When we look at history, we can see that over time cultures have come and gone. They have evolved from nothing and ultimately return to nothing. During the journey the culture has times of quick pace and other times when it slows to a crawl. As we are directly part of the culture which we live inside, we must take time to look at long-term sustainability and scalability of our culture so that our culture may not just expand but to be vibrant.
Not too long ago I had reached into the bottom drawer to grab a pair of work jeans as I was about to head out to the yard for a day of “To-do” list chores. We have all been there wanting to get a head start on the weekend by getting those chores out of the way allowing for the rest of the time to enjoy with family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. The challenge this morning was that upon putting the pants on, something was not right. No, it was not that they were too tight for me to button and zip closed. It was just the opposite. They were almost so large that they would have needed suspenders to hold them up even with a belt.
Stop for a moment and look around you at all the variety of people in your life. This collage of people adds so much energy to our culture that words cannot do it justice. People are at the center of our culture. Whether the culture is positive or negative it is people who ultimately cultivate the culture. This places a significant responsibility on us to ensure that our actions contribute to a good culture.
We are starting into the 10th month of 2021. The first three quarters of the calendar year are complete. 3 more months exist to realize the goals and objectives you set out to achieve at the beginning of the year. There is no question that 2021 has had its share of odd business dealings. The lag or should I say drag on the business marketplace still exists. Business leaders are continuing to figure out ways to take care of customers while trying to engage employees to be part of their team.
Throughout our daily lives we are exposed to various cultures. Some are the environments we work in. Others are the environments of the places we visit. Yet still others are the interactions with those who are part of those environments. Taking time to fully experience those cultures, we discover the ones which are the most vibrant are the ones which are solidly built upon a firm foundation of Purpose.
You may have heard of the book – The Richest Man in Babylon. The book was written in 1926 by George S. Clason and uses parables from 4000 years ago to provide insights into financial matters. The wisdom comes not from the book but from the application of the principles to our daily lives, both our individual lives as well as our business affairs.
In this fast-paced world, we can sometimes get wrapped up in the speed and miss what is going on right around us. We miss the smell of the roses, the taste of the salty air near the ocean and maybe even the view of the green grass which grows on the path we are taking. The outcome or results are good, but the journey is where the story is crafted and written into your mind. Journey On!
When we interact with various business owners, there is inevitably a time in a conversation where the topic of what is keeping the owner up at night comes into play. We try to get this on the table early in a relationship because not dealing with it is always a distraction to progress moving forward. The answers are all over the place depending on what was just the most recent problem of the day or week.
What is holding your business back from reaching its next levelRead More »
Silence is a unique place. It allows for you to stop and take in all that is around you. Not just the loud noises. Not just the distractions of hurried activity. Not just the immersion of digital and electronic overload. Silence is where you can authentically explore what really is your purpose and motivation.
The beautiful place between loud noises and absence of soundRead More »
Preferences are a pretty strong influence in our lives and in our businesses. Just think about all the events, decisions and outcomes which have taken place just since you woke up this morning and how many of them were influenced by your preferences? Shower before you shave. Putting the dog out before eating breakfast. Black coffee verses tea vs milk etc. These are just a few examples of the things which you have a preference in doing in a particular order. They morph into a routine so you may not even see them as preferences. At some point in the past, you made a choice. You were pleased with the results, so you stuck with it. You took your preference and blended it into a routine.
Running your business by principles vs preferencesRead More »