15. Vol. 10, No. 1 Spring 2011 FLORIDA ASPHALT 17
Dealing with Uncertainty in the Industry
in Order to Reach your Destination in 2011
Uncertainty
By Dana Borowka, MA of Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC
ASPHALT 17
D
riving up the coast towards
Malibu, Calif., the morn-
ing sun was rising and I
noticed a fog bank several
miles off the coast. It was
interesting to see from this perspective. The
wall of fog stood before the magnificent coast
line with many miles of visibility in both direc-
tions. As the sun continued to rise, the top
of the fog bank whisking around made for a
beautiful scene.
As I headed up into the mountains, I kept
looking back to see how it was progressing.
As I ascended in elevation, I could see the fog
was covering the ocean as far as the eye could
see. It was progressing towards the shore and
in just a matter of a few minutes what had
been clear visibility along the coast was now
completely obscured.
Have you ever had this experience in either
your business or personal life? You have a
course, a plan, a direction and then — the
fog rolls in. What do you do? I’d like to share
an experience. Then we’ll jump into some
specific steps that you can consider and talk
over with your team members as we move into
the new year.
I’m an avid sailor, and that usually leads to
getting bigger boats over time. We traveled to
San Diego, Calif. to purchase our next boat,
which was 28 feet in length. We needed to get
the boat to Marina del Rey, Calif., which is
an 100+ mile journey. We planned on bring-
ing it up over a two-day period. Our plans
included having all the appropriate tools — a
navigational chart, GPS, fog horn and radar
deflector mounted on the mast, but we had
no radar.
When we woke up in the early morning
hours to set sail on our journey we could barely
see the boat next to us — the fog was so thick
that visibility was only 15-20 feet at best. We
waited a bit for the fog to clear, but we had
a schedule to keep. With charts and GPS in
hand we set out and made our way through
the harbor very carefully. Our charting was
spot on, and we had a spotter/listener on the
bow to make sure we didn’t miss anything.
Things were going well until we heard the
sound of waves crashing. We were off course,
but fortunately we had our spotter on the
bow. We adjusted our course immediately and
made it out to sea. The fog cleared, and we had
porpoises swimming all around us with clear
sailing and visibility. On the final leg home,
we hit fog again. This time we made it to the
breakwater, which appeared right in front of
us by only 100 feet or so. It was just where we
thought it would be thanks to our planning.
As we enter 2011, uncertainty seems to be
a constant theme. Yet if we have a plan and
remain flexible with our goals then we can
make it through the fog and reach our destina-
tion safe and sound. By using the ideas we are
about to share you’ll know if your organization
is heading towards the rocks, the open sea or
on a clear course towards your destination.
Think for a moment about the various
components of a boat that are needed in order
to keep it afloat and heading in the intended
The of

16. ...amazing retreats in spectacular locations
For enquiries and bookings, contact
Stanbrook Abbey
Callow End, Worcestershire, WR2 4TD
01905 830 195 | stanbrookabbey.com | info@stanbrookabbey.com
Corporate Christmas Parties
At Stanbrook Abbey, we have a range of options suitable for large and small
companies with some fantastic offers for Christmas.
Our flexible venue has several room types for functions of all sizes. With an on-site
catering and banqueting team, we can deliver exceptional parties and our location is
easily accessible from Birmingham, Cheltenham and Malvern.
Large Christmas Parties...
Party Nights
Stanbrook Abbey have a host of events available
over the festive period with a choice of menus
and dancing ‘til late.
Fridays
• Three-course festive dinner
• DJ & dance music
• Available 30th Nov, 7th Dec, 14th Dec and
21st Dec 2012
From £40 per person
Saturdays
• Three-course festive dinner
• 70s & 80s themed party
• Available 1st Dec, 8th Dec, 15th Dec and
22nd Dec 2012
From £45 per person Corporate Retreats Amazing Weddings Themed Events Private Bookings
Christmas at
Stanbrook Abbey
Stanbrook Abbey is comfortably set beneath
the gorgeous green ridge of the Malvern Hills
in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just
minutes from the M5.
Callow Great Hall, the former chapel, has been
preserved in all its splendour, with ornate
stonework,vibrantstainedglass,exquisitewood
carving and high vaulted ceiling, providing the
most inspirational space imaginable. The recent
refurbishment has created a variety of different
reception rooms to provide a venue that’s as
flexible as it is impressive.
