The Extraordinary Journey!!!!

....excerpt from my daily message to the company

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." - Helen Keller

Did you know that it was 1 year ago today that the first confirmed case of Covid was confirmed in the US by the CDC? Think about how much the world has changed in just one year. It seems a lifetime ago that the world was "normal".  For many, me included, this year has brought challenges and difficulties. It has also brought growth and strength. For Potrero, we have changed and I would say grown much stronger as an organization.  

Team, greatness is forged in how you respond to adversity. When you get knocked down, get back up, dust yourself off and get back into the fight. Never quit attitude. It is how you face adversity head on and fight like hell under any and all situations, but never quit! Growth occurs when you realize that you can do something you thought impossible yesterday, because you just did it! It is stretching what you perceive as possible.

Team, stop for a minute and think about all that you were able to do in the last year and more remarkably under these new circumstances.  

Today, for those that are newer to the team, I wanted to share how the R&D team responded under these extreme conditions. 

In "normal" times, the R&D team would be spending most of their time in the lab, on the bench, or at their desk, measuring, recording, creating, developing, testing, documenting. Literally overnight the R&D team pivoted to shelter in place and did so without skipping a beat.  

The R&D team conducted their experiments, product development, and testing from their bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, even from the backseat of cars on a road trip. 

For one minute think of how many people - patients, nurses and doctors have benefited from their work during this time. The R&D team developed and launched the AccuTab and did so in record time under these incredible and extreme circumstances. 

I spoke with Saheel yesterday and he was so incredibly proud of his team and what they have been able to do. He shared with me how the team has pushed and persevered in development, testing, and documenting. All of them together working remotely as a team, knocking down challenges and facing adversity so the clinicians can help their patients. He shared with me that the team is worn out from the long fight and how proud he was of the team for their resilience. They are currently working hard on V&V for the new software release. This is exhausting work that often goes completely unrecognized. Not today - THANK YOU TEAM!!

I know the Covid situation has made the R&D better, tougher, more resilient. They have shown they can win and achieve under these incredible circumstances.

Covid has been a battle against an invisible enemy. I say it often and I mean it, I am PROUD of you and this team, I am PROUD of your fight and resilience not only for Covid patients, but others throughout the hospital.

You don't know how tough you are until you face adversity head on and win. Team, we are on an extraordinary journey and I am so happy and proud to be on this journey with you. I know in my heart we are on the right path, that we are helping and will continue to help people that are fighting for their lives and I am thankful to be on this journey with you! Thank you R&D and thank you team!!

ALWAYS FORWARD!!!!!

Joe

This is a series of articles based on the daily letters that I write to my company (slightly modified - company specifics removed). My hope is to share some positive thoughts that gently push the world toward positive thinking and encourage many to achieve their fullest God-given potential