How it's supposed to be done

I was at a concert last night, seeking the trio of Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers, solo), and Boz Scaggs perform their own material as well as some old soul/R&B standards.

It was amazing. Three performers in their 60s had us enraptured for 2 hours. And while it's true that they don't have the high notes they had 30 years ago, they delivered everything they had that night. And we appreciated it.

It got me to thinking about the market and how we have to deliver whatever we can. No, the business isn't about to return to 2008 levels anytime soon. No, the business isn't as accommodating as it was. No, the business isn't the same as it was even 2 years ago.

But like Michael McDonald, we have to forget what we WERE and focus on what are ARE. Michael delivered 100% of what he had last night, and in spots (particularly in the middle of his range) he was better than ever. There was no whining, no apologies for the "different" Michael. Just professionalism and determination to give us whatever he could on that day.

We need to do this. Our market has undergone fundamental change in the past 18 months, and to pine for the Good Old Days is an exercise in futility and a counter-productive use of our time. What we must do is explore how the market is changing, how we can get in front of the curve, and provide value for our organizations and clients.

There's lots of entertainment to provide. We just have to focus on what's happening now and forget what happened in the past. It'll save us valuable stomach acid and will allow us to enjoy the moment.

And man, were those three guys great last night...


Pete