep moving.

Move with me :)
SB