The Nature of Business
We live in a “green” world or at least a world that needs people like us to try a little harder to leave the world a little better for the next generation.
Let’s consider these eight lessons from the wisest teacher of them all - The Earth!
If you want to truly run transformative, profitable and sustainable business, throw out everything you learned about businesses and look outside your window. There you’ll discover the most remarkable business model we have….The Earth!
Let’s say your business was doing just fine – evolving carefully and once in a while reinventing itself when a market crashed….just like a meteorite changing the landscape. Then humankind decides we can do a better job on our own and we attempt to subdue the Earth and Nature at any costs. Just like new investors that look at a training program programs and decide that they don’t need to do Bandit Signs, that they don’t need a Realtor, that they can figure it out there “own way.” We can’t help but break what works because we think we know better. Humankind has undone billions of years of thoughtful management by trying to re-engineer the way Nature actually works.
Today, as a new environment awareness takes root, we’re subjugated the business of life to the life of business, and in doing so we’ve put our planet and all businesses in danger of bankruptcy. Once we understand we are part of something bigger, we see the nature is full of lessons for doing business in a profitable and sustainable manner. Nature can serve a model, a measure and mentor for business.
In today’s world of business, there’s a wide range of problems or design challenges you might be trying to solve. The question you need to ask is, “How would nature do what I’m trying to do here?”
Lessons from the parent company – the planet…
1. Everything has Value
2. Cooperation Beats Competition
3. Stakeholders Trump Shareholders
4. Pull Don’t Push
5. Celebrate Failure
6. Imperfection is Perfect
7. Four Seasons, Not Four Quarters
8. Change is Good!
One Awesome thing I’ve learned from the Earth is that Action is key to success. Here is a planning process that I’ve probably mentioned before and that has helped me keep moving forward.
1. Set you goal (Smart Goal)
2. Set Deadline for Accomplishment
3. Who is the Goal For
4. How will you feel? If achieved, if not achieved
5. Brainstorm….Take some time and come up with as many things as you can!
6. Circle the most action/productive tasks that will get you to that goal.
7. Rank them 1 – 10
8. Scheduled them in to the days below.
9. Make them a priority in your days…these should be what’s getting in the way, not life.
10. TAKE ACTION – JUST DO IT!!!
The two main lessons I’ve learned from the planet and out of respect for the planet, that have helped me be successful at Taking Action are Accountability and Discipline. Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve learned and how it can help you in your 2014 Business Plan…
Accountability is the key to ACTION. Many times we are just not tough enough to do it on our own….we let our own fears, insecurities and lack of discipline let us down. However, having someone else to be accountable pushes us to do more and go further. Maybe you need help…we did, we were busy. We did a lot more with the help of mentoring and various training programs. We had a weekly coaching call that drove us to actually do what we said we’d do. If we had a call Tuesday morning we did our homework by at least Monday night so we wouldn’t have to say…We didn’t do it. One thing that I preach over and over again is - Tell Someone! Get an accountability buddy. If I tell someone what I'm working for, I'm that much more driven to make it happen. It is easy to let yourself down, but it is much harder to let someone else down. I love the example of a workout or diet buddy. You usually will make it to the gym at 6am if you're meeting someone there, if you are not then the snooze button is easy to hit Post it on FACEBOOK to let the world know what you’re going to accomplish and achieve. If that won’t motivate you I don’t know what will!
The second key to ACTION is Discipline. Discipline is usually run by two factors Rewards or Punishment. Every person is different so you have to determine which one works better for you – Rewards, positive re-enforcement like, ice cream, days off, a trip. What is going to positively drive you take action. On the Punishment side fear/ worst case scenario/ obstacle is going to drive you. Is it, I didn’t get my work done so now I can’t watch a tv show or to the extreme, if I do not do this my family cannot eat, or we may lose our house. Sometimes the worst case scenario or the obstacle we have to overcome (ie extreme debt). Have some sort of driver for the discipline is key to success. We are all different so different focuses will work for us. I laugh at this section because it is like determining what kind of parenting method you are going to use with your children…Are you going to offer incentives for good behavior or are you going to punish for bad behavior or will you embrace a combination for both. We need that same sort of discipline in our business life.
Best of Success ~Andrea
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