February 15, 2013
CEO Newsletter
Te3am,
The essence of good policy is good strategy. Both are needed run a successful enterprise. Timing and preparation are critical aspects of strategy. The fertile moment may come suddenly and evaporate as quickly. An enterprise that is ready to act when the time is ripe is the mark of a successful company. We talked about both of these critical points and the importance of planning at our Annual Conference last week. I know we mentioned the E3 performance of our Denver team but it is worth mentioning again as their strategy and planning made the event tremendous for all of us.
We need to operate with a long-term point of view. We are running a marathon, not a sprint. This long-term view is as important in day-to-day problem solving as it is in making large enterprise-wide decisions. Problems of the moment must be dealt with but cannot be allowed to shape our future. Consistency in policy and execution is critical to our effectiveness. We need to foster an environment where we conduct our business with confidence.
Specific policies, as well as long-term strategy, need to be announced publicly ensuring there is a two-way transparency. Everyone knows the expectations and goals. We have to be candid with ourselves. We should never over promise and under deliver but live up to our Results not Rhetoric mandate.
We also need a true assessment of where we are winning and where we need to improve. Without this evaluation we are not really in a position to constructively improve and grow.
E3 moment of the week …
Super Bowl XLVII, the NFL Experience, Bud Light Hotel, Direct TV Party and numerous related events last week were on par with anything we have ever done. Team leaders Steve Trotter, Kernell Jupiter and Chef Lenny Martinsen did an outstanding job preparing and executing their plan to once again make Centerplate shine on the world stage. I was proud to see our entire New Orleans based team and our many visiting managers in Event Hospitality action. I humbly salute you all!
A warm Centerplate welcome to a new member of our team – Michael Strahan! As you know from his video introduction at our meeting in Denver, Michael will be a strategic advisor and ambassador for Centerplate in our new business efforts and community outreach programs (press release attached). Michael is excited to be working with Centerplate – be on the lookout for news about his participation in upcoming programs.
I look forward to executing our 2013 strategic game plan agreed upon last week in Denver. Please review the 2013 scorecard and deliverables (attached) with your team and make sure you are doing your part to deliver Results not Rhetoric.
Onwards!
