When I was a kid growing up in the late 60s, Risk was a military strategy board game my older brothers played for hours at a time. I remember watching and wondering why Irkutsk, Yakutsk, and Kamchatka weren't on any maps in my social studies book. These days my 12 year old son plays Risk with his friends. Of course, theirs is an electronic version; which should make perfect sense to anyone in the quick printing industry.

After all, your world looks completely different than it did when Richard Nixon moved into the White House. And it's changed a lot in the past five years. Keeping up with all the technological enhancements is the "paradox of the printer." Just when cash flow is looking stronger, you have to consider adding investments in better equipment, software, and/or people. In order to make the right moves you have to weigh the risk of taking on a new lease or additional salaries with the reward of higher sales or productivity. As you know, these decisions can be highly stressful.

Risky Business

A more enjoyable game of risk plays out in prime time three nights a week on NBC. If you've ever watched hairless host Howie Mandel ask a contestant "Deal Or No Deal?" you've probably screamed at the TV for someone you've never met to take the Banker's offer. If you haven't experienced the painful fun of this hit show, the premise is that a contestant reveals the value of 25 cases—one at a time—with prizes ranging from a penny to $1 million. Uncover low numbers each round and the Banker raises the stakes. On the other hand, eliminate cases with $100,000 or more and he takes great pleasure in reducing your winnings.

With visions of becoming instant millionaires dancing in their heads, contestants gamble on strategically unsound decisions; passing up large sums only to end up with far less. The mistake they make is not understanding risk theory. The Banker knows the odds are quite unlikely that someone will select the $1 million case out of the original 26 and reveal all the lower dollar amounts. Meanwhile, contestants allow fear and greed, along with the studio audience, to rule them.

Perhaps you are asking yourself what does "Deal or No Deal" have to do with your quick printing business…unless, of course, all this is inspiring you to catch the next plane to Hollywood to take a shot at appearing on the show! Actually, my goal is to inspire you to move the odds more in your favor by taking the time to develop your Success Plan for 2007. To lessen the risk that you'll miss great opportunities and to increase the likelihood you'll make better decisions, gather your team and—together—follow these steps:

1. Define Your Core Purpose. This means identifying why you and your employees walk through the door every day. Here are the Core Purposes of a few companies you'll recognize:

   • Disney—To make people happy
   • 3M—To create innovative products
   • Nordstrom—To be subservient to the customer

   Notice none of these says anything about money. The objective behind defining your Core Purpose is to make sure everyone on your team understands why they do what they do every day. Clarify this and the money will follow. Remember to start with the word "To" and fill in the blank from there.

2. Analyze Your Business. Conduct a SWOT Analysis, identifying your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A great way to do this is to address each area one at a time, having team members write their ideas on sticky notes. After completing the entire exercise, place them on the wall in rows and: