Prepare to Win
For some, football isn’t just a sport. It’s a lifestyle.
Here in the South, we love our college football. We buy the merch, we host tailgating parties, and we plan weddings and other major events around the game schedule.
Whether or not you attended the university you cheer for is irrelevant. You must pick a team, and you must be a die-hard fan. These are the rules.
And what do all football fans want more than anything?
We want to win.
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Bear Bryant knew a thing or two about winning.
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One of the SEC’s greatest coaches of all time was Paul “Bear” Bryant. Bear Bryant was a coaching legend—on and off the field.
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And he was an expert on winning.
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During the 25 years he coached at the University of Alabama, Bear Bryant’s team won six national championships and 13 conference championships. He also broke the former record for the most wins (323!) as a head coach in college football.
“It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” – Paul “Bear” Bryant
When I read this quotation from him recently, it reminded me that simply having the desire to win isn’t enough. You can’t just want success. You need to set and execute strategies in order to win. Reaching goals takes tremendous planning and effort.
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In other words, luck favors the prepared.
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Our team at Focus Brands has undertaken a remarkable journey over the past three years. Luck had very little to do with the success we’ve seen. Meticulous planning, relentless focus and old-fashioned hard work are the tools we’ve used to win.
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We’ve built more strategic systems to push us beyond what we’d achieved before. We’ve invested in digital capabilities, loyalty systems, data analytics and supply-chain optimization. We’ve pretty much revamped most of the routines and processes that had been in place over the past two decades.
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Has it paid off? Absolutely. We’re bigger and more profitable than we’ve ever been.
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But was it easy? Not at all.
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We had to learn to work differently, and that can be a little uncomfortable.
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Our journey has required a mindset shift about how we’re organized.
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Previously, our seven different restaurant brands worked independently in silos.
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Now each brand fully enjoys the advantages of being part of the larger company. Through a reorganization, we were able to unlock more opportunities than ever before.
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For example, I’m proud that we’ve brought world-class talent onboard (including the renowned designer behind Delta’s digital platform) to help build out new websites and apps. Additionally, we recruited top data-analytics experts and specialists in revenue management who now strategize for each of the brands. We have a team devoted solely to loyalty efforts. We also leverage customer insights in all aspects of our digital, loyalty and data-analytics offerings—putting our customers’ needs at the heart of everything we do.
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In the past, employing this level of talent would not be feasible. But with a consolidation of efforts (and budgets!), we can go so much further.
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Adhering to our culture of “One Focus Way,” while we remain committed to preserving each brand’s distinct identity, we recognize many decisions and investments can be standardized for all brands without compromising those distinct identities.
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None of this growth would be possible without a first-class team willing to shift strategically. To the future-focused team members who’ve been part of this three-year journey, thank you. Your efforts continually raise the bar and push Focus Brands forward.
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We’re operating from a strong playbook.
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Bear Bryant’s advice on winning rings true.
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Whether you’re talking about football or the quick-service restaurant business, the goal of all teams is to win.
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But simply wanting to win doesn’t get you to the championship. You have to build a playbook that’s clear, strategic and adaptable … and then you have to diligently execute those plays.
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So that’s what you’ll find my team doing every day.
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Now don’t get me wrong. At GoTo Foods , we’re still reinventing ourselves. We know that no victory is ever final. We’re still working on plenty of improvements, and that’s the part of my job that has me jumping out of bed every morning to head to work.
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And when I walk around the office, I see the talented, dedicated individuals at Focus Brands who prove themselves willing to work as a team to master all-new plays. I see their preparation paying off big time.
You know, even after winning a championship, a football team shows up the following day to practice and prepare for the next match-up.
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At Focus Brands, we do, too.
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We aren’t leaving growth to chance.
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Indeed, Bear Bryant's leadership philosophy has timeless relevance. How do you think his principles can be applied to today's business transformation strategies?
Transformational IT Executive
1 年Great article, Jim. Roll Tide!
Managing Director at Auxis
1 年Love this! So proud to be partnered with this great and innovative company!
Retired from VP of Non-Traditional Development at Focus Brands. Part time Non Traditional Development Consulting.
1 年I have been with Focus Brands and then just Cinnabon prior for 33 years so I have had the pleasure of working with a long line of Great Leaders during my time here. Jim has certainly taken us to a new and exciting level these past few years. He has continued to make Focus Brands a great place to Work and Grow!