ChristmasStanbrookFinal.indd 1 06/09/2012 12:01

17. Christmas Lunches in the Abbey
25th December 2012
With a selection of fantastic dining rooms available, join us
for a sumptuous feast on Christmas Day, as we transform
the Abbey for the festive celebration. Dine in either the
Thompson Dining Hall or The Bistro and enjoy a festive
five-course lunch and entertainment.
For families with children, Father Christmas will also
make an appearance providing gifts.
New Year’s Eve Dinner & Dance
31st December 2012
Welcome in the New Year with a fabulous
Dinner and Dance in the superb Thompson
Dining Hall. Join us at this spectacular location
for the final party of the year!
Enjoy a fabulous five course meal prepared by
our executive chef and dance the night away
with a live band and disco; before gathering
at midnight to welcome in 2013 to the
atmospheric sound of the pipes.
Christmas Day Thompson Hall
Potted salmon mousse, pickled baby beetroot
salad, watercress, horseradish crème fraiche,
brown bread tuille
or
Wild mushroom risotto, girolles
& shaved black truffle
Parsnip & apple veloute, curry oil & coriander
Poached & roasted turkey, duck fat roast
potatoes, confit turkey leg, cabbage ball, carrot
& swede, sprouts, smoked pancetta & onion,
chestnut & cranberry stuffing, roast turkey jus
or
Ricotta & truffle gnocchi,
textures of pumpkin, crispy sage
Warm Christmas pudding, brandy butter,
spiced orange ice cream
or
Eggnog pannecotta, poached clementines,
clementine ice cream, ginger garibaldi biscuit,
spiced red wine syrup
From £79 per person
Christmas Day Bistro Lunch
Hot roast chestnuts & homemade Danish gluwine
Parsnip & apple veloute, curry oil & coriander
Salmon mousse, langoustine brown bread toastie,
smoked salmon caviar, lemon, caper,
horseradish ’snow’ & watercress
Poached & roasted turkey, duck fat roast potatoes,
confit turkey leg, cabbage ball, carrot & swede,
sprouts, smoked pancetta & onion, chestnut &
cranberry stuffing, roast turkey jus
or
Roast venison haunch, beetroot dauphinoise,
Jerusalem artichoke purée, baby carrots, sprout
leaves, roast baby beetroot, sauce piquant
Cranberry jelly, champagne syllabub,
frosted red currants
Warm plum pudding, brandy butter,
spiced orange ice cream
or
Eggnog pannecotta, poached clementines,
clementine ice cream, ginger garibaldi biscuit,
spiced red wine syrup
From £90 per person
New Year’s Eve Menu
Wildmushroomrisotto, girolles &
shavedblacktruffle
Textures of‘duck’ terrine, pistachios, apricot,
redcurrant, cumberlandsauce&petitleaf
Roastfois gras, paind’espice, gingerbread
icecream, portreduction
Seared‘rare’ beefcontra fillet, oxtailgallet,
wildmushrooms,leeks,chantenaycarrots,
redwinejus
Poachedbabypear,vanillamilkpurée,
redwinesorbet
Darkchocolatetart, whitechocolatebrûlée,
confitorange, darkchocolatemilkshake,
white chocolate espuma, chocolate ‘soil,’
tangerinejelly&icecream
Selectionoffineteas, coffee&
homemade petitfours
From£99perperson
Tasting of Christmas Menu
Canapés
Chicken liver parfait, petit leaf, red currant purée, orange
dressing
Potted salmon mousse, pickled baby beetroot salad,
horseradish crème fraiche, brown bread tuille
Roast venison haunch, pomme dauphinoise, baby carrots
& leeks, sprout leaves, soubise, sauce piquant
Spiced redwine & cranberry jelly, vanilla syllabub, confit
orange & frosted red currants
Dark chocolate tart, orange ice cream, cherry compote,
dark chocolate milkshake, white chocolate espuma
A selection of fine teas & coffee, homemade petit fours
From £55 per person
Luxury Festive Accommodation
Enjoy a stay in the beautiful Manor at Stanbrook Abbey,
available for exclusive use hire this Christmas.
This extensive five bedroom, Georgian manor house
boasts luxury accommodation in the master suite with
dressing room and a further four en-suite bedrooms.
Relax throughout your stay with your own private
drawing room, study and kitchen, ideal for throwing a
Christmas house party.
A Tasting of Christmas Private Dining
For those wanting a more exclusive atmosphere, we have a variety of exquisite private
dining rooms available for up to 20 guests. Organise your own festivities, or let us help.
For enquiries and bookings, contact
01905 830 195 | stanbrookabbey.com | info@stanbrookabbey.com
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