While perusing Seth Godin’s blog, I stumbled on a post that was brilliant in its simplicity. So I have to share it:

Do you have 16 Boxes?

“… Imagine that you have a 4 x 4 grid to fill with assets. If it’s a business, it might be location, reputation, staff, offerings that are in high demand and a sector that’s robust… if you’re doing it for yourself, it might include your resume, your network, your skill set, etc. When someone chooses you or your products, they’re considering everything you have to offer. Whether you’re looking for a job or trying to make a sale, there is rarely only one thing that makes the difference.”

“That’s why human nature is so enraging. When something is going wrong, when the economy is out of sync, we panic. We obsess about just one of the sixteen boxes and ignore the others. We talk ourselves into hysteria about how, “none of our customers have any money,” or, “in this bleak economy, we’ll never make a sale.” Instead of using the relative downtime to build up the other 15 boxes, we just sit in the corner, keening, worrying about that one box that’s out of whack.”

It’s common sense right? Sort of business strategy meets positive thinking?

Is this just wishful thinking? Maybe. Maybe not. Yes, eventually tough decisions have to made when $$ doesn’t come in. I get that. But, take a minute to consider what could be achieved if we put panic aside. Focus would shift from “money money money” to: building upon category expertise, focusing on new ideas, challenging conventional thinking, building culture ….

I’d venture to guess that the companies who chose this path will come out stronger in the end.

Read the rest of Seth’s blog here.