Future Focused

Future Focused is our (The Employment Guide's) mantra for 2007. I thought this would be a good opportunity to write about what this statement means to us as a business and why this is also an important leadership trait.

Our business is in a constant state of change. Just like other media and publishing companies, we are experiencing a cultural change in how electronic media plays a role in what we do as a business. Specifically, we have identified an internal need to elevate the education of our leadership team and our front-line folks to a level at which they can become more consultative on how search, social- networking and "Web 2.0" will impact the recruitment industry. I have been impressed with how our business has embraced change. I am confident that we, as a business, are leaving the field of play everyday knowing more about what we can do in the future to stay one business cycle ahead of the current trend in the non-exempt, hourly workforce recruitment sector. Yes, there are good positive changes taking place here at The Employment Guide and http://www.employmentguide.com/.

As we experience positive change on the electronic media front, our publishing business still thrives. This is because we have a loyal readership group and valuable distribution channels. The true art of being a successful media company is providing a user focused product via unique distribution channels to a set of users, readers, viewers, etc. This makes it necessary for companies to invest in product(s) to deliver their message to a desired audience. Our 2.3 million free weekly employment publications distributed in 80 markets across the United States are experiencing great pick-up rates and are tremendously effective for our advertisers. When our print product is combined with our award-winning (a Weddle's User's Choice Award Winner for each of the four years this award has been in existence - http://www.weddles.com/) electronic media product and distribution channels, the reach we provide our clients becomes differentiated.

Being future focused in how their vision is constructed is a quality that leaders must provide for their business and their direct reports to be successful. Effective leaders know that the vision of what they want to accomplish must be communicated in a manner so their organization will embrace it and take ownership over it. Do you have to have personal clarity about what you want to accomplish and how you are are going to obtain your goals through existing and obtainable resources in order to successfully accomplish this aspect of leadership?

What aspects of your business is reliant on being future focused?