Part 4 - Seeding Synergy
Yes. I know we were going to talk about putting in a support structure to
get you flying high in that “performance zone.” Before we get there, we
need to take a side trip and talk about some fundamentals that make it all
happen. So, let’s have a little fun here...
Let’s borrow from that wonderful statement which drawled out of the
southern chain-gang boss’man’s mouth in the movie “Cool Hand Luke”
and subtitle this whole article “What we have here is a failure to
collaborate!” It’s quite an appropriate statement considering the major
contributor to failure in most businesses is both the lack of
collaboration on the part of in the internal customers and likewise the
marketplace in general.
But we digress: An interesting thing happens to some entrepreneurs on the
way to success. After many, MANY attempts toward forming unions with
others and suffering MAJOR disappointments along the way, the typical
entrepreneur merely gives up. They no longer look to form interdependent
connections and instead become merely Fiercely Independent, Ruthlessly
Resourceful, Unreasonably Self-sufficient. (I call this the FIRRUS Trap.)
They’ve found it to be much easier than the alternative of having to
depend on others to get things done. The phrase “reliance on others” goes
by the wayside and is replaced with an attitude of “I’ll do it myself.”
Most people who opt for this position don’t realize that this is exactly
the opposite of what will eventually bring success. The key to abundance
is forming interdependent relationship inside the business and out. Usual
contributing factors to failure in this area of forming interdependent
connections are mostly in choosing partners that are far from being
independent themselves. Hence if an individual or group that is chosen is
not independent, any attempts to create interdependent relationships are
doomed. Characteristics indicating doom are 1) Drain on most if not all
resources; 2) Lot’s of excuses for not getting things done; and 3)
Progress not being made on most if not all fronts. Oh, yeah! I forgot...
The entrepreneur also losses most of their wind and replaces it with
stress, frustration and possible baldness.
So, how does the aspiring entrepreneur prevent themselves from falling
into the FIRRUS Trap? They must first understand that all abundance is
directly attributable to synergistic relationships which in themselves
must be interdependent. Possible interdependent relationships in the
business sense are identified by performing a simple test to determine
whether whom they are to collaborate with is potential “interdependent”
material.
Three simple “test” questions you can ask yourself before hand should do
it...
- “Are they alive?” And we mean this question seriously. A person or group is not alive unless they are a proactive force thoughtfully CAUSING things and life to occur. Anything else would be considered merely “reactive” and not worth pursuing. (Think about the reason seeing eye dog candidates are rejected when they follow all orders without question...)
- Now that you have determined that they are indeed alive, ask yourself “What is clearly their purpose and does it compliment my/our purpose?” If they are without a purpose that is clear than what they have to offer is fuzzy at best. Fuzzy business dealings give fuzzy results. Couple this with purposes that are not in line with what you’re doing and you have a potion that’s poison. (Do you really want to do business with the wandering visually challenged ?!?!)
- “Are all their actions in line with what they claim their purpose to be?” False integrity is a hard act to continue when the audience is matching words to action. Be very “action sensitive” in your dealings continuously. It IS the gauge you will use to measure whether the people you are willing to place your faith in are truly walking their talk. (Is it worth investing time into something that lacks integrity? Try getting a seed to grow that has holes throughout it. Bummer!)
Now, as my clients so loving say, "Here comes the velvet two by four!"
Ask yourself if you meet these criteria, too. If you don’t, you have no
right to expect success by design. You must have the basics of
independence to participate in and enjoy the fruits of interdependence.
That fruit, again, is called “abundance” and is available to all who wish
to play the game.
So enough foundational talk, next time we shall talk about that
performance zone. Mark my words!
Have a BODACIOUS week!
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Coach John S. Nagy is CEO and Lead Business Coach for Coaching for Success. Inc., a Business Coaching Service specifically designed for top level decision makers dedicated to peak performance in all facets of their activities. He's hired to focus them continuously in activities that bring higher returns on their resource use. His programs are for the seriously committed. This means having his clients work "ON" their businesses, not just "IN" it. He's a published author and a multi-degree professional with a nationwide client base. Coach Nagy can be reached through his E-mail address at his website at http://www.coach.net and by calling 813-949-0718.
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Copyright © 1999 John S. Nagy
