March always strikes me as a transitional month; it’s not technically part of winter, but it rarely feels like spring (at least not here in Ohio). It’s hard to get in the mood for flowers and picnics when the memory of ice and snow (and sometimes the reality of those elements) still lingers. Our current economic situation is kind of like an impossibly extended March; things are starting to get better, but the progress is slow and the winter was so bad that it’s hard to imagine that spring is coming.

Regular readers of this column will know of my fondness for quotes. Some of the very best come to us from the legendary Mark Twain, and this one in particular resonates with me in light of our current economic and business conditions: “We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it—and stop there, lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove lid again—and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.”

We need to strive to work smarter than that cat. Let’s learn from our challenges (and even our mistakes) without allowing them to limit our future potential. Even today, opportunities exist for companies that are willing and prepared to work toward them—and more are sure to come.

How is your company embracing the future? Please contact me at (330) 336-4098 or suttons@bnpmedia.com to share your story.