What we do in our business is based on how we view our world and our reality. I have met company owners who believe that business in general is hard and tough. However, I have also met others who believe that the same industry is full of opportunities. So, what exactly is the reality of the situation?
What is Reality?
When you stop to think about it, reality is basically just your perception of what is real to you. It is your interpretation of the situations that you’ve encountered in your life. Once you realise that your reality (or perception of it) is just as real to you as another person experiencing the same thing, all you need to do is appreciate that in business, you need to be open to the realities of others. Your target audience all have their own realities, their own perceptions, and they can actually be incredibly beneficial to your business, if you can work to adopt them.
If you want to know how, try the following:
Look out / Find out
Find out what other people are saying. Not just the people that you mix with, but industry leaders and other experienced business people who may have different viewpoints of your industry. Identify whether their opinions (their reality) contain suggestions that would benefit the medium to long-term success of your business.
For example, to use the analogy of a half-filled glass of water, one can say that the glass is half-full, another may say its half-empty. However, they may be a further individual, asking why there’s even a glass to limit the flow of water in the first place! Look at the potential of your business from every situation, and remember that it’s all about perspective.
Investigate
Investigate and determine whether their viewpoints and reality are valid. You may interpret the same thing differently, but everyone is entitled to their own interpretation and the person who acts on the best interpretation of events usually has the best chance of success. Your interpretation may be valid from your viewpoint, but bear in mind, others think their interpretations are valid too. It’s only a matter of subjective opinion.
Identify
Identify which viewpoint you believe will benefit the business the most. Then, get to work learning and growing into it.
Embrace and Change
Put in place whatever you need to achieve this. You may need to change the way you look at things. You may even need to change who you hang out with. Once the viewpoint you believe to be correct is ingrained into the culture and beliefs of your business, you have a better chance of building it in the direction you want.
Need help? Just ask me.
