Last week I did something I didn't think I could do - I climbed a mountain. I'm an asthmatic with a bad knee and on vacation, so I typically have no business ascending great heights, but missing out on the challenge somehow seemed like a far worse decision. So I tied my hiking boots, grabbed a water bottle, and headed up Peak 3 at Flat Top in Anchorage.
I found the task to be inexorably daunting. My friend and I hiked up a 70-degree incline and I quickly found myself wheezing. On the brink of an asthma attack and not ready to quit, I had a sudden flashback to my sophomore management course and Professor Jim LoPresti. As I reflected on this management course, I remembered Dr. LoPresti's advice on setting meaningful goals: making them realistic and feasible (wheeze) measureable (wheeze) easily attainable (wheeze) and to set a time limit (wheeze). I noticed about every twenty steps there was a larger boulder so I began marking my progress by making each larger rock a goal to pace myself. 57 rocks later, I was out of breath; not because I'd forgotten my inhaler, but because the view from the top stole the air from my lungs - I'd made it!
Reflecting back on my experience, I realize it not much different from what Colorado business owners are facing today. Similar to my struggle to climb Peak 3, business owners face the challenging task of climbing out of the red. Even in an excellent economic environment, being profitable is nothing to sneeze at. In today's market, businesses have taken an extra beating from rising costs and workforce reductions. Essentially, they are "out-of-shape" to make the difficult climb back up.
What's more is businesses are looking for someone to trust. I'm lucky that I had my best friend to remind me how some rocks were loose, and more importantly, to cheer me on and remind me that yes, I can climb a mountain. Similarly, Colorado businesses leaders need to collaborate to accomplish their goals. When facing the task alone, the peak looms ominously and insurmountably ahead; reaching the "summit" can be much easier when you set meaningful goals and have a guide to help you along the way.
Take it from someone who has been to the there - the view from the top is entirely worth the climb.
Photography courtesy of N. Soiseth. View of Cook Inlet from the top of Peak 3.
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Currently we include videos about our classes (one of the instructors will give a short overview)-but we will consider which blogs might work well with having a video component. Thanks for checking in, Eleanora.