Like the Pros, We Strive to Always Be Better!

June 1, 2017

Honestly, is there a better time of the year for sports than right now? Despite being a die-hard NFL fan, how could one not argue that this is one the best times of the year?

At the time I am writing this, there is a solid field of 64 hopeful teams for the coveted NCAA National Basketball Championship; the NBA and NHL playoffs are shaping up; and the Masters golf tournament is about to happen. It is truly a sports-lover’s dream time!

Have you spent time trying to understand what it really takes for a team or an individual to reach the pinnacle of their game?

To become the champion, a team or individual must obviously be the best. Unfortunately, our society today has watered down “being the best” because it may be offensive. What a crock! Sure, luck may play a factor in a team’s success, but as someone once told me, “Opportunities are called luck to those unprepared for them.”

Tying into all of this while continuing my “principled leadership” theme, I will move to our third of five “value pillars”—excellence. The standard definition of this word is “the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.”

Perhaps it is a cliché and overused from a business-mission statement standpoint, but we at the Lawrence Paper Company’s American Packaging Division still latched onto excellence and defined it as:

“Striving always to be better while celebrating victories and improving from mistakes by having a prevailing attitude of innovative habits.”

Much as a championship-caliber team would do, we want to reinforce our culture in which we will celebrate our accomplishments. However, we also will encourage “failing forward” by learning from our mistakes.

Our journey to excellence is ongoing, and it is at times slow and frustrating. Going forward, we will be using the many educational offerings through the AICC Packaging School to facilitate this journey, and I strongly encourage you to sign your people up for the courses as well. In fact, your Association feels so strongly about the importance of this education and training that, effective April 1, all e-learning education and training opportunities are included in your membership investment. That’s real value!

It was good to see so many of you at our 2017 Spring Meeting and Independents’ Cup Charity Golf Tournament at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort in Austin, Texas. Thank you for your ongoing support of AICC!