Building Bridges

I was reminded by a friend this week, that bridges are built one strut at a time.
Even those bridges that the army seem to throw up in minutes started as a single strut, possibly in some factory somewhere, and were meticulously planned and put together…one strut at a time.  Imagine the consequences if they weren’t…?
Anything that’s going to last, and be of any real value has to be well constructed…be it a bridge…a friendship…or a business!
Yes, you can chuck something up overnight, with little thought or preparation, and even with poor materials…but will it stand the test of time?
A relationship that starts with a drunken night of fumbled passion, may be very exciting and a lot of fun…and may last for a while…maybe even months.  But the relationships that really last are those that are built on friendship.  The friendships that last, built on firm foundations like mutual understanding, fun, shared dreams, a common purpose…and at least one real, or virtual hug a day!
It’s pretty much the same with a business…although maybe without the hugs.
There are so many businesses that appear overnight and take off like a rocket…a small team, a great product, their customers love them, they have excellent early sales. And then what happens?  They try to grow…they hire new people…they take on new customers…they move to a bigger premises…they have no plan for business growth…they have no systems in place…things start to unravel…and they fail.
The businesses that last are built to last. They have strong foundations.  They have a vision, a strategy, a clear picture of where they’re going and how they’re going to get there.  They have systems, processes and procedures.  They have a plan for business growth.

They build their bridge one strut at a time.
And I guess that’s the choice we all have, whether we’re building bridges, re-building friendships or growing a business.  Do we want the instant gratification and excitement of an intense but ultimately shallow and short-lived experience…or do we want to build something strong and stable that will give us long-lasting gratification and fulfilment?
Personally, I’m building for the long-term…one hug at a time.
How about you?

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