— Are We Giving Credit Where It’s Due?
🌱 The Unseen Work Behind Every Success
Launching a new business or product into the market rarely happens overnight.
Behind the scenes, there’s a long list of foundational tasks:
- Careful market research
- Building reliable partnerships
- Complex price negotiations
- Resolving local regulatory and logistical issues
- On-the-ground execution and troubleshooting
- Post-launch follow-up and feedback integration
Most of these efforts are invisible by the time results appear, yet they’re exactly what form the base of any successful outcome.
🪨 “Drink Water, Remember the Source” — Wisdom in a Proverb
The Chinese proverb “飲水思源” (yǐn shuǐ sī yuán) literally means,
“When drinking water, remember the source.” It reminds us not to forget those who paved the way when we reap the benefits.
However, in today’s business world, the reality can be less noble. The moment a project succeeds, the partners and collaborators who made it possible are too often overlooked.
- Contributions that aren’t visible on paper are easily forgotten
- Invisible labor — such as groundwork research and stakeholder coordination — gets devalued
- Recognition tends to go to those in the spotlight at the final stage
This isn’t just a moral issue — it’s a structural challenge that can weaken long-term partnerships and trust.
🧩 Business Is Competitive — But Integrity Still Matters
Yes, business is inherently competitive. If a new partner offers better pricing, faster delivery, or more innovative service, switching vendors is often a logical choice.
Still, that doesn’t justify erasing past contributions.
To avoid becoming “just another replaceable vendor,” collaborators must take a proactive approach:
- Introduce performance-based compensation models
- Clearly define the cost of early-stage research and planning
- Build in long-term clauses into contracts to avoid abrupt disengagement
- Document and communicate their contributions throughout the process
These measures help shift the focus from short-term gains to relationship-based value creation.
🤝 Gratitude Goes Both Ways
This principle works both ways.
If you’re the service provider or collaborator, it’s equally important to recognize those who support you.
- Be transparent about compensation and credit
- Express appreciation clearly and consistently
- Offer future collaboration opportunities
- Make sure people feel valued — even if immediate rewards aren’t possible yet
Even small gestures of recognition build trust that money alone can’t buy. In time, they form the basis of strong, enduring partnerships.
🔄 Prioritize Relationships Over Short-Term Wins
In business, it’s easy to focus on figures and quick returns.
But when the project wraps up, what stays behind is the relationship you’ve built.
That’s why it’s worth asking:
- Have we acknowledged the behind-the-scenes efforts that made success possible?
- Are we giving credit to those who carried the invisible weight?
- Have we said “thank you” — in both words and actions?
These habits cultivate the kind of resilient, long-term business muscle that leads to sustainable success.
✍️ In Closing: From One Well to the Next
This isn’t a complaint.
It’s a proposal — a call to design systems that acknowledge and preserve contributions.
- Celebrate the process, not just the result
- Respect those who laid the foundation
- Keep building relationships that say: “Let’s do this again, together”
That’s how we shift from one-off wins to long-term, repeatable success.
💧When we drink water, let’s remember the one who dug the well. May this mindset quietly take root in our marketing practices, our partnerships, and our business culture.