I was thinking about matchups in the NBA playoffs.  

Basketball is a game that flows.  What marks the game is constant motion.  Because there is constant motion, there is constant adjustment.  The coach adjusts personnel and strategy throughout the game.  But the coach’s call only begins the complexity.  As soon as the calls are made, the players take over.  One guy will fake left, and the other guy will fall for it.  The game shifts like a kaleidoscope.  

Our business runs more and more with that kind of flow.  We get an order schedule done, and a late afternoon or evening call changes everything.  It becomes necessary to adjust.  

The same thing happens in our plants.  We plan a production run, and someone doesn’t show up or quits. Or, we have new guys who are still learning the system.  It affects how well and how fast things get done.  It is a challenge.  

The same thing happens in our lives. We plan on things, and other stuff happens—things we didn’t see coming and things that cause us to adjust our sights.  

Many factors will determine who wins the NBA playoffs each year. The strategies determined by the coaches, the players on the court, and the way the players execute and adjust to the flow of the game will all weigh into who wins.  

The teams that have gotten to the end adjust well.  They don’t let a bad run of circumstances cause them to lose confidence.  They battle back from adversity.  They respond to unanticipated circumstances with resilience.  

It strikes me that our world in business has the same circumstances.  

The team that adjusts best and performs given the circumstances encountered will win.

-Howe Q Wallace Jr