Yesterday, I met with a buddy of mine for coffee.  He had a great thought, that I thought I’d share about why companies that build in downturn markets become the dominant players when the market rebounds.

In growing markets, people are being hired.  And, many (most) are somewhat successful in meeting their numbers (based on what the company thinks they can do in the growth market).  They become management.  They build “best practices” that others follow.

When the market is in an upswing, it’s virtually impossible to tell the “execution success” from the “market success.” The rising tide lifts all boats.

But, when the market turns down, what happens?  You got it.  Things fall apart. People miss their numbers.  There are layoffs.

There’s no doubt that market does matter, don’t get me wrong.  What’s the old saying–the best ingredient you can have for making hamburgers is a starving market.  But, people that are “execution successful” tend to make a better run of it in both up markets and down markets.

As the markets swing, execution adjusts.  And, execution doesn’t do things because of corporate ritual–it does it because it produces results.

And, it’s this very fact that makes them positioned for the opportunities that present themselves.  They tend to weather the economic storm better.. and thus are better positioned for the recovery.

So, that brings me to my question.  Are you “market successful” or “execution successful?”  and, if it’s the former, what steps are you taking to become better at execution?

I’d love comments of any concrete ideas about how you make yourself better at executing.  Comment people, comment!