Building a Happy Business!
With Happy in Business you can be rich and happy if that is what you truly want. Any level of happiness is good for you. True happiness however, will affect not only you, but also the people around you. True happiness will have a positive impact on your health, your relationships, your business and society. When we focus on profits instead of happiness we miss out on a level of happiness that all the money in the world couldn't buy.
True happiness carries a lot of power within a business. And its effects can easily spread throughout a business. Just as we can throw a pebble in to any part of the lake, we can introduce happiness in to any part of our business. And regardless of when and where we introduce it, the ripples will play out their role.
"There are seven questions you should be asking yourself if you're serious about managing a happy business."
Does your business value it's people?
Our people are generally the biggest expense in business and should be recognised as our most valuable asset. But businesses rarely treat them as such. By recognising and placing our team above all else, we increase our chances of success. Our people are the forefront of our business. They are often the first and last point of contact for our customers. By taking care of the needs of our people, we are taking care of the needs of our customers and in turn, our business. This is the natural order.
Do you have unity within your business?
If you can do it all yourself, do it. But regardless of whether there is one person in the business, or thousands, for a business to be successful, unity amongst all members is required. Working as one means every person or product within the business is working in unison towards a common goal. We achieve this when we understand and acknowledge the role each person plays within the business. Every role must be critical to the outcome. Each part needs be played out in a specific order if the business is to achieve their objectives. Each role therefore is as important as the other and demands an equal measure of respect. Your core values are also important for unity. The values of your business should represent who you are as a unit. Your values are the guiding principles that dictate behavior and standards within your business. They help your people recognise right from wrong and they set the benchmarks to be pursued.
Is your business innovative?
Innovation is like the blood that pumps through the veins of a business. It helps keep your business breathing. Innovation is a key factor in the success of any business and is often what distinguishes one business from another. Innovation is not just about re-inventing new products or services for your customers. It is also about making the most of the resources you have to develop current processes. Innovation helps to increase efficiencies, minimise waste and maintain the motivation of your team. Of course, it also helps keep our customers engaged.
Are you in tune with your business?
If you can trust money to make your decisions, why not trust yourself. Of course, we can not ignore money in business. But we can make an effort not to allow money to control us or the choices we make. By getting in tune with our inner selves and our business, we are opening the door to a wealth of knowledge and power. Intuition is not a magic potion we need to take. It is a talent we need to acknowledge. And there are countless benefits. Crunching data can provide us with wonderful insights into our business. But the data won’t tell you everything you need to know about your business. Your job as manager/owner is to know and understand each level of your business intimately. Make an effort to personally be involved in the tuning of each department or section of your business like a piano. ‘One key at a time’. As each key is tuned, there will be one less key to worry about. Keep going, until each key has been finely tuned and your business is playing the sweet music you like to hear.
Does your product add value to society?
What we do to others is what we do to ourselves. Our products define who we are and what we stand for. We each have a different product and a different way of selling it. We all want to believe we have the best product. And so we should. After all, it is passion and faith that sells a product. In fact, the more intimate you can be with your product the easier it will be to sell. If you feel good about what you’re selling, selling will always be easier. But if you have a product that you have to distance yourself from, or worst, mislead and delude to offload, then you stand a long way from true happiness. The better impact your product has on society, the better you will feel about what you’re doing, and the happier you will be.
Does your business have confidence?
Firstly, let us clarify the difference between cocky confidence and true confidence. With cocky confidence, we have a false sense of achievement. We think we can do anything. With true confidence, we have a true sense of achievement. We know we can do anything. And not because we already know everything, but because we unconditionally accept that we are both competent and capable. As a business, we can do, or learn to do, anything. To build confidence within your team, start by making sure they have the resources required for them to be effective. We’re talking about time, equipment, technology, training, and so on. Basically anything your team needs to get the job done. It may be kind of an obvious question to ask everyone but only too often missed in business.
Does your business have honor and integrity?
Why scavenge with vultures when you can soar like an eagle. Much in the same as vultures may fight over food, businesses tend to fight over money and customers. I don’t have any problems with vultures by the way. Everything has its place in this world. But it’s up to us to decide how honestly and ethically we are going to operate. Honor and trust are noble traits to have in business and the best way to earn them is through honesty and integrity. Be open with information that affects your people. Involve them in more of the decision making or at least explain to them why you may make certain decisions which affect them. Treat your staff with dignity and respect. While some control may be necessary, it is more important to provide people with some flexibility when performing their roles. By placing more trust in your people, by being more open and honest, you will improve the morale and efficiency of your team. Honesty and trust are great motivators, excellent morale builders and create the strongest of loyalties from your people and your customers.
"And there are endless benefits of a happy business."
A happy business is a healthy one, offering security and longevity. A happy business will leave us feeling good mentally, physically and of course, financially. And best of all, we'll be happy.
