This week in my “real job” my company announced to its investors, partners and employees a new strategic plan for 2013-2015. With a challenging economy and results not trending in the right direction, it was time to take a deeper look and commit to a plan that will lead us to sustainable success. The analysis has been done, the direction set and it is now time for action. Action, which will attempt to enhance the company’s position for all shareholders.
Wait a minute, I promised to write about how to enhance your “Love Relationship” this week. Yes, it is true, my memory is not always the strongest, but I have not forgotten!
Our “love relationships” start off with emotion, feelings, and attraction – things that we cannot always quantify. We get swept away in these wonderful feelings. It feels easy to give our partner what makes them happy. Things feel magical and we just go with it, trusting that the magical feelings will last forever because they are so strong. We trust in the magic rather than the action or behaviours because that is easy. Life gets busy, our behaviours change or dwindle and one day we wake up and realize the magic is gone. Magic is simply an illusion; behaviour is what sustains connection.
Relationships require effort, not pixie dust.
How does this relate to business? In order to thrive in business it takes effort. We constantly look at, strategize, change direction, analyse, take action, build and do whatever is necessary to grow our profits so our shareholders will be satisfied. In order to thrive, love relationships require the same attention and focus on growth and improvement. The effort we exert in business equals profits. The efforts we exert in our love relationships equals feelings of attraction and connectedness.
We fantasize that love is different. Because we are swept away, it feels effortless. As a result we trust in something other than effort. We trust in the illusion; the magical love dust we believe protects and sustains the union. From age three onwards Cinderella teaches us that we just have to find “the one” and the magic will happen – no effort required.
But don’t be discouraged. Magic is possible!
It just has to be created. Just like businesses create profits, you can create long term, sustainable and meaningful connection in your love relationship.
How you ask? It is not as hard as you think. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. We simply can apply a similar model that we use in our workplaces to become successful. Let me draw some links to clarify the connection:
Business = Love Relationship
Mission = Happily Ever After
Profits = Meaningful Connection
Investment = Focus and attention on the relationship
Majority Shareholders = You and your partner
Shareholders –Your children or other people that benefit from your profitable union
Shareholders Meeting = A date
Strategy = A plan or conscious commitment to action
Bankruptcy = Failure, divorce
Magic – Something that has to be conciously created
Business’s and love relationships are very similar – we need to continually invest and strategize in order to stay in the game and be highly profitable.
Challenge – Schedule a majority shareholders meeting. Use this time together to be creative and discuss how you will grow your business. Develop a strategy and an investment plan to take your business to the next level of profitability.
As always, well said! Every relationship (business, friendship, love) takes conscious effort. We get out what we put in!