“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
—Revelation 1:8
Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, convey that our relationship with Jesus is forever.
Long-term relationships are essential in business; without them, success is only tentative.
This applies to employees, customers, and vendors.
Every businessperson knows that turnover of employees is expensive, because recruiting and training new people requires an investment of both money and time.
Note too that experienced employees are more productive.
Likewise, there are one-time costs to secure a new customer, but satisfied customers place larger orders next time.
The same is true with vendors—over time, certain economies are realized through repeat business with the same companies.
When we trust and feel comfortable with those we deal with, our business enjoys increased compatibility and harmony.
Of course, compatibility and harmony don’t just happen.
They take time to develop.
A long-term relationship with deep roots can’t help but blossom.
You must have patience.
Jesus clearly explains this required patience in Mark 4:3–8: “A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away.
Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
This parable illustrates how relationships take time.
Here, Jesus maintains that many seeds can be sowed, but not all of the sower’s efforts will bear fruit.
Yet if he is persistent and plants enough seed, some of it will grow and eventually yield great results—thirty-, sixty- and even one hundredfold.
We also learn here that when we do succeed in building a long-term relationship, the yield is substantial and we are abundantly rewarded.
However, in order for relationships to grow, both parties must have faith and trust in each other.
Otherwise, like seed that falls on rocky ground, gets scorched in the hot sun, or is choked by thorns, a relationship will not thrive.
The faith and trust people have in each other takes time to develop.
Through day-in and day-out performance, people slowly grow more comfortable as others prove they are reliable and truthful.
On a recent trip to Florida with my twenty-four-year-old son, David, Jr., I introduced him to the CEO of Northern Trust, the prestigious Chicago banking firm.
After our meeting with the banker, I explained to Junior that the relationship I have today with Northern Trust was one that evolved over a period of time, and today, based on mutual respect and trust, both the bank and I feel comfortable about doing business together.
“The same holds true with long-term relationships you first built during your school days,” I told my son.
Years ago, my wife and I had to make sacrifices to send both of our children to private schools in St. Louis.
In addition to receiving a fine education, both of them formed friendships with many children from our city’s most prominent families.
“Those high school friends know you well, son,” I said, “and over the years, those long-term relationships will be beneficial.
You and your friends will help each other succeed in your independent careers.
You will partner in various ventures and do business with some of them because you and they feel comfortable with one another.
You have a history together that’s a result of having sown seeds in one another’s lives for a long time.
The rewards of those years of sowing will come to bear much fruit.”
Always remember, people are watching you.
They may be your old school friends, employers, customers, vendors—and they are constantly evaluating you.
They observe your every move, checking to see if you walk the walk.
In time, each long-term relationship you have will be based on your integrity and performance.
In our business, we are now bearing fruit from seeds we sowed over the years.
Or, as it is said in business, we are receiving the dividends from our investments.
Our employee turnover is minimal and, consequently, we have a well-seasoned workforce.
We are receiving reorders from longtime customers—repeat orders significantly larger than first-time orders.
Likewise, our satisfied vendors approach us with requests to partner with them on future ventures.
And most rewarding, our employees, customers, and vendors are constantly referring people to us—the finest compliment of a long-term relationship.
I cherish the long-term relationships I have with the men and women who work side by side with me at WWT.
None is better exemplified than my special relationship with Jim Kavanaugh, who joined the company in 1990 at age twenty-eight.
Starting in sales, Jim was named CEO of our parent company, World Wide Technology Holding Company, in early 2003.
In addition to his title, Jim has an equity position in the company.
Early on, based on his leadership and numerous contributions to the business, we talked about his future role in the company.
On a handshake we agreed that he would someday have ownership in the company.
Having explicit trust in each other, he knew that I would give him what he was due, and I knew he would do whatever it took to continue earning it.
In an entirely different arena, our company is committed to serve our community.
Our people are encouraged to take an active leadership role in civic organizations—and they do so willingly because, after all, this is where we live and work.
We support such groups as United Way, Ronald McDonald House, the Boy Scouts of America, local school boards, and many more.
These too are important relationships to build, and the seeds we sow in these fields also bear delicious fruits.