Shift Happens
I got on the US Treasury’s email list in September as a way to become more informed about how the US Government was making economic policy decisions. It’s been a fascinating bit of education. There are so many complex variables – you can’t just look at one indicator and say – the world is going to hell in a hand basket, or another and say life is just rosy. Here are the economic quarterly indicators for the past four quarters and the past four years.
What I notice is that while manufacturing is down, non-farm jobs are up. While residential construction is down, it’s didn’t drop nearly as bad as it did last year this time (I guess when you’re pretty much near the bottom, there is not much further you can go). While imports are down, exports are up (now this is a GOOD thing). Business investment in structures is up while purchases of equipment and software are down. The construction companies I know that are doing well did make the shift from residential to business infrastructure – they saw it coming and shifted.
This gets to what I said in a post about six weeks ago – to be successful in business you have to be able to put your ear to the ground and listen to the direction of the buffalo. When the external environment shifts, to continue on the same path without shifting is like staying the course with a boat heading for a waterfall.
This is why I find it imperative to complete projects in three months. Anything longer, especially in today’s environment – and you find you’re toiling away on the bridge to no where that no one wants any longer. This is why I like to be and think like a cheetah – move fast and change directions quick.
