As your business evolves, staying competitive in this fast-changing world becomes more challenging. In an order to create a long-term picture of the future, it is helpful to take a glance back at the past. Your company's history is rich with heroes and lessons. These assets will prove very useful when the heroes are heard and acknowledged and the lessons are recorded and discussed. A look back often proves very helpful in clearing the air of misconceptions while creating a sense of honor for any long-timers in a mature organization.
Perseverance deserves recognition and respect.
Strong leadership is required to find ways to bring the old school and the new school together in any company. The old way may not be the best way but without meaningful dialogue about the decisions of the past there is a major risk of losing not only valuable information but the invaluable commitment of the key people who've been around a while. Even the youngest companies or start-up situations benefit from understanding the motivations and goals of the founders. When your team truly understands the company's history, they are more likely to buy-in to the development of business and marketing plans. Understanding the decisions of the past and the goals of the future is critical to establishing a marketing plan that will work.