As a leader, I’m often called upon to envision flawless execution of a well-conceived plan.

Well, we all know that the realities of business – and of life – can sometimes intrude on those best laid plans. Outcomes change from that which is originally envisioned. On these occasions the results might even be fully achieved, albeit from a path that barely resembles the original plan.

But what about those rare and wonderful instances when a series of outcomes reach their conclusion just at the right time – when team commitments are in harmony?

In athletics, this kind of unconscious phenomenon is called Being in the Zone. Athletes speak of this mental state as a place where setbacks are taken in stride, and you’re probably going to win.

In business, The Zone is harder to come by. When it happens, it’s a thing of beauty. But more often than not, profitable opportunities are missed and many companies are filled with people struggling to survive — while other organizations fail entirely.

Right now, I feel like FG SQUARED is in The Zone, and it’s an exhilarating moment.

Given my educational background in science, I really connect this idea back to my chemistry classes and the concept of catalysis. Catalysts reduce the energy level that must be exerted to change reactants into products. Catalysts work by providing an (alternative) mechanism involving a different transition state and lower activation energy.

In business, we have different kinds of catalysts that reduce the energy that must be exerted to reach powerful new outcomes that we are always aiming toward. For the past 15 months, the turnaround at FG SQUARED has been catalyzed by our decision to integrate innovative ‘2.0′ social technologies with core business processes. In a sense, by adopting Jive Software’s Clearspace social computing platform as our first step with the transition, we are building innovative online social interactions from the inside out.

Of course, technology is only part of the story. Partnerships we’re currently developing are another reason to celebrate this Zone sensation I’m lately experiencing.

FG SQUARED’s staff has been nothing less than a dynamic force lately – the recent cross-communication, the collaborative process(es) and the intelligent thought being shared and applied to our client activity, no make that, to ALL our activity – is breathtaking. Like an athlete in the zone, I feel like I’m watching and experiencing the excellence happen from inside the moment. Cool!

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