Everywhere You Go there You Are
Every now and then a potential client will make it clear that they want to stick to business with no conversation about their personal life. It doesn’t take very long before they realize that they are not a bifurcated personality. Our beliefs and our values are what direct our thinking, our actions, and therefore our results. You may leave your favorite jeans on the floor of your closet, but when you leave the house in your Armani suit you are still you.
It’s also very helpful to look at the other side of the looking glass for clues when we are stuck. Our business life is mirrored in our personal life, so when we are looking for answers in one area we may find it by studying the other.
One of my favorite examples is a wonderful client I worked with a few years ago. He was a very successful doctor and because he was bored he decided to get his MBA. He then got involved in a series of business misadventures and was doing a review on where he was and what he wanted to do next.
The “aha” came when I asked him how he approached dating. He would meet a lovely young lady who would pursue him. He’d be enchanted by this attention and would find himself a year later struggling to extricate himself from a failing relationship. As he was telling me this story I could see the light bulb go on in his head. He was doing the exact same thing on the business side of the looking glass! Some engaging entrepreneur would seduce him with an amazing product. He’d find himself involved and then in almost the same amount of time as his dating relationship, he’d once again be in a messy situation and wondering how to get out.
What changed radically as a result of this insight was the creation of criteria and objectives for both dimensions of his life. Think of areas in your own life that this “ism” applies to. Do you treat your employees the way you treat your children? Where does this show up for you?