A happy business requires commitment. The higher up the ladder, the better. By no means is this to be taken as a definitive plan to achieving happiness. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. And that journey begins that moment we decide we're ready.
True happiness carries a lot of power within a business. And its effects can easily spread throughout a business. Just as we can throw a pebble in to any part of the lake, we can introduce happiness in to any part of our business. And regardless of when and where we introduce it, the ripples will play out their role.
"There are seven questions you should be asking yourself if you're serious about managing a happy business."
Does your business value it's people?
Our people are generally the biggest expense in business and should be recognised as our most valuable asset. But businesses rarely treat them as such. By recognising and placing our team above all else, we increase our chances of success. Our people are the forefront of our business. They are often the first and last point of contact for our customers. By taking care of the needs of our people, we are taking care of the needs of our customers and in turn, our business. This is the natural order.
Do you have unity within your business?
If you can do it all yourself, do it. But regardless of whether there is one person in the business, or thousands, for a business to be successful, unity amongst all members is required. Working as one means every person or product within the business is working in unison towards a common goal. We achieve this when we understand and acknowledge the role each person plays within the business. Every role must be critical to the outcome. Each part needs be played out in a specific order if the business is to achieve their objectives. Each role therefore is as important as the other and demands an equal measure of respect. Your core values are also important for unity. The values of your business should represent who you are as a unit. Your values are the guiding principles that dictate behavior and standards within your business. They help your people recognise right from wrong and they set the benchmarks to be pursued.
Is your business innovative?
Innovation is like the blood that pumps through the veins of a business. It helps keep your business breathing. Innovation is a key factor in the success of any business and is often what distinguishes one business from another. Innovation is not just about re-inventing new products or services for your customers. It is also about making the most of the resources you have to develop current processes. Innovation helps to increase efficiencies, minimise waste and maintain the motivation of your team. Of course, it also helps keep our customers engaged.
Are you in tune with your business?
If you can trust money to make your decisions, why not trust yourself. Of course, we can not ignore money in business. But we can make an effort not to allow money to control us or the choices we make. By getting in tune with our inner selves and our business, we are opening the door to a wealth of knowledge and power. Intuition is not a magic potion we need to take. It is a talent we need to acknowledge. And there are countless benefits. Crunching data can provide us with wonderful insights into our business. But the data won’t tell you everything you need to know about your business. Your job as manager/owner is to know and understand each level of your business intimately. Make an effort to personally be involved in the tuning of each department or section of your business like a piano. ‘One key at a time’. As each key is tuned, there will be one less key to worry about. Keep going, until each key has been finely tuned and your business is playing the sweet music you like to hear.
Does your product add value to society?
What we do to others is what we do to ourselves. Our products define who we are and what we stand for. We each have a different product and a different way of selling it. We all want to believe we have the best product. And so we should. After all, it is passion and faith that sells a product. In fact, the more intimate you can be with your product the easier it will be to sell. If you feel good about what you’re selling, selling will always be easier. But if you have a product that you have to distance yourself from, or worst, mislead and delude to offload, then you stand a long way from true happiness. The better impact your product has on society, the better you will feel about what you’re doing, and the happier you will be.
Does your business have confidence?
Firstly, let us clarify the difference between cocky confidence and true confidence. With cocky confidence, we have a false sense of achievement. We think we can do anything. With true confidence, we have a true sense of achievement. We know we can do anything. And not because we already know everything, but because we unconditionally accept that we are both competent and capable. As a business, we can do, or learn to do, anything. To build confidence within your team, start by making sure they have the resources required for them to be effective. We’re talking about time, equipment, technology, training, and so on. Basically anything your team needs to get the job done. It may be kind of an obvious question to ask everyone but only too often missed in business.
Does your business have honor and integrity?
Why scavenge with vultures when you can soar like an eagle. Much in the same as vultures may fight over food, businesses tend to fight over money and customers. I don’t have any problems with vultures by the way. Everything has its place in this world. But it’s up to us to decide how honestly and ethically we are going to operate. Honor and trust are noble traits to have in business and the best way to earn them is through honesty and integrity. Be open with information that affects your people. Involve them in more of the decision making or at least explain to them why you may make certain decisions which affect them. Treat your staff with dignity and respect. While some control may be necessary, it is more important to provide people with some flexibility when performing their roles. By placing more trust in your people, by being more open and honest, you will improve the morale and efficiency of your team. Honesty and trust are great motivators, excellent morale builders and create the strongest of loyalties from your people and your customers.
"And there are endless benefits of a happy business."
A happy business is a healthy one, offering security and longevity. A happy business will leave us feeling good mentally, physically and of course, financially. And best of all, we'll be happy.
A happy business requires commitment. The higher up the ladder, the better. By no means is this to be taken as a definitive plan to achieving happiness. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. And that journey begins that moment we decide we're ready.
Video Summary
"Being happy can make you rich but being rich can’t make you happy."