Aaron Copeland used a simple Shaker one-verse hymn as the heart of one of his most loved classical pieces.  The hymns one verse, Simple Things, reads:

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain’d,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be asham’d,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.

For those familiar with Copeland’s music, you may know the song for which I am referencing is Appalachian Spring. The song debuted in 1944 at the Library of Congress, and in ’45 Copeland received a Pulitzer Prize for Music for this piece.

Enough trivial detail, where am I going with this?  Copeland had a simple theme running through this masterpiece.  It is woven throughout, never straying from the heart, but elaborating in various strains through the voices of multiple instruments.  Each voice gives a new layer of complexity to the overall story line conveyed.  Such is the beauty of a well written song.

So to is the beauty of a well executed business.  It starts with a One Line Vision – a statement of intent for the company – with each element of the company playing in harmony and adding to the intricacy of the company story from multiple vantage points.  360-degrees of communication via every consumer touch point, constantly adding to and elaborating on how the company message is being conveyed at each iteration.  When you stand back and look, listen, and engage with the company – you recognize the heart, still true to the original theme, but totally enveloped by each voice.  Now that is music and well played.

Our theme at Meridian is to be the Leader in Self-Service Solutions.  Where that leadership is conveyed in our knowledge, creative mojo, quality components, experience – and an evolving list of descriptives.  This theme is evidenced throughout and is being honed everyday, from concept to completion.

For a little culture, here is Copeland masterpiece, Appalachian Spring.