Nothing Personal - Just Business!

You’ve probably heard these words before. I guess people use this phrase when they want to reject your idea or deliver some bad news, like: “Sorry, your position has been eliminated”.

However, successful companies rely on strong relationships, loyalty, and trust with the consumers they’ve built over the years. All of these are personal.

How can you embrace the “personal” in your business environment? Here are some good practices:

• When presenting an idea, don’t just talk about the facts or how it aligns to the overall strategy. Point at the impact on everyone involved – on your coworkers, on your company, and especially on your customers.
• When collaborating with others, think outside of the schedules and tasks and focus on people. Divide the responsibilities based on the strengths and interests of each person involved. Show them you care about them and they’ll care about the business.
• When delivering bad news, have the dignity to admit your role in the decision. Take responsibility for your actions (or lack thereof). Acknowledge the impact on the other person and offer a hand. You just never know when you’ll need it yourself.

Business is done by people, with people, and for people. Business IS personal.