Chapter 1 - Part 1

Business Madness: Unraveling the Paradox of the People Puzzle (Power - People - Profits)                © 2006 Larry & Pat Nelson          Chapter 1 - Part 1

In Abraham Maslow’s book, “The Farthest Reaches of Human Nature”, he quoted Alfred North Whitehead – “When you get a new model, a new paradigm, a new way of perceiving, new definitions of the old words, words which now mean something else, you have an illumination, an insight. You can see things in a different way.” Hopefully you will gain some insight into what makes others tick…and you, too.

Mastering the Mystery of Motivation

Building a business is not a cakewalk. Although some thought in the late 1990s that if they had an idea, they could raise big bucks and build a successful company. Yes, many raised the money, but few ever built a company, let alone a big and successful one. Venture Capitalists were literally throwing money at people with ideas. There was not a shortage of money, just a shortage of the right people doing the right thing. 

Today, the VCs say there is still a bunch of money to invest in companies (angel investors say the same) but, these beneficiaries must have more than their ducks in a row. The truth is, in order to get the first round of financing let alone the second, third and then on to an IPO, investors want to see a well-oiled machine that is based on the right people doing the right things.

That’s what Business Madness is all about. We will focus on tips, tactics and techniques along with some powerful, proven and people-oriented resources that will hit a homerun and deliver the sustainable results of the winners. We will also focus on the second part which is delivering strategies with superior strength to get you to the championship. The third piece is integrating incredible ideas that will take the company where no one else has ever ventured before.

The pathway to managing people, power and profits is filled with challenges and choices, with champions few and far between. So we recruited three people (very different from each other) who are building a company together. Their names have been changed to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Their products and industry are also fictional, yet everything is based on real-life experiences. Oh, then there’s the legal thing. If any part of Business Madness sounds like a particular person, group of people or a particular company, it’s not them.

Let me introduce you to our three stars. First we have Frances F. who plays the role of the company visionary and somewhat charismatic leader. Next we have Pat P. who heads up the sales and marketing thrust and is a great networker. Finally we have Sam S. who is the chief financial officer and does more than bean counting. They are all one-third owners in the company which is about a year old as we start observing them without getting in their way. Talk about laying the foundation for Business Madness.

At times you might think the team represents the three musketeers on today’s playing field. Other times, you might think they are playing the role of the three stooges. We will get back to our team of three but we need to set the scene a little more with some other key ingredients.

Our Mental Roots, the Source and Driving Force of Our Perspective

So just before we delve into the paradox of the people puzzle, we need to take a quick look at what I called in some earlier work, our Mental Roots. By the way, this is an inward look. Before we can understand others, before we can effectively work with and motivate others, before we can tap into the strength of other people, we have to understand ourselves. Okay, you think you do. You took the Meyers Briggs and some other personality profiles and you have yourself nailed…or not.

First of all, we take our point of view, our perspective for granted. Yet it is the one single element that distinguishes us from all other beings. Our personal perspective is our psychological finger prints per se. Unlike our fingerprints, our perspective serves as our vital force, our decision-making determinant and our view of needs fulfillment. It impacts everything we encounter in our environment, or our perceived environment. It is the fulcrum of all our responses, the actual base of our Mental Roots. As a little sidebar, our Mental Roots are our personalized version of our innate needs. That’s why they are core to most everything in our lives.

Some might say, “So what?” Actually most aren’t even aware there is something like our Mental Roots to even wonder about or why we should pay attention. Bare this in mind, if you don’t take notice, nurture it, direct it, someone else or better yet, a group will. Others won’t ask for permission, but they will tap into our Mental Roots to manage, manipulate and misalign your thoughts, feelings and even your actions and behavior.

Here is a quick example how the manipulators might use your Mental Roots to impact and even direct your actions and behavior. We all have that innate need to feel good about ourselves and have a high level of self esteem. Some might say, getting your ego stroked. To make what could be a long story short, this manipulator sings praises of you at a networking event… ego stroking at its best. Later the manipulator invites you to be part of the inner circle. Accolades continue, you join in and your mind is open to whatever is said.

