Dogged Determination

There's no substitute for dogged determination. I can't help but continue to gape in amazement at the NASA team and their multi-year quest to get the Phoenix lander to Mars. I mean, come on. It's NEWS that the thing is going to unbend it's arm. The arm is going to probe beneath the Martian surface to reach the water ice below and bring back lots of yummy subterranean bits and pieces for scientific analysis. All aimed at figuring out if somewhere, in some age, Mars supported life.



It's a lesson in patience, timing, perseverance, and faith. Nothing will test your mettle like slinging a big thing into the deep reaches of space, waiting 10 months, and hoping against hope that it goes where you told it to, not to mention landing on a planet light-years away and still working once it gets there.

There are many times when, in the marketing world, you try something and it doesn't work. (Yes, indeed, we are fallible creatures). Not every strategy is perfect, and despite your best efforts, sometimes you miss the mark. But still, we march on and try, try again to find the thing or combination of many things that will reach that new client or finally crystalize that elusive and compelling message for all to hear. When it happens, it's a beautiful thing. But by no means does it happen by accident.

Successful communication starts with something super important: people. Without them, there is no dialogue. And to forget that they're on the other end is a mistake. But if you don't reach them the first time, don't stop talking. It's a noisy world out there, and sometimes it's a matter of timing before you can be heard just right.

The team at NASA's JPL was an exuberant bunch of kids in that control room, watching the countdown and jumping up and down when they got the confirmation of Phoenix's successful landing. They deserve a round of applause, and a good pat on the back for staying the course when there were more questions than answers.

I'm putting a picture of Phoenix on my bulletin board, and every time I stumble, I'll be all the more determined to make a successful landing.