Maximizing current profits by definition sacrifices the long term investments that attaining your mission requires. My concept of "strategic profits" addresses how to think about profitability in a way that ensures you can always invest in the muscle instrumental toyour organization's long term success.

First, can you identify those company muscles that are required now, and will be next year, next decade, and likely next century? If not, it's impossible to build strategic profits. And without strategic profits, your core muscles will get flabby quite quickly.

For some, it may be the ability to forecast and react to the mix of short-shelf life requirements of your business. If you are trying to feed people high quality natural foods at an affordable price, that would make sense as at least one of the muscles you must build and always develop.

For others, it may be the constant state of flux that a dependency on constant new product development requires. Does your mission demand that you continuously create new offerings? Then you cannot afford to forego investment in your NPD processes and capabilities, market and material research, and global challenges threatening your markets regardless of how tough times may be.

Identify those very few muscles that underlie attainment of your mission, and think strategically about profit management to preclude risk to investing in them at all times. No one can afford to take a month or a year off from developing crucial muscles.

For more insights into the concepts of strategic profits and building business muscle, contact Becky Morgan at Morgan_at_FulcrumCWI.com or get her book Manufacturing Mastery at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble or wherever you buy your books.