If this manipulator is really good, your mind is now open to new and additional thoughts that could lead to actions and behavior quite different than you might normally play out. I am not suggesting that those ensuing actions are bad or negative as they could be very good. In this case a very normal and natural sequence occurred. While you have ultimate control of course, the manipulator was in the driver’s seat. Once again, it could be a good thing… or not. I don’t know about your feelings on this, but I prefer knowing what is happening and I definitely want to be in the driver’s seat. If you don’t feel this has ever happened to you, I would call that either bad memory or quite naïve. I have been naïve bunches of times in my life. Okay, sometimes it even feels good.

Our Perspective – More than a Point of View

This is an awesome power that is often overlooked, misunderstood, abused and misused by others as well as self. People tend to think of their perspective as their point of view, more to the point it is a window to every facet Mental Roots. The danger is when their Mental Roots and their perspective is unattended; that’s when they are leaving an unlocked door open to others. That would be similar to leaving your laptop unattended at a coffee house all day long. Spy Sweeper from Webroot is great stuff, but won’t help your exposed and unattended laptop in this situation. Awareness is the first step in preventing this possible abuse and simultaneously allows you to open your door to personal power.

Understand this about our perspectives. Collectively, within our community, our state, our nation, our perspectives choose the leaders of the nation as well as the box-office hits. It is easy to see and understand that our perspective, our point of view, our opinion can be tampered with, manipulated and is often quite predictable. Author Note: We are not going to get into politics. As I have often said about w3w3.com our business talk show, “We do not cover politics, porn or pills.”

A further clarification on the meaning of perspective will put us in the driver’s seat and allow us to be the ultimate driver, even leader. As we all know but don’t necessarily consciously realize, we have a perspective on all things that have an impact on our lives. At times our perspective (others often refer to it as our prejudices) is absolute and distinct, and other times is vague, valueless and seems to vacillate without meaning or cause.

We have a perspective on money, our place in society, health, success, death, taxes, prejudice, views of others, retirement, politics (sorry), and you got it, everything in our lives. Every thought, sense or feeling is evaluated by our perspective. Then the influencers of the media enter. Of course they are not the only group trying to direct and control our perspective. But lest I get off track here, we are better off getting a handle on understanding and controlling our personal perspective…that’s proactive personal power.

All our life experiences have had their hand in shaping our perspective. As an infant and early childhood our parents, immediate family, nannies and other experiences started the shaping of our perspective. As time marches on, the continuing exposure to our parents, relatives and others surrounding us has an impact on the development of our perspective. But alas, others want to get on the bandwagon and help us in that development.

Here’s the short list of those eager developers and manipulators. Don’t misunderstand; many are doing what they think is best for you, but of course that is from their perspective. Every aspect of our educational experience has its role. That’s everything from the teachers, the curriculum, the bullies as well as your friends and not so friends. Entertainment and the media have a greater impact than most parents would like. That includes movies, TV, the Internet, advertisements, mobile phones, Astroturf lobbyists and all the other things that are on the ever changing menu of offerings. It’s going to be fascinating to see (no pun intended) what content the wireless industry will be delivering directly to our yet to be invented mechanisms.

It could all sound scary, but I have confidence in humanity. So where did I get that perspective? Some suggest that I am an idealist and naïve. That could be, but what I do know is that when people understand the power, the source and that they can be in complete control of their perspective, it will all work out. Okay, maybe a little naïve.

Our perspective is often equated to our value system. While they are closely related and seem to have a parallel path, our innate needs are in the mix. Most agree that values are pretty well formed in early childhood with estimates of formation by ages 7 to 11. This might have been true three or so decades ago, the rules and influences have changed dramatically. The media, technology and the value shift of the nation suggests that permanent values are passé.

There are many “things” that get in the way to tapping into our perspective and our internal power. Hopefully a look at and the understanding of the blocks, barriers and barricades preventing the full utilization of our perspective can turn that negative around. Bear in mind, our use of the term perspective seems to be somewhat synonymous with prejudices, attitudes, emotions, and other descriptors defining our thoughts and feelings. Our perspective can give us the power and the passion or give us just the opposite, leading to false bearings and the feeling of hopelessness and helplessness.

Come back next week for Part 2. Comment below or email us at radio@w3w3.com

Comments

[Kate Hamers]

Larry, Pat,

Wow!
This is exciting.

The tending of Personal Perspective is profoundly delicate. I'd like to read even more detail in this regard.

Can't Wait for the next installment!

Kate

[Kevin Johansen]

Amen. Where you start makes a big diffence on where you finish. And once the journey's started, knowing what to keep and what to throw away is also key.

Best,
Kevin