By R. Christopher Haines, President and CEO
Well, 2018 is halfway over. Right now most of you are probably thinking something like, “Thanks Mr. Obvious.” But regardless of how evident this fact is, it’s still hard to believe. Kids will be back to school before we know it and for my son, that means he’ll finally get out of bed before noon.
So what does being in the second half of the year mean for you? Does it make you start to turn on the jets because you have projects you want to complete by the end of the year? Or do you go down the opposite road and start evaluating what can be put off until next year? I’m guessing there are a lot factors that play into this.
For most businesses, one of the biggest factors has to be how the year is going thus far. Has the first half of the year been more difficult than you would have hoped, and maybe you need to hunker down? Is it time to reevaluate expenses for the rest of the year and possibly put some things on hold? Maybe there are some capital expenses you can put off until 2019. Possibly a building remodel or replacing a piece of equipment that isn’t quite on its last leg.
On the flipside, maybe the success of your company, or your personal livelihood, depends on completing that big system project yet this year. Well, it’s not too late. You still have half the year. Maybe it’s time to take a good long look at what you have accomplished and what you still need to complete. And then draw yourself a map to get you there.
System projects are tough, and you can almost always count on a little bit of scope creep. Sometimes a lot. Summer is a difficult time for projects. Vacations, kids’ sporting events, and after-work activities are often more prevalent than in the cold, dark winter months. Not just for you and your employees, but for the staff members of your partners and vendors as well. People certainly deserve time off, but it has to be factored into project timelines.
You still have time for everything to come together as you planned. You might need to find a little help, but there is half a year left. Maybe it’s the right time to look at outside help?
Whatever you decide, you’d better get to work if you want to get that Christmas bonus and install that pool. Or you might wind up with a membership to the jelly of the month club instead. The gift that keeps on giving the whole year.