Quarterly Results

Am realizing, on this first day of October, that this is the beginning of the last quarter of 2009. 

Though it appeared during the height of the global financial crisis that there was a lull in the fanatical focus on quarterly results (people were simply trying to survive, to keep their companies afloat), looks like we're right back there again.  It's the "what have you done for me lately?" kind of thinking that makes it hard to focus on the future (beyond 3 months from now) because Wall Street requires results.  Quickly.  By the end of the quarter.

Ironic, isn't it, that the word quarterly has another connotation. This other usage refers to publications that occur once every three months.  They are usually academic, scholarly tomes, generally a collection of important writings in a particular field, like the Political Science Quarterly; the Congressional Quarterly; the McKinsey Quarterly; the Oxford Quarterly.

Seems almost quaint that people would wait 3 months to read a compilation of what's been deemed important and noteworthy by an editorial group in their field.  We've all gotten so used to looking things up real time, being "in the moment," it appears old-fashioned to consider waiting for information from any source. 

Does your business have a quarterly results focus so that all efforts are measured against whether earnings are as predicted at the start of the quarter?  Do you personally have a quarterly focus that is only on quick results?

If you were to imagine a quarterly review that reflected on all you--personally--had accomplished this last quarter, would you be happy to read it?  Would you be happy to have others read it?  Would it reflect the accomplishments you had intended when the quarter was brand new, three months ago?  With whom would you want to have a conversation about the contents of your personal quarterly?  What would they say?