Business is Personal

We’ve all heard it said at least a thousand times, “this isn’t personal. It’s business.” Forget about it. Business is personal.

For most of us, the greatest share of our time by far is devoted to business. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t hang our lives up on the coat hook when we walk through the doorways of our offices. Time in the office is life, just as is time outside the office.

For those committed to having an impact, every action is personal. We push ourselves, dig deep into our creativity, devote energy and bandwidth to developing the knowledge, insights, expertise, and relationships necessary to make a difference.

For those committed to simply getting by or staying comfortable, avoidance, fear, and resistance take a heavy toll. Stress is constant; resentment encroaches on happiness, and enthusiasm recedes into protectiveness — dampening outward signs of vitality and compressing passion until it becomes a vague memory of youth gone by. It’s personal.

The name of the game today, to reiterate, is transforming customers into passionate advocates. Transformation does not occur in the absence of the personal.

Customers are individuals whose interests, needs, and experiences are purely personal. The relationships we build with our customers, internal as well as external, largely determine success.

Believe me, in this economy, the things we see in business are very personal.

A company is severely challenged. The ratio of revenues to costs must be balanced in favor of profitability if the enterprise is to continue. Inevitably, as the business is deconstructed, evaluated, and reinvented, people are asked to change. Those who do have the opportunity to continue to contribute. Those who resist often lose much more than current employment and income — relationships change, self-confidence may erode, social networks are disrupted, etc. It’s personal.

Those experiencing rapid growth and booming results expect everyone to bring an “A” game to the playing field. Much is asked, and more is expected. It’s personal.

Think about it. This is your life.

Sandy Nelson