May
12 , 2004 issueWelcome
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Down
the Stretch They Come
On the first Saturday in May,
I had the thrill to see the 130th running of the Kentucky Derby. As the longest
consecutive running sports event in America, it is rich in tradition with big
hats, fine clothes and mint juleps. From the singing of “My Old Kentucky
Home” to the blanket of roses and presentation of the trophy in the winner’s
circle, it is Made in America from start to finish. As
the field of 18 thundered down the homestretch, the excitement of anticipating
the finish electrified all 140,000 of us at Churchill Downs. It is a feeling I
will never forget. It is that emotion that keeps the crowd coming back year after
year to inject millions into the Louisville economy. Following
the race, I had to marvel at the preparation that goes into producing the most
famous horse race in the world, all two minutes of it. At Churchill Downs, Derby
preparation for the next year starts the Monday following the race. Choreographing
an event of this proportion is an amazing feat. Parking, tickets, catering, wagering,
crowd control, publicity are just part of the to-do list. I
saw a common business theme everywhere at the Derby- preparation. This
social gathering doesn’t happen by accident. The 12 races on the program
happened at the designated post times. The mint juleps didn’t run out of
ice, the vendors’ supply lines to restock food and merchandise were unstoppable.
The Derby is a well rehearsed dance that crescendos with two minutes of breathtaking
excitement. Everything that can be anticipated is addressed by the management.
Even though weather is not controllable, the track crew is ready for all situations.
This year’s Derby was dampened by a quick moving gully-washer and trash-mover
of a thunderstorm. The track crew made a sloppy track better in a matter of minutes
and the show went on. I
walked away from the event thinking about the Kentucky Derby’s model of preparation.
In our businesses and lives, we can all adopt the Churchill Downs training model
of preparation. If your next presentation or sales pitch or committee report is
only two minutes long, is “winging it” good enough for you?
The owners, trainers and jockeys
know that they only have two minutes for their chance. Preparation is everything.
It starts long before the first horse is loaded into the starting gate. Training
and preparation are key points to all that we do in our lives. Top performers
even train and prepare for the unexpected. The
outstanding businesses and organizations I run across are outstanding due to the
leadership’s demand for preparation. The sloppy operators and businesses
that fail to perform to their potential are guilty of not taking time to prepare.
Speed and flexibility are what the contenders in the Kentucky Derby have in common
with all top performing business organizations. Take note that speed and flexibility
on the Derby track and in the operation of successful businesses are always resting
on a foundation of preparation.
Others have said about preparation: The
will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare."
--Thane
Yost
”Chance
favors the prepared mind.”
--Louis Pasteur
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