I’m reminded that nothing in the furniture business stays constant. The Greek philosopher Heracles observed, "Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed."
We’ve included several articles in this first issue of 2013 to help you navigate the flow to create conditions for greater success. I urge you to read our “Success Stories” interview with Crest Furniture’s CEO Simon Kaplan. While many businesses set quotas, Kaplan concerns himself with the process of managing change through a single minded focus on leadership and attention to the process of continuous improvement.
Larry Mullins’ new series on strategic MetaThinking, David McMahon’s detailed checklist on the retail chain of operations, Ray Morefield’s piece on resistance to change and articles by Gordon Hecht, Rene’ Johnston-Gingrich and Dan Bolger all support Furniture World’s mission to provide information you can use to deal with a changing world.
“You are like a candle,” wrote Thick Nhat Hahn. “Imagine you are sending light out all around you. All your words, thoughts and actions are going in many directions. If you say something kind, your kind words go in many directions, and you yourself go with them.”
Like Simon, attend to the process of change and your role in leading it. Best wishes for a successful 2013 from all of us at Furniture World.
Russell Bienenstock is Editor-in-Chief of Furniture World Magazine, founded 1870. Comments can be directed to him at editor@furninfo.